Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

Hi Banana crew!

I need some advice with this Musa Blood Red… As you can see from the photo, the growth is leggy perhaps from a lack of light. If I cut this in half , will it grow new leaves ?? I want to start over again but don’t want to kill it .. Can I chop??

Many thanks in advance :) 🍌🍌🍌:waving:

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

i had a few tc's do that. i had no problems.

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

Thanks for your reply

How low can we cut these plants ??

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

don't cut them let them grow. they will be fine. cutting them you make them start over again.

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

I agree you should let it grow. Did you grow it from seed or buy a plant? The reason I ask is, long before tissue culture was in use I had a Blood banana that was not like the ones you find in the market today. Mine had a much narrower and longer leaf and a thinner, taller trunk. It also seemed to want to form open clumps. It was very easy to see the difference against todays blood banana. Both forms have the same blood red patches on the leaf. I wish I could find one of the old types again but today all I see are the broader leaf and shorter trunk type. I think maybe the original type I had was a wild type whereas the new broad leaf type is what, I think, is a hybrid. Some others may see the new type as improved.

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

Late answer to the question.
Many of my plants do the same when indoors for the winter .

When the plant is brought outdoors the leaves usually snap at the slightest breeze.
This is due to the plant of not being hardened off to the outdoors.

You may trim the leaves where they snap or just below if you wish.
The plant will sort itself out in about 30 days.

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

mine are rather tall and thin as well

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

Was yours grown up in mostly sunny conditions outdoors or indoors?

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

they were inside for a looong winter under lights and all the indoor grown leaves fell off and the new growth is in mostly sunny conditions
here are the other ones out front

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

Definitely the "Blood bananas" shown here are the narrow leaf tall skinny trunk type vs. the shorter broad leaf type. If vigorously growing they can be cut off at any trunk height you desire but I do recommend you keep at least a couple feet of trunk. They will shoot more babies if not cut off. I have not seen these tall types in many years. So where can I find one like these?

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

its funny... i had a zebrina in 2010 and it had a thick trunk
my friend gave me this plant and i kept saying to him last year... just watch its going to get thick at the base
it never did
not sure where he got it from.. i am in toronto canada

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

Yes, you can cut the banana plant [Musa Blood Red] at any trunk height as long as you leave at least a couple of feet of the trunk. This will prompt the plant to send out new shoots or "pups" from the base.

Re: Leggy growth on Musa Zebrina ‘Blood Red’
 

I had a Zebrina I nursed for two darn years. I got it as a tiny toothpick TC, and although it grew to about 3' it was always a sickly looking leggy plant. It finally bit the bullet this past winter, but I was able to find an actual PUP from a mother plant on E-bay a couple months ago, so I'm back in the Zebrina game! yipppe!