venturabananas

I'd choose the ones more in the 18" - 3' range, personally, but the taller ones will probably do fine. And if you want to get rid of the larger ones anyway, there's no reason not to.

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ronke

Thanks! I'll be heading out with my digging bar tomorrow.

ronke

I want to thank everyone in this thread (especially venturabanana!) for their guidance on the removal of pups. I dug out my first three on Friday for donation at my local CRFG chapter. Charles Portney -- my fruit-growing god -- took my medium size pup and later wrote that I had dug it out with "just the right amount of tissue and roots". I owe it all to you!

Cathypiper

My name is Cathy I live n western ky. I transplanted a banana tree that's 3ft tall yesterday an this morning it is wilted. Is this normal or is there anything I can do? Thanks

ronke

Cathy, I am by no stretch of the imagination an expert on bananas. You would be better off starting a new thread. I do know a lot depends on the quality of the roots on the pup; although a couple of months ago I hurried to pull a Gros Michel pup out of the ground before I had to jump on a plane, and it finally emerged without most of its roots. I stuck it in a pot of compost and cactus mix in the shade and over a four week period it remained good and green at which point I gave it away. Some people here actually pull all the leaves off before transplanting except for the growing tip at the center, so if it is merely the outside leaves that are wilting, that is not a problem. If the whole plant looks limp, I'm sure someone with a lot more experience can guide you. Good luck.

IsleWalker

Hi-

I can't seem to find out WHY one has to separate pups if it is the method of propagation. In the wild, do they not just continue to make a stand of banana plants?

In other words, if my goal is to grow a bunch of banana plants, why would I need to separate the pups? Will it cause the main (I can't even tell which that is now) to not fruit?

IsleWalker

venturabananas

If your goal is to grow a bunch of banana plants in one big clump, then there is no reason to separate pups. If you want to propagate more plants or manage the size of your clump (which affects fruit production per plant), then separate pups. Otherwise, just leave your clump alone.

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beam2050

that and many here are zone benders. by keeping one or two in a mat you can force it to fruit faster.