How to: Propoating banana trees

Wild banana plants produce bananas filled with hard seeds that will yield new banana plants, but a majority of the bananas that humans devour are seedless cultivars that no longer reproduce sexually. So, how to propagating the banana tree if you want to keep a variety that does not yield any viable seeds? The two most commonly used methods in this situation are rhizome division and the use of suckers.

Why are banana cultivars seedless?

The reason why most cultivars are seedless is simple: most people dislike having to pick seeds from their fruit, especially when the seeds are spread throughout most parts of the fruit instead of being confined to the centre. Another benefit of non-sexual reproduction is that the new plant will be an exact copy of the old plant, not a random combination of genes from two parent plants. A disadvantage of asexual reproduction is that it is harder for the plant to adapt to new conditions, since no improvement and adaptation takes place through natural selection and evolution. Banana cultivars can for instance be really sensitive to disease. When the dreaded Panama wilt disease began to spread during the early half of the 20th century, it more or less eradicated the Gros Michel cultivar from the planet.  

How to: propagating the banana tree through suckers

Suckers are produced at the base of the banana plant and can be removed when they have reached a diameter of roughly 2-6 inches. It is important that the sucker has developed its own independent root system before you separate it from the old plant. Commercial nurseries normally cut off the leaves completely, but as a hobbyist it is enough to simply cut them down at 2-3 feet. Carefully dig out the sucker using a sharp spade and cut the underground base of the sucker from the side of the big rhizome. Propagating the banana tree through suckers is not difficult and you can either plant it in a container or directly in the soil at the desired growth spot. Ideally place it at the same depth as it once grew. If you want to ensure a substantial fruit production it is advisable to place your suckers at least 6-8 feet apart, since they will otherwise compete a lot over water and nutrients. If you do not care about the number and size of the bananas, keeping the suckers 2-3 feet apart from each other will be enough.