My dwarf banana tree has several small green stems growing out around the base of the tree. Should i just leave them alone or should i cut them and plant them for more trees? If I should cut them does anyone know how is best o do this? The tree is 2 years old and about 4' tall which is nearing the max for this tree. It is not fruited as of yet. Thanks for all advice.
propagation of bananas question
JFREDT
Since the mother plant dies after it fruits my rule of thumbs for bananas is usually three to four pups per mother plant. I want one tree ready to bloom or bloomimg, one tree almost of size to bloom, one medium and one just starting.
If you want to you want you can let them do what they want but you can end up with an intertwined mess.
DW
I believe that the fresh cut surfaces should be allowed to dry to prevent rot.
How about if you brush the cuts with tree sealer or dust with cinnamon?
At 4 ft tall you really shouldn't have a problem to remove the older tree after she fruits.
I don't know what kind of banana the majority of my trees are but they get 10-12 feet tall. After each one is through I cut them down to within a few inches of the ground and then into sections for the trash. The stumps just kinda shrivel up and after they are dry they can be removed by hand. I let all of the pups grow and do their own thing. So far (knock on wood) no problems. Sometimes I have bananas coming out of my ears but I use them to feed my staghorns and the raccoons. ... or I just let them compost in the nanner patch.
Here, we have excess bananas, we give them to the local Cuban Restaurants.
Farm animals love the chopped up stalks of cut down banana trees. I also use the leaves for cooking.
A DG'er told me how to successfully divide my banana trees and I haven't lost one since- I use a saw blade to cut down between the mother and the new shoot, then dig it up. Also I was told that I should cut the taller shoots- they have more root. Reing that they can also grow from rhisomes and there isn't much root on a shoot, I don't think I would seal the cut. It might help absorption of food and water to be a fresh open cut.