saturn

I got this black banana late 2014 - it was dug off a mat and as you may be able to see below, it was kind of a slice of the corm. But it was big, so I thought it would be OK. Didn't have many roots when I got it.

It grew OK the first year in a pot, but never pupped. When I went to repot for Spring 2015, it didn't have as many roots as my naners usually do.

Spring 2016 I took it out of it's pot and planted it in ground. I don't recall what the roots looked like, but iirc it did have some!

I planted a different banana next to it in the bed.

November 2016 I dug up those naners for the winter, before we had enough cold to do any damage. The black banana had NO live roots. Just a few dead ones. The naner next to it looked just fine. So there is probably not an issue with the location.

I didn't find anything soft/rotted to cut off on the corm, so I potted it up and brought it inside. I just left what roots it had - I was pretty sure they were all dead, but just in case any of them were still good, I left it. Cut the pstem back when the leaves died. But a few months of sitting in my warmest, sunniest room, and it hasn't grown.
I pulled it out of the pot to check it again. Still no roots, and the pstem is doing nothing. It's all still solid.
I assume it's dead. Is there anything else I can do here?

Attached Images

	20170201_151554.jpg (1.17 MB, 74 views)
	20170201_151608.jpg (1.25 MB, 63 views)

jayk9

Looks like it's done for.

pitangadiego

Put it in a greenhouse or similar and it will probably pup. Doubt the corm will grow a plant, only pups.

__________________
Encanto Farms Nursery
http://encantofarms.com
We Be Bananas
http://webebananas.com

sputinc7

You say it is still hard and that is good news, IF it also heavy. If it is dried out, it's done for. It still won't be easy to bring it back, given your description.

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

Tytaylor77

If it was mine. I would cut all dead roots off and pot it in course sand and keep it warm. After 2-3 weeks you should have some good white roots growing. After white roots are confirmed pot it up in a large pot/ground and wait for a pup. If the corm is still firm and heavy it still has a good chance. Keep us updated on how it does.

__________________

150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com

jayk9

A glimmer of hope if it still have some weight. Let us know how it goes.

By the way, put it in the water in a bucket or something, for one week. If it rots, it's already dead long ago. If it starts to grow, then it's an indicator that it is still alive.

saturn

Yes, it's still heavy.
I don't have a greenhouse. What can I do to simulate this?
It's in my warmest and brightest room, but not getting direct sun at the moment. Decent humidity.
Daytime is about 70F but can go up to nearly 80F. But down to 65F night.
Do I need more consistent warmth?
What do I need to do differently, because after 3 months of being potted up, it hasn't done anything.

Should I put it in a clear storage tote out of direct sun? I would also point a cfl bulb just above the soil.

So what's better about coarse sand, than my usual peat based potting mix? I have sand but it's not very coarse. I would be tempted to try pine bark fines instead, if having an open substrate is key.

Perhaps I should note that I also really cut back on watering, as I was waiting for signs of life.

Thanks for the help trying to save this plant.

sputinc7

Me? I would soak it in a mild bleach water solution (1 teaspoon in 5 gallons) for a couple hours, then pick off anything brown not firmly attached, maybe scrub with a soft brush then soak again in the sanitizing water another hour or so, then let it soak in fresh water for an hour after that to rinse then plant in sand, damp sand (Like it would be inside a sand pile a couple days after a rain), and don't water it for a week then check for root growth by gently digging down one side with your finger...If none and sand is still damp, wait another week. If dry, put a few drops around corm to moisten. You only want enough moisture to coax out a root, not promote rot. Keep it warm.
I actually have a Goldfinger corm I may need to do this with, still waiting for growth... The top rotted but the corm still looks good so I am exercising patience right now.

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

Tytaylor77

Those temps should be fine. I've tried it all (including bark fines). I love to experiment and I bet I have tried rooting corms in 50+ mediums, including different types of sand. Banana corms love to and do best in a simi dry well draining medium. On the other hand banana roots love to be wet and in super organic material.

They are very resistant plants and can grow in almost any soil if the moisture level is correct for that medium. If they are established and actively growing. Rootless corms (dead roots) or dormant plants can die in the same conditions.

