Updated at: 20-05-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

To develop a banana tree from cuttings, there is no precise guide because the term banana tree is an incorrect description of what it actually consists of. Despite their treelike appearance, banana plants are actually herbaceous stems covered in leaf-petiole sheaths that grow in tropical climates. Instead of growing from cuttings, a banana tree should arise from corm or rhizome.

Greenhouse banana production makes sense since it circumvents the limits imposed by a gardener’s climate. Since this structure offers so many advantages over traditional gardening, it’s no surprise the banana business is interested. A greenhouse should be prepared for success, but finding a proper method of propagating banana trees is still important.

How To Grow A Banana Tree From A Cutting: The Common Mistake You Should Know

Some believe that banana trees may be grown from cuttings because of their ability to replicate themselves. For the most part, banana trees don’t require a lot of attention. It only bears fruit once every 15 months after the saplings are planted.

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Banana trees are not trees, and they grow from either suckers or corms

After harvesting, new suckers will sprout around the base of the tree, necessitating its removal. When propagating bananas, gardeners follow this cycle and use either suckers or corms. Suckers can also be used interchangeably with offshoots and keikis if you’re familiar with propagation procedures.

As an alternative to corms, bullheads or pieces that can be divided further if there are many buds are also known. Using a paring knife, remove the corm’s bottom half, reserving the transparent white tissue for trimming the corm’s perimeter to about a half-inch thick. If you’re using bullheads, don’t forget to remove the pseudostem 4 inches above the top.

Just like corms, you need someone with experience to ensure the plant grows. Corms weighing less than 2.2 pounds have a decreased probability of establishing in the ground, according to experienced gardeners. You can then soak the corms in water at 122 to 126 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes before placing them in a bag at room temperature to induce roots, if necessary.

Banana Plant Splitting

Banana plants, whether in a pot or in the ground, eventually produce banana plant pups. It is possible for banana plants planted in containers to produce suckers as an indication of stress, such as if they are pot-bound, under-watered or otherwise unhappy. Their only hope of escaping the dire circumstances in which they find themselves is to dispatch a swarm of suckers.

New roots will develop in the pups, allowing the parent plant to take in more water and nutrients. To replace a dying parent plant, new pups can also begin to sprout. However, it is not uncommon for a perfectly healthy banana plant to bear pups simply due to the fact that reproduction occurs naturally.

Inspect the parent plant for symptoms of stress, disease, or insects if your banana plant produces suckers. The roots of container-grown banana plants should be examined to check if they are confined.

How to Divide a Banana Tree

There are many ways to divide banana plant pups from the parent plant, depending on how well the parent plant and its root structure are doing. Separating banana plants will give both the new pups and the parent plant a better chance at survival, as the new pups can take away water and nutrients from the parent plant causing it to die back. It is only appropriate to divide banana plants when one of the pups is at least a foot tall.

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The pup should have formed its own roots by this point, so it is no longer reliant on the parent plant for survival. Before they have developed their own root system, pups are unlikely to survive. Gently remove the soil from around the roots and sucker of the banana plants to separate them.

Once the soil has been removed, you can check to see if the pup you are dividing has developed roots of its own. If not, replace the soil and wait a little longer. If the pup has its own set of healthy roots, you can divide it and start a new banana plant. A clean, sharp knife should be used to cut the banana plant pup from the parent plant.

The banana pup’s roots should not be cut in any way. Gently detach the banana plant pup’s roots from the parent plant’s after it has been cut. As much of the pup’s roots as you can get your hands on. This new pup can then be planted, either in a container or directly in the ground. During the first few weeks, your new banana plants may show signs of weakness, but this will pass quickly.

For banana plants, using a rooting nutrient might lessen the stress and shock of dividing. When you split bananas, be sure to water both the baby seedlings and the parent plant well and frequently to encourage healthy root development.

HOW TO PROPAGATE BANANA PLANTS

You’ll need a few things before you can start propagating bananas. Banana propagation does not necessitate a plethora of specialized tools, and I am willing to guess that you already have the most of these items on hand.

Supplies Required for Propagation:

  • Soil for plants (if planting in a container)
  • Empty container
  • a shovel (if digging in the garden)
  • A pair of clippers or a knife with a good blade.

