Will a Banana Plant Grow From Roots?
The most common method of banana tree propagation involves detaching a pup or sucker from the roots and replanting it to grow a new plant. Bananas produce many suckers in each group of roots, but only one stem will produce fruit each season. Plants need to be separated into smaller groups in order to yield multiple stems producing fruit. Does this Spark an idea?
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Digging the Sucker
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New suckers grow quickly from the banana rhizome, producing a clump of plants. Select a sucker for planting and separate it from the mother plant with a sharp shovel. Push down through the roots close to the mother plant and dig up the selected sucker. The new plant needs to have a section of roots from the mother plant to support it until it becomes established.
Choosing a Sucker
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Three types of suckers grow from the roots of banana plants. The maidenhead sucker, a large pseudostem, is not usually used for propagation because it does not produce fruit. The water sucker, identified by broad leaves, produces a weak plant that does not produce well. Look for a sword sucker, identifiable by its narrow, sword-like leaves. The sword sucker is the best sucker to use for new plant production.
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When to Divide Bananas
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Spring is the best time to divide banana suckers because the weather is usually wet.
Bananas need plenty of moisture to become established. Wet weather in the summer is also ideal, or you can choose to use irrigation to keep the plant moist until it is well established. Dig the sucker up when it is approximately 1 or 2 feet tall.
Planting the Sucker
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Remove all but the youngest leaves from the sucker before planting. Plant the sucker in a sunny spot away from buildings and power lines. Allow 12 or more feet between banana trees; the plants need room for a large root structure to grow. Plant the banana sucker close to the soil surface and water immediately.
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References
- Photo Credit Banana Tree image by SISS-Solutions.com from Fotolia.com
