jpfloors

Okay, I got a Saba corm about three months ago. Between a month or two ago it put out half of a leaf (The other half had been cut when the it was topped). Since then it's done nothing and everything in view has rotted. Today I decided to do some inspecting and pulled off everything dead, and also uprooted it to see what was going on in the soil. Well I cannot tell whether there's been any root activity (though there's a LOT of roots, but nothing white that I could find). Upon pulling everything off, I think I found the only green part. I believe it is the meristem (Pictures will come later this week by the end of the weekend). I'm really not sure. It kind of looks like a very young rose bud. I've been getting the things I need in order to try tissue culturing bananas, but I truely would rather not do it on one that is my only plant of any variety, nor am I ready time wise either. Questions now:

1) Does anyone think that this will come back to life? I'm going to inspect it everyday. If I MUST do emergency surgery and remove the meristem for TCing, I'll MAKE the time to do it one evening (hopefully I could wait until the weekend).

2) If I do remove the meristem without damaging the bottom of the corm, would it still pup off? I did a quick inspection for eyes, but couldn't get through the vast roots to see if there were any. I didn't have time to completely wash away all of the dirt to really get a good inspection then have to replant.

3) OR Should I leave it completely alone and see what happens?

Thanks for everyones input and I'll definately have pictures by the weekend. I may even uproot it again and do a good washing to see what is going on underneath the ground.

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MediaHound

Pull away anything thats rotted.
Leave it be and if there's still life in the corm, it will send a new stalk from the side.
If it dies, and if it's the one you got from me, I will replace it at no charge. No worries.
Attempting a TC might not be a bad idea, give it a whirl if you can manage.

jpfloors

Thanks Jarred, yeah, it was the one that you had sent me It happens sometimes. Didn't want to bring that up so no one would get any bad feelings towards your plants. All of the others are doing WONDERFUL. Today I just split two pups off of the Manzano you sold me. Also have had 8 pups so far split off from the Orinoco and three more eyes puping up that I can see! It seems that the Orinoco just doesn't want to quit producing offspring. As soon as I split off one or two of the pups, new eyes and pups form immediately and get to 12" + in as little as two weeks. The two I split today were just eyes a week and a half ago!

I'm definatly going to keep a very close eye on it this week. If I do decide to try my first TC on this one (which I'm starting think more and more seriously about it) I'm going to try to plug out the meristem so if the corm can still produce any pups it'll be able to, but unlikely if the root system hasn't recovered from when it was split and shipped. If I have time, energy, and enough daylight tomorrow when I get home, I will probably pull and clean it to see what's going on with the roots and the bottom of the corm. Wish me luck! Hopefully it's not rotting underneath. I wouldn't think so since the center still is very vibrantly green.

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I'll show you my banana if you show me yours!!!

MediaHound

Center is green? Sounds good. Post a pic if you can.
Peel back the layers and expose that green as best as you can, the more you see, the more energy it'll produce.

jpfloors

Oh, I pulled back ALL of the dead tissue yesterday. All that's left is this tiny piece in the middle at the bottom that looks like a green rose bud. VERY vibrant green. I believe this is the meristem. It's probably 1/4-1/2 the size of my pinky nail. I'm also going to shelter it from the sun somewhat today as well so it doesn't get burnt.

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I'll show you my banana if you show me yours!!!

Gabe15

The meristem is white, not green. Maybe you are seeing some small new leaves being formed?

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jpfloors

Thanks Gabe, I did not know that. Now I do know what to look for when I do pick which plant to "send to the slaughter house" to do my first TC!

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I'll show you my banana if you show me yours!!!

jpfloors

Here's the image of the top of the plant. I didn't have time today to uproot it.

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I'll show you my banana if you show me yours!!!

MediaHound

Give it some compost tea or liquid fish or liquid seaweed... it looks like it's just about finished adjusting and should (or at least hopefully) come back.
Keep us posted, like I said, if it does not make it, I'll get another to your doorstep.

Dean W.

jpfloors, good luck w/ your Saba. I'm learning more everyday.

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Dean

jpfloors

Okay Jarred, 6 days later, I didn't ever have time to even go to the nursery or walmart to shop for any of that (wasn't feeling well this weekend), and look what happened:


Thanks Jarred!!!! I'm so glad I didn't have to do surgery on this one!

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mskitty38583

jp glad to see your saba put out a pup! hope you are feeling better.

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"kokomo" beach boys:

jpfloors

Hehehehe, I saw your "lack of sleep" in another thread. LOL That's the original growth point. That new grandbaby of yours must be keeping you up. How is the baby doing?

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I'll show you my banana if you show me yours!!!

mskitty38583

hes doing great,just trying to get his schedual straight. lol! as for the sleep, what is that???

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"kokomo" beach boys:

jpfloors

Well last week it finally took it's last breath. It put out two small leaves.. and then withered away. I burried it in the garden. LOL Guess I'll have to buy another and try to have better luck 8-)

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I'll show you my banana if you show me yours!!!

MediaHound

Don't sweat it, I'll replace it for you.

jpfloors

Thanks Jarred for the offer, tell ya what, wait to do so when I buy something else from ya if you'd rather, that way to save on shipping $$. Take a look at my list and PM me with anything you have available that I don't have. Do you still have any black balbisiana around? Also, I notice you don't have a cross... would you be interested in one when I have one of my pups mature?

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I'll show you my banana if you show me yours!!!

MediaHound

I just dug it for you then saw your reply! It's dug up, sitting in my garage ready to be packaged for you... lmk what you want me to do, I can replant it and wait... but when you are ready I may not have pups ready... lmk.. up to you.