Ensete Ventricosum Maurelii - Pupping

[musa_monkey]

Just got back from a fantastic week away around Europe 7 days 6 cities 3 countries
so here is the latest picture. I have done this many times but even i was a bit taken aback at the progress without heat and additional light. So far i count circa 17 pups

Interestingly the other one i chopped to sprout and put in the greenhouse has just started to show pups so a constant temperature seems very important to get the best result.

[sanatic1234]

That is brilliant musa, that is some result you have there. Well done mate

[dorothy]

Cannot believe how quick everything as happened.This is soo interesting because I am new to all this tropical gardening

[musa_monkey]

ok final picture for a while and comparison.
I have now moved it outside and will pot on later as it grows. I now count circa 20 pups so it will be interesting to see how well they seperate later.



This picture for comparison is the other one i did at the same time. This one was placed on the same heat matt and covered with a cloche in the same way. The only difference is that this one was outside in the greenhouse so it experienced greater heat fluctuations and lower night temperatures. The growth rate is significantly slower but its getting there.

[mushtaq86]

When are you going to separate them Alan.

[musa_monkey]

When are you going to separate them Alan.

No idea mate
By this time i normally chop the corm into four and pot on but as an experiment this time i thought i would pot them up as is and grow it on to see what happens over the summer.

I have the other one going (and another as of yesterday dont ask ) and will split that later to ensure i have a few for next year.

Should be an interesting experiment.

[Yorkshire Kris]

How do you separate them? When do they produce their own roots?

[musa_monkey]

How do you separate them? When do they produce their own roots?

Good question, the only answer i can give to to that is "very carefully" what i usually do is quarter the corm and then repot the quarters and grow on. If you do this several times eventually every pup will have individual roots.

In reality i usually do this no more than twice and accept the loss of a few pups.

[Mr List]

i'm not understanding the main reason for doing this

i might be a little slow so dont get mad at me,
why wouldnt you just want to keep the plant growing instead of chopping it up for little ones?

[sanatic1234]

Well that way mr list you get more Ensetes in your garden and have plenty insurance incase any happen to die. Plus you can grow them huge again like before.

[musa_monkey]

i'm not understanding the main reason for doing this

i might be a little slow so dont get mad at me,
why wouldnt you just want to keep the plant growing instead of chopping it up for little ones?

As Sanatic says.....plus the fun of experimenting

[Yorkshire Kris]

i'm not understanding the main reason for doing this

Propagation is the aim of the game. Buy one end up with 10! They will mature to a great size by next summer.

BTW does anyone know if ensete pup naturally after flowering?

[dorothy]

Hi can you do this with plants in their first year or do they have to be older and larger? I would love to have a go but my plants are only in their first year

[Yorkshire Kris]

Hi can you do this with plants in their first year or do they have to be older and larger? I would love to have a go but my plants are only in their first year

My hunch would be "not ideally" as the plant won't be that large and therefore have less reserves to pup. I could be wrong so lets wait for the experts to post.

[Dave Brown]

Hi can you do this with plants in their first year or do they have to be older and larger? I would love to have a go but my plants are only in their first year

The Ensete has to grow a corm first which is does over the first year. Cutting back too early will risk losing the plant. I know of several people who have tried cutting back in autumn to save overwintering a large plant, and that has resulted in the corm rotting. spring to early summer is the best time so that the small plants can get a bit of size before winter.

Here is one I did earlier
Slugs ate out the growing point in one of my E. Maurelii last spring so it was given the chop in early June.

8th June 2010 cut back

28th June 2010 (3 weeks later)

9th July 2010 (4 1/2 weeks later)

9th September 2010 (3 months later)

10th April 2011 (10 months later and starting to regrow after winter)

I have separating these on my 'To Do' List for the last month, but have not got around to it yet