Potted banana has a shoot
 

I come from the future! About a year ago I got a Gros Michel and Ice Cream Banana tree (tiny baby shoot) from the internets.

It's my first time planting banana trees and I re-potted a bit too early. The gros michel died but the Ice Cream Banana has been steadily growing for about a year now, entirely indoors (mini-diy-greenhouse situation).

So I transplanted it to a BIG (garbage can with holes drilled in it) pot and put it in my stairwell (with a water-catching tray and some plastic to keep everything level/stable). There's a tiny plant-light just above it, and one hanging way WAY above it on the ceiling for when/if it gets crazy-tall. Then I put plastic wrap around the entrance and the humidifier just beside it.

Bigger pot means more water, so now when I water it (once a week) I use a water pitcher instead of tiny bottle.

Benefits of living alone: Crazy unwieldy layouts like this. (worth it, banana trees>convenient access to second floor)


At first I was worried it wasn't going to transplant well but its been a few weeks and it's grown a new leaf... and something else. :banana_ba



So now I get to figure out how to transplant this little guy into it's own pot! :D

Tips on how/when to do this? So far all I know is that you do this by waiting until it's ~1 inch tall, separating it from its parent with a spade, waiting a week, then taking the baby and placing it in it's own pot. (I'll try hard not to stack the dirt too high up the trunk though! Or it'll go the same way as my gros michel).

Re: Potted banana has a shoot
 

It should be bigger than an inch tall. Wait till it makes its first real leaf, (Not narrow) than wait till it puts out several more. That gives it time to make roots. Looks wonderful! :woohoonaner:

Re: Potted banana has a shoot
 

L:08:ooking fine..

Re: Potted banana has a shoot
 

Will waiting longer hurt the mother plant? I value the main more then the shoot so I'm not sure how to cause minimal damage to it when I do removal of shoot.

Re: Potted banana has a shoot
 

If you do it now the pup will die. It hasn't made sufficient corm or roots. If you do not care about the pup, then I guess you could dig it out. I have never heard of you leave the pup it will Hitler the mother plant. I know if you let it get really big (several feet tall) it might hurt the mother but probably not that much.

Re: Potted banana has a shoot
 

Ah thanks, I do still want the shoot so I'll wait a bit, just worried. : P First time banana tree grower and all that.