Banana Plant Propagation

Banana plants naturally propagate via an offshoot of the banana plant called a sucker. Suckers derive from underground rhizomes, so this method of reproduction is called rhizome propagation. It takes approximately nine months for a sucker to fully develop and produce a stalk of bananas, after which it dies. Banana plants produce a lot of suckers. The presence of too many suckers is not beneficial and can result in low-quality bananas and disease. Regardless of whether you are interested in propagation, banana plants must be actively pruned of suckers on a regular basis. Leave anywhere from three to five suckers at a time around the plant to replace the original plant.

Rhizome Propagation - Using a spade, dig a generous hole around a large sucker, including as much as the root structure as possible. Next, remove all large leaves from the top of the sucker. Then replant the sucker, in a hole approximately 3 feet wide by 2 feet deep with lots of moist, organic material. Space further if you are planting near the original banana plant to allow for future growth. For best results, separate and transplant suckers during warm summer months immediately preceeding rain.

Tissue Culture Propagation - Tissue culture propagation is an alternate form of propagation, which is used in some commercial banana farms. As the name suggests, new banana plants are grown from meristems using tissue cultures. This method successfully eliminates disease transmission and ensures healthy, uniform, nematode-free banana plants. Tissue culture propagation is considerably more time-consuming and expensive than rhizome propagation.

References:

Can I Propagate a Banana Plant Through a Leaf Cutting?
University of Florida IFAS Extension: Banana Growing in the Florida Home Landscape
California Rare Fruit Growers: Banana