Planting banana plant

[joannde]

I'm puzzled. I expected to see the bananas and then normal thin roots - WRONG ! The "roots" just look like elongated banana's - 3 inches long, 1/8" in diameter, and green --- unless those AREN"T the roots ???? Which part of this plant am I supposed to bury ???

 

[Zezmo]

At that point...none
The bananas are not the roots, your plant has no roots yet. You can temporaily bury half of the banana to hold the plant down. But don't leave it that way more than a week or two. FWIW, that last time i grew a bananna plant, the banannas fell off, and it really had no effect on the plant, which grew wonderfully.

 

[joannde]

LOL oh goodness, Ok, I could NOT figure what was going on ! At least I can plant this thing now !

 

[DarylF2]

Yes, those "bananas" are sort of like lower leaves and shouldn't be planted. One of my banana plants sent out a runner with a baby, which has roots and upper leaves, but (so far at least) no lower "banana" leaves.

 

[TwoHobbies]

If it's going in a pot (it must be) I'd leave the substrate down a little from the edge and just set it on top of the dirt. It should start a root very soon. If I remember rigtht the roots look like normal only thicker.

 

[joannde]

Thanks TwoHobbies, you know me well - yep, its going in a pot. I had to bury one of the longish banana thingies - it FLOATS !!! LOL now if the snails and cories stay out of the pot I have a shot of keeping it in so it can grow roots LOL

 

[TwoHobbies]

It floats!!!.....hum mine didn't float. The banana will rot and turn black if planted.

But i'm not sure what choice you have. Was it under water when you purchased it.

 

[joannde]

I bought it online so I have no idea if it was underwater or not - but it definitely floats. And no worries about that one banana I dug into the EC - its already floated its way out (or got dug out) ! LOL I'd like to tie it down but I'm afraid of one of the pandas getting caught in the string - they're such curious little characters. I've tried tucking a rock between the longer banana thingies but they're really tight together and I can't get the rock to stay in there.

Right now I have it hovering above the pot, its kept down by a leaf that's under one of the "tree" leaves. Will it grow roots this way or does it need to touch the substrate ? If it will grow roots this way I'll leave it be and plant it when I have something to bury

 

[fish_4_all]

Some Descent info on Banana plants

More info

 

[DarylF2]

You could always do what I do with plants that won't stay planted: I bought a set of heavy plant anchors and wrap one of these around the plant's base or roots. These plant anchors are very heavy and soft like lead, but safe for all aquatic plants and fish.

 

[joannde]

I'm going to have to use plant weights - I'll pick them up next time I'm in the store, thanks

 

[IceH2O]

I planted my tubers into the sand just enough to keep them from floating. But my Birchirs would always get one to float. I finally got it to stay and them to leave it alone.

 

[joannde]

For now I sunk a couple of the tubers about 1/4 of the way in, at least its staying down at the moment - we'll see how long that lasts. I'm sure once the snails find the new pot they'll be all over it and that plant will be floating again LOL