Hi John I have found out that the trick for the best result from zero to healthy roots is first the time of the year the best thing is to get the corms during the warmer season, second is to have a loose soil that needs to be kept on the dry side for the beginning of the new roots watering only after the soil has completely dry out. The new roots loves to feel a little thirsty in order to be stimulated to grow so the trick is a good soaking of water until the water flows out through the bottom than putting the pot aside and leave it there until well dried. Clay pots help in getting the roots able to breath well. For the repottings is best to increase the size slowly slowly and to use the same aery mix used for the first stage. One thing that is important to watch for are fungus gnats. I have lost my first Musa due to an infestation of fungus gnats since I used an old soil that was left outside. On my second corm I got rid of them using neem oil. My corm is growing well now. I m so very happy with it. I purchased it from Am plants.
Yessss when mine arrived i soaked medium mix orchid bark, perlite and a little cactus soil then let it dry out… watering everyday i thought was crazy but i guess in moderations it would be cool. Outside is California i water bi weekly during the spring summer and weekly during fall winter.
Hi John. Looking to buy this plant also. I have bright south facing windows. You think this plant can survive indoors with enough humidity and light? I see you're in CA. On the east coast. Also are there temperature requirements too (needs to be hot?)
Hi there! This plant can definitely survive indoors, but does need to be kept warm ~65F+. I don't know if it will get enough light indoors to actually bear fruit ever, but mine is growing very quickly by a SE window with humidity on the lower side at ~35%. Recently I heard that the import of all musas into the US is now restricted so I would definitely check into that further but if you can get one - go for it! Rooting it was stressful but since then it has been a very easygoing plant and it just keeps growing and growing!
love this video! Very informative. Mine came with brown roots and leaves. one new leaf is dying. one root had root rot. i have a few new white roots as well. i removed it, and set it in some leca and moss. Any advice?
Hi John, thank you for this video 🙋🏻♀️your video is exactly what I am looking for!! Very helpful😀 How long does it take to grow from the leaveless musa to this size in the video?:)
Hi! I don't remember exactly but I'm going to guess it was about 6 months for mine to reach that point. It fully depends on the size and health of the corm you receive. A larger corm will shoot up much more quickly as long as it is tended to properly. I think it's been about 2 years now and mine is currently about 6 ft tall. Wish I could keep it small forever haha but certainly Life will send me a good friend with a greenhouse soon 😉 Best wishes to you and your musa!!
@@JohnDennery that sounds wonderful!! Did you place it outdoor to achieve that growth speed? Otherwise, what are the conditions you are providing (light, watering frequency, humidity, temperature). All of my plants are in Lechuza Pon, do you think musa ae ae will enjoy that? I’m getting one soon, would be awesome to learn more from you!!😀
I am in a similar situation and looking for help/ advice! My Musa Ae Ae also came from Thailand, and after a few months in banana soil, the corm became extremely rotted, and I’ve lost about 85% of it. There are 4-5 roots at the crown of the corm and when I cut back the pseudo stem, there was new growth about three inches. I have it in a sealed glass jar with lightly moistened sphagnum moss.. but now I am thinking Perlite or a gritty mix would be wiser. What do I do?!
Your approach sounds great. I just repotted mine this week and there still isn’t much corm but there are lots of new roots and it grows leaves constantly. So I think it’s not really much of an issue. As long as you’re getting root growth then you’re good to go! If you want to dm me on Instagram I can send you pictures for comparison @enlightenedgardener
Thank you for your video. I just got mine Musa too. But the bulb is not that clean as yours… one of them (I have 2) is a bit soft at bottom- like rot a bit - should I some how clean it? Or just do not touch?
I don't have experience with it but, yes, they can be cultivated and propagated by corm division. Not sure how big of a piece it takes but it is possible!
I have a heating pad under a 5 inch baby. I have it on a hand towel with a wash cloth under it. Only the very bottom of the