It may sound like it would be hard, but banana plants are actually pretty easy to propagate. If you want to give it a try, I’ve got you covered.
In this post, I’ll talk about the different banana propagation methods, and show you exactly how to propagate banana plants step-by-step.
I have two banana plants in my collection that I’ve had for several years. Both of them have sprouted pups (also known as babies or suckers) over the past few years.
This summer, I noticed they both had a few pups that were ready to be removed from the mother plants. Now that the pups are mature, it’s time to get busy propagating my banana!
Propagating banana plants is pretty easy, and you can follow these steps whether yours is growing in a pot or in the ground.
Though I will warn you, it’s a bit of work dividing plants that are in the ground, so be ready to sweat a little.
Banana Propagation Methods
There are a few different banana propagation methods: by division (aka: vegetative propagation), tissue culture, or even growing them from seed in some cases.
Most types of bananas are sterile though, and don’t produce seeds. Tissue culture propagation is pretty technical and requires special equipment found in a laboratory. Those two methods are complex, I’d rather stick to the easy way.
So, in this post, I’m only going to talk about dividing banana plants, which is by far the easiest way to propagate bananas.
What Is A Banana Pup?
New banana plants develop from the base of the mother, and those are called pups. They are also commonly referred to as “suckers” or “babies”. Mature banana pups can be removed and planted to grow new plants.
If you want to try to propagate your banana plant by division, the first thing you’ll want to do is make sure the pup you’re planning to remove is mature enough to grow on it’s own. That means, the pup should have its own roots.
To check the pups root development, gently remove the plant from its pot, or dig down far enough to expose the roots. Then brush back the soil around the base of the pup to see if it has developed roots.
If the pup doesn’t have any roots then it’s not ready to be removed, and won’t survive on it’s own. So cover the roots back up and give the pup more time to grow. If it does have roots, then follow the steps below to remove it.
When To Divide Banana Plants
The best time to divide banana plants is in the spring or fall. But there’s no requirement that says the pups must be removed from the plant, mine was growing just fine with all those suckers.
But my plant is extremely pot-bound and I didn’t want to repot it into a larger pot, it’s big enough already.
Plus I have a few friends that would love to have a banana plant of their own. So that’s why I decided to remove a few pups from each plant.
How To Propagate Banana Plants
Before you can propagate bananas, you’ll need to collect a few supplies. Don’t worry, you won’t need a bunch of expensive equipment for this method of banana propagation – and I bet you already have most of this stuff on hand.
Propagation Supplies Needed:
- Potting soil (if planting in a container)
- Clean container
- Shovel (if digging in the garden)
- Sharp pair of clippers or a sharp knife
One thing to note before starting is that your banana pup is going to go through some trauma here, and you want to take steps to reduce the amount of transplant shock.
So, have the new container ready to go and partially filled with soil, or dig the hole in your garden before removing the pup. That way you can get your new baby banana tree planted as quickly as possible after removing it.
Dividing Banana Plants Step-by-Step
Step 1: Loosen the rootball – This task will be much easier if your banana is growing in a pot like mine. Simply slide the entire plant out of the pot first.
Then gently tease apart the roots of the pup and mother plant, working to free as many of the pups roots as possible.
Try not to break any of the pups roots in the process (have patience, this may be a difficult task and take some time).
Step 2: Cut the pup from the main plant – Once you find the spot where the pup is attached to the main plant, use a sharp, sterile pair of clippers or a knife to cut the connection.
Again, try not to cut off any of the pups roots, just sever the connection to the main plant if possible.
Step 3: Free the pups roots – Once you’ve severed the connection to the mother plant, continue to tease the banana plant roots, gently pulling the pup away from the main rootball until it’s free.
Removing the pup sounds like it would be super easy, but for a well established banana plant it will take some effort. Just be patient and take your time.
After you’re done removing the pup, put the mother plant back into its pot, or repot it into a new one if you want.
Potting Up Your Baby Banana Plant
Now that you have successfully removed the pup, you can pot it up into its own container. Banana plants aren’t picky about the their soil.
