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Home > Archive > Hawaii gardening > June 2005 > How to stop, or slow down, the production of small bananas
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How to stop, or slow down, the production of small bananas
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| Brian Bigler 2005-06-16, 2:08 pm |
| Aloha,
I live near Seattle, and last year installed three bananas in a deck pot. I
put these in the ground for winter, and to leave them permanently, but have
wondered what I can do about the dozen or more shoots that are arising from
the base of these three plants. Certainly I want SOME shoots to replace the
parent plants as they die, but there are so many I have to wonder if I'm
doing something wrong. I've augmented the soil with composted manure, and
have used a standard slow-release fertilizer. The plants get full sun and
adequate water (drip irrigation). I'm reluctant to just snap these off at
the base because I don't know if that would introduce infections. I'd
really appreciate some advice.
--
Best regards,
Brian Bigler
Lynnwood, WA
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| Dan Birchall 2005-06-16, 2:08 pm |
| bigler190@earthlink.net (Brian Bigler) wrote:
quote:
> I live near Seattle, and last year installed three bananas in a deck pot. I
> put these in the ground for winter, and to leave them permanently, but have
> wondered what I can do about the dozen or more shoots that are arising from
> the base of these three plants.
Bananas spread underground from the corm, forming a "mat." If you let it
go, it'll be quite hard to get out later. We had a single Dwarf Apple plant
and wound up with a mat about 4' in diameter, a real pain to dig out.
If the "keiki" are healthy, you can separate them (chop through the "mat"
and take each one with some corm) and pot them individually. Heck, maybe
even sell them. ;)
Other than that... I'd suggest creating a scenario where the "mat" can grow,
but only a certain amount. A big pot, a cinderblock planter, whatever.
Decide how many square feet you're willing to let the "banana patch" occupy,
and wall it in somehow.
Oh, and after a given stem bears fruit, you'll have to chop it down; if you
don't, it'll rot and stink to high heaven. ;)
-Dan
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Dan Birchall, Hilo HI - http://hilom.multiply.com/ - images, words, technology
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