Coarse sand is by far the best I have found to get roots to grow. It amazes me how well it does this. I only use sand to root corms. After they have roots I move them to a peat/perlite mix if potted. The best coarse sand is swimming pool filter sand or #8-16 sandblasting sand. Any sand would be better than pine fines IMO.

I put pebbles in the bottom of the pot to stop the sand from draining out of the pot. Then I fill sand and cover just to the top of the corm. Water very well slowly. Lots of water will drain out. After this first watering you will not water again for at least a week. Let all the water drip for an hour or so then move it inside so it won't make a mess. Or into a plastic tote would work great also to keep the house clean. If the corm is alive it will grow roots in coarse sand. Others reading this can confirm. Corse sand and perlite is a banana growers best tools.

I also would stay away from the corm in a bucket of water. Corms hate water and if it is not actively growing it could kill the corm or make it rot. Just my opinion.

Good luck with whatever method you try and keep us updated. We can all learn and improve. With bananas there is no "righ way".

__________________

150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com

subsonicdrone

i had some which looked like youres






they did not all come back.. but it is worth the try

saturn

I do have pool filter sand. Doesn't seem 'coarse' to me, but I will give it a try.

sputinc7

My thinking with the bucket of water and bleach was to remove anything rotting and kill any fungus and / or bacteria causing the rot. It wouldn't be in it long enough to hurt it although I should have said to dry it when you are done before planting.. It should be partly / mostly white when you're done.

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

a.hulva@coxinet.net

I agree with Ty. He's experimented with a lot of procedures. Experience is the best teacher.

venturabananas

A heat mat would help to get it growing and happy indoors when it is cold outside.

__________________

Tytaylor77

Filter sand is not as course as you could use however it is usually quartz silica. It is all very close to the same size pieces of sand and has no sediment or clay or anything else like natural sand does. You will notice when you water how fast water moves through it compared to normal sand. Even creek or river sand. hopefully it will wake up your corm and save it.

Sterilizing or soaking in buckets of water is great. I do that also. I was talking about leaving it in a bucket of water for a week. Sorry for the confusion.

Heating mats are cheap and great. On amazon or eBay for like $10. If you have one use it. If you have warm lights use em. Just keep it as warm as possible. 60f+ ground temps are best. Good luck!!

__________________

150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com

saturn

I put the dead-looking corm into PFS early Feb. Warm as I could get, lots of sun.
Checked it a few weeks later: nothing.
Kind of gave up on it.
But I always wait to really give up.
Just pulled it out today, and, tada! ROOTS! So cool.

Not a lot, and only on one side.
And nothing green.

Now what? Just keep on with the sand until I see green?

Attached Images

20170327_black banana.jpg (1.13 MB, 20 views)

Tytaylor77

Congrats! You have done great. Many and tried and many have failed when it comes to saving a banana corm. Good job!

Now it's rooted. Pool filter sand is amazing. Now you are a course sand preacher like me and others here!! Haha I have one that came in the mail and today is the 6th day! It has roots about 3". Course sand for rooting works!

After you have roots the size yours are that's all the sand is for! Just to wake it up and get it going. Now move it to a very light fluffy potting mix. I use any good bag of potting soil (yellow miracle grow is good) and mix that with 50% perlite. Pot it up and water it in to settle the roots. Now here is the important part. Only water ONCE per week until it starts growing out the top. When you see any top growth pushing or a sucker then you can water it twice per week.

Don't overwater it and your in the clear. Pot it up asap! Don't put sand in the mix. Would work but when you transplant it the sand doesn't hold the rootball and it all falls apart. Perlite is the best! Bananas love it.

__________________

150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com

HMelendez

saturn,


Congrats!......Awesome job!......



Welcome to the coarse sand preacher club!.....LOL!......

__________________

saturn

Well I had some help, of course. I have never mail ordered corms before, but now I feel a lot more confident.

I just finished potting it up and watered it in.
THEN it occurred to me that perhaps I should have used a bigger pot. There is not much room on the sides for it to push pups, probably about 1" all around, and a few inches on the bottom.

Tytaylor77

It will be fine. Let it get good and root bound in that pot then just upsize it. Maybe in 2 months or so get a larger pot.

__________________

150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com