But they do prefer a rich, organic and fast draining soil mix. You can use general potting soil with some perlite or pumice mixed in for extra drainage.
Plant the baby banana in its new pot at the same depth it was in the old pot, taking care to cover all the roots as you fill the container with soil. Once you’ve filled the pot with soil, give your new banana plant a good drink of water.
Your new banana plant might droop for a few days until it gets used to living on its own, that is normal transplant shock.
To help it through the shock, it’s a good idea to keep it out of full sun and make sure it’s well watered until it has perked back up again.
That’s it, now you have a new banana plant to share with a friend (aren’t they lucky!?). Banana propagation by division can take some work, but it’s by far the easiest way to propagate banana plants. Just remember to take your time with it, and have patience.
Are you interested to learn more about how to propagate all of your favorite plants? My Plant Propagation Made Easy eBook is for you! It will teach you all of the basic methods for propagating any plant that you want. Download your copy today!
More Posts About Plant Propagation
- Propagating Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine Cuttings Or Tubers
- How To Propagate Spider Plants
- Propagating Peperomia In Water Or Soil
- How To Propagate Bromeliad Pups
Share your banana propagation tips in the comments section below.
Robert Harter says
Which red bananas have pups?
Which red bananas is the most cold hardy?
Amy Andrychowicz says
All types of banana plants will eventually form pups, no matter what color they are. But red varieties aren’t usually very cold hardy. Zone 8 is the coldest some of them can handle, but that depends on the specific type you have. You would have to check the hardiness on the tag to know for sure.
Geoffrey E Hollinden says
I was given a part of a root ball from a friend who was digging up and separating plants. Can I get a plant out of that? If so how?
Amy Andrychowicz says
If it’s just a bunch of roots, then no, it will not grow into a plant. However if your friend properly separated a baby/pup from the mother banana plant (as I describe in the article), then yes, it will grow into a new plant.
Lynn Noreen McNamara says
We are eating our bananas now, giving them to the neighbours too. I was not able to separate the pups, my back just could not stand it. They are huge now as large as the main plants. Will they flower and give bananas like the mother plant?
I am in the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura
Have pics of my bananas, they are so sweet, just delicious
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wow, how cool is that!? Yes, once they reach maturity they should produce bananas just like the mother. However, if they become too overcrowded, it can start to impact the fruit production.
Lynn Noreen McNamara says
Thank you so much, I will really keep my fingers crossed. They are fed by the dirty water system. Everything in that patch is enormous. No rain here of course, well rarely,
I have started to give them a banana feed every so often too. I have never eaten so many bananas in my life. But the canary banana goes caramelised when very ripe, different from other bananas. I was told this a few weeks ago. Did not really know what it meant until now. They are still lovely to eat.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome! It’s so cool that they’re giving you so much fruit. 🙂
Dov Osheroff says
We grow fantastic, delicious bananas in Berkeley California. The secret is keeping the ground temperature up (which is what triggers fruiting) and we do this by draining our greywatered bathroom shower to the base of our banana trees. They love the water and they love the warmth and respond with multiple banana flowers every year!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wonderful, thanks for your advice and sharing your experience of getting your bananas to grow fruit. How fun!
Denise says
I have a banana plant that had grown to about 5 ft tall and the wind caught it and snapped the top off. Is there any way to “save” it or to start a new one from the stalk or from the bottom part of the plant. There are no pups that I can see.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Oh bummer, sorry for your loss! I would expect that your banana plant should grow back from the base after a few weeks. Unfortunately, you can’t root banana cuttings from the stem, so you won’t be able to save the top part that broke off. Be patient, and keep caring it as usually do, and eventually new growth should sprout from the base.
James Cobb says
Just leave it and it will keep growing right up through the center where it broke off. Mine grow outside and tend to freeze the tops of the plants. In early spring I’ll cut down to the freeze point. Of course the part cut off would have been the top of the newest leaf and the next layer around that would be the next leaf that would have come out, so the first few leaves to emerge will be less than a full leaf. After that the leaves should start coming out full.
