Banana Suckers

[Deleted]

Hello everybody,

I'm new to this board and was wondering if anybody can tell me if Musa basjoo put up suckers? Am I right in thinking that suckers are offshoots which I should be able to grow a new plant from? If so, my potted banana has put up 5 of them and I don't know what to do with them. Will they pinch nutrients from the main plant and if not should I let them grow bigger and then do something with them to grow them on?

Thanks for you help!

[andy]

Gizmack

All Bananas will sprout from the base.....including M. Basjoo. If you already have a "main" trunk and want to keep it, i'd suggest removing the offshoots.

However, most bananas will grow a main trunk and then, after a couple of years, it will be cut down to allow one of the "suckers" to take it's place.

Of course you could have a smaller plant but with lots of stems.

Being in a pot, it will be somewhat restricted but if it was planted in the ground, those offshoots would grow and you'd end up with a large clump of shoots.