ROOKIE QUESTION - Giant Bird of Paradise cutting and planting

[Christopher Dillman]

I know Palms are the talk here, but I've seen discussion around BoPs as palm companions.

I had to remove this cutting, close to the ball, of an overgrown BoP that busted open a drip line. 

Can it be saved if I stuck in the ground elsewhere with say palm cactus mix, + pepper in some Palm Plus?

[Christopher Dillman]

Thank you to the admin/s to relocate my question.

[Silas_Sancona]

Using your picture,  ..i'm going to say unfortunately, i don't think there is enough Pseudo-stem there to generate roots, imo.

If you look closely, in the picture, you can see the " rings " < Orange > of leaf stalk tissue, and the growth initiation point Red  "X"  To root, you'd need more tissue below that.  ..Just my thoughts of course..

If you have the room, doesn't hurt to stuff it in a pot w/ the mentioned soil mix and see what it might do though..

[Tracy]

4 hours ago, Christopher Dillman said:

I had to remove this cutting, close to the ball, of an overgrown BoP that busted open a drip line. 

Yes, you really have to stay on top of these if you don't want them to get out of control and damage something.  Better to dig up a new pup/growth early while it is small rather than wait too long.  I agree with Nathan regarding getting a little more of the pseudo stem and roots if you want to replant a pup you remove. 

I'm currently doing battle with one planted too close to the fence in my back on the neighbors side.  As new growths push out in every direction, some are growing into the fence and causing it to lean.  I've helped remove some growth points in past years, but they just keep coming back.  We will have to do something again soon before the fence gets knocked over by the Giant Bird of Paradise.

[Christopher Dillman]

1 hour ago, Tracy said:

We will have to do something again soon before the fence gets knocked over by the Giant Bird of Paradise.

I feel your pain. Mine was an all-day affair to fix the break. When the BoP was planted three years ago, this landscape co laid down the drip line only a foot from the root ball. I get it, needs to be close enough to water when young, but good golly they grow Jurassic Park size fast! 😬

Imagine the next great gardening invention should be a drip line that stretches out like a slinky as a plant grows. 

[Christopher Dillman]

3 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

If you have the room, doesn't hurt to stuff it in a pot w/ the mentioned soil mix and see what it might do though..

Ok, can't hurt!

And thank you for this diagnosis of the plant's rings. Reminds of a redwood tree rings science project I did when I was a kid. The no of rings identify the actual age of the tree and how much rainfall it received each year of its growth by measuring the size of the rings.

[Silas_Sancona]

9 minutes ago, Christopher Dillman said:

Ok, can't hurt!

And thank you for this diagnosis of the plant's rings. Reminds of a redwood tree rings science project I did when I was a kid. The no of rings identify the actual age of the tree and how much rainfall it received each year of its growth by measuring the size of the rings.

I remember being taught the same thing in 5th grade.. Agree, was ( ...still is too, lol ) neat to see how you could get an idea of the climate the tree grew in based upon the width of the rings..

Its a touch different with plants like palms / grasses,  and things like Bananas, true Bird of Paradise, etc members of the same overall family, ...but it's still cool to look at..


 

[K2HI]

I agree with what others have said - don't think this has a chance of growing as the apical meristem (the undifferentiated cells between the pseudostem and the rhizome) is missing.  That is really the only part that is needed to propagate another plant.  Same thing in bananas.  You can cut all the leaves off, and most of the rhizome, but you have to have the apical meristem to grow another plant.  (Unless you have some magic dust, have mythical superpowers, or are a biologist with a great labratory).