Sharon Smith says
I’m so glad I found your site ! I love gardening ,always have .But now I’m older and really can’t get around too well outdoors . so I’ve went a little wild on the houseplants . But , I’ve been trying different things .Mostly succulents .But also using the internet to find some plants that I had before and couldn’t find any more .such as the mother of thousands and the stapella .probably not spelled right . Anyway I am really looking forward to exploring many of your topics, etc. Thank You !
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome! Enjoy your new houseplants. 🙂
Marc says
Excellent info! I got a banana plant this spring when my local nursery had a garage sale, so I got a decent sized plant for just a few dollars.
It does have some pups coming up (didn’t know that is what they are called) and so I’ll have to see in the fall if I can extract them. My wife won’t necessarily be happy having more banana plants as she thought I was a bit crazy to get the first one, especially now that it is getting huge, even in a medium sized container. But as you mentioned, maybe I can give them away to friends.
On another note, do you actually get bananas and what do you do in winter to protect the plants?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great score on the banana plant at a garage sale, how fun! Good luck propagating it. My banana plant is just ornamental, and has never gotten bananas. Our growing season is much too short here in MN for that. I’ve heard of people getting bananas when they grow their plants in a greenhouse though. I overwinter my plant inside as a houseplant.
Marc says
Thanks for the reply. I will be keeping it in my unheated greenhouse over winter in Zone 8a, so it will have a longer growing season than being outside. Right now I have it on my second floor deck as it is still too short and the leaves take up a lot of room in the greenhouse. Once it grows taller, the leaves will be above our heads, which should then be better. Or I need to build a larger greenhouse!
James Cobb says
I live in deep south Louisiana and made 3 large stalks of bananas a couple of seasons ago, but not since. And they were absolutely the best bananas I have ever eaten, by a long shot. We had a bad winter the one before last and all my fruit trees have acted differently since then, but the bananas have come back beautifully. I have loads of pups, both full size trees and dwarfs, several different varieties. From what I’ve been reading and have experienced, it seems they need to grow at least a second season without any sort of winter damage. Some years here it doesn’t freeze at all, but I’m going to pot some of mine this fall and bring them in. I have a huge tall patio that I wrap and heat and fill with all sorts of plants. I’ll plant them back out in early spring. I’m going to keep trying different things until I can get bananas on a regular basis.
Geoffrey E Hollinden says
I’m curious, how do you wrap your patio? I’d be interested in trying that
Kim says
When is the best time of year to divide banana plants? I have a cluster out by our pool and they have been ignored for who knows how many years and are too big/too many for their spot.
Amy Andrychowicz says
The best time of year for dividing banana plants is in either the fall or the spring.
arie djati says
Thank you for the information. I am very pleased with the steps in progress multiply the banana tree
Amy Andrychowicz says
Great! You’re welcome, good luck propagating your banana plants!
Mike Lannom says
It’s always amazing to see banana trees with full fruit on trees in December here in Nashville, but the do even though it is indoor under glass! Opryland hotel has several trees in their conservatories. They are large and hard to miss!
Amy Andrychowicz says
Wow, that’s very cool! I highly doubt mine will grow bananas here in MN, but that would be awesome if they did. 🙂
Amy
Amy Andrychowicz says
@gardentiki – Thanks, I'm glad you find this helpful!! I believe the Blood Banana is ornamental, but I live in MN and grow these inside most of the year… so I suppose all types of bananas would just be ornamental here! 🙂 I would be shocked if they ever set fruit, but very excited!
gardentiki says
I've read a few descriptions for how to propagate them, but it's nice to see pictures included as well. We just got two Bananas and plan to get more so it's good to be prepared.
I like the look of the Blood Banana. Is it ornamental?
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks PlantPostings! The pups are looking great, I think they will survive just fine. Woohoo!
PlantPostings says
I love the step-by-step description and detailed banana propagation photos. This is a very useful post! Good luck with the new "pups"!