If you remember, I posted last Feb about a situation I was facing where I had a mature AE-AE that had about 1 month old fruit on it and I was moving soon. What to do?? Various suggestions ranged from cutting down the mature stalk with the bananas to trying to transplant the whole thing.

I finally decided (with heavy heart) to cut off the bananas and cut down the mature stalk to almost ground level. Then I dug out the whole rootball and let it dry out. One section with 2- 6 inch pups broke off so I ended up with a large and a small clump. I put them in the garage for a couple weeks to dry out somewhat. After moving, they sat in the bright shade and got hit by the sprinklers. Just SAT there. After about 2 months, I was checking them and noticed new roots growing.

So I potted up the big corm in a pot and the small section in another. Watered them in GOOD and man alive. They took off like a cannon. That was about 6 weeks ago and I now have 10 pups in the big pot and 2 in the small. Yesterday, I took a sharp knife and separated the 2 biggest pups from the big corm. I'm guessing I will transplant them in a week or so and then I hope the corm puts it's energy into the other 8 pups. One is white and will obviously die but all the rest are verigated.

I'm going to experiment and see if I can keep the original corm producing pups. Cut one or two off when they get to a decent size and see if the others take off, then repeat the process. Interesting experiment.

Here is a pic of the large pot. The white plant is small and in left front. The 2 big ones I just cut loose from the corm. There are 10 total pups in this pot.

I will let you all know what happens in a month or two.

Terry

Image link: