I purchased 4 banana trees in April. They originally come from Florida, I live in Georgia. I have tried to replant the pups and all I get is dying leaves or the whole pup dies. I have pups that vary in sizes. I have cut them from the mother as I have read, then I put them into a pot, but have no success. What am I doing wrong?
It sounds like you're not getting enough of the mother corm when you cut the pups away. You need to make sure they have a chunk of that about the size of your fist for the separation to be successful.
No, in fact it's better if you don't - they need those leaves to help them get established. Cutting them off is like starving the plant right after subjecting it to trauma.
Cut back the water. It's very easy to drown younger pups, especially if the soil you use tends to compact or has poor drainage. Bananas in general are pretty thirsty plants, but just after separation and transplant, it's better to slightly water-starve pups to prevent rot from setting in. A little bit of browning on leaf edges is normal, but if the entire leaf goes off, you've got a water issue. Also check the corm carefully before you transplant - any areas that are soft, mooshy, or brown should be cut away with a sharp, sterile knife.
So I cut the pup with a fist full off the mother, check the corm, replant and slightly starve the pup of water. Do I need to keep it in full sun or partial sun? Is it better to replant in the morning or in the evening? Thank you so very much for the help and advice you have given. It has been helpful. The reason I am trying to get this right is because my pups are over crowding mother and getting to be too much in the area I prepared for the mothers. If I have any other questions I will be sure to ask. Thanks again and God Bless.
I'd start with part shade until the pup is established and producing new leaves - then it's probably safe to move it to full sun. However, unless you've got fairly high humidity (which I believe you do in Georgia) it's best to keep bananas in partial shade - they'll grow faster and stronger that way. I generally separate and replant in the evening, after the heat of day has passed - that way the freshly separated pups aren't also trying to cope with the full heat of day while they're still dealing with the trauma of separation.