Before you get started, keep in mind that your banana pup will be subjected to some trauma during this process, and you’ll want to take precautions to minimize this.

So, either prepare a new container or prepare a hole in your garden before removing the pup. In this technique, you can plant your new baby banana tree immediately after taking it from its mother plant.

DIVIDING BANANA PLANTS STEP-BY-STEP

If your banana is growing in a pot like mine, this step will be much easier. To begin, simply remove the entire plant from the pot.

Afterwards, gently pull apart the mother plant’s roots from the pup’s, in an effort to free as much of the pup’s roots as you can.

To avoid damaging the puppies’ roots, take care not to bump into them (have patience, this may be a difficult task and take some time).

To remove the pup, cut it off from the main plant using sharp, sterilized clippers or a knife once you’ve found the location where it’s attached.

If at all possible, avoid removing any of the puppies’ roots by simply cutting off the stem that connects them to the mother plant.

Once you’ve destroyed the mother plant’s link, continue to tease the banana plant roots, slowly drawing the pup away from the main rootball until it is free.

If you’re dealing with a mature banana plant, you’ll need to put in some effort to remove the pup. Take your time and be patient.

Put the mother plant back in its pot after you’ve finished removing the pup, or repot it if you like.

POTTING UP YOUR BABY BANANA PLANT

Having successfully extracted the pup, you can now pot it up in a container of your own. In terms of soil preferences, banana plants aren’t fussy.

It’s just that they want a soil combination that’s rich, organic, and quickly draining. Extra drainage can be achieved by mixing potting soil with perlite or pumice.

Carefully fill your new pot with dirt, ensuring that the roots of the baby banana are completely covered. Drink plenty of water to your new banana plant after you’ve finished filling the pot with soil.

It’s natural for your new banana plant to droop for a few days while it adjusts to life on its own.

It’s best to keep it out of direct sunlight and well-watered for a few days while it recovers from the shock.

So that’s it, you now have a brand-new banana plant that you may give to a buddy. Although banana plant division requires some effort, it is the most straightforward method of propagating bananas. Do not rush yourself; take your time and be patient.

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Propagating Bananas From Division

Farmers don’t use sexual reproduction when propagating bananas. Bananas are difficult to cultivate from seed since most types are seedless, necessitating division rather than cuttings. Because of this, you’ll need to divide suckers or corms as previously described.

Several works of literature use these terms interchangeably, so learning them is essential if you want to spread bananas. Small suckers, or pups, may be referred to as “button” by some. When the weather is warm enough for planting, you should utilize the 3 foot-long ones.

A final point to keep in mind when taking banana pups is that they should never be taken without at least three bananas that can support the entire clump in place. It’s because you’re hoping to incorporate a few roots from the original seedling. Just as you would when preparing a cutting, before planting the pup, remove all of the leaves.

Propagating Bananas From Tissue Culture

Additionally, you may be interested in cultivating banana trees through tissue culture. Using this strategy will ensure that your crops are less susceptible to disease and pests as long as you have the necessary components. Propagation and lab-grown plants will necessitate higher costs, and they’ll be more susceptible to transplantation.

Lab-grown bananas take a long time to adapt before they can be transplanted into the wild. Since these plants are more vulnerable to environmental stress than others, a greenhouse may be a good option.

Minisetting Bananas

A third approach of cultivating bananas is to cultivate them in little pots. You’ll cut a portion off the corm and utilize it as a starting point for a new plant. As a result of this corm, you should be able to reliably grow a large number of banana trees.

To give you an idea of how effective this propagation strategy is, one corm may typically produce 40 minisetts. If you’re planning to go into the banana industry, you may want to investigate minisetting.

Conclusion

You may grow bananas in your garden or start a business because they are long-lasting and easy to grow. If you’re looking for how to develop a banana tree from a cutting, don’t bother. It is a common misconception that banana trees may be propagated from cuttings, despite the fact that they are not actually trees.

As an alternative, you can develop bananas from either suckers or corms through division or tissue propagation or minisetting. For propagation, you’ll divide corms or use a sucker like a cutting. A corm, on the other hand, can generate up to 40 minisetts of bananas in a short period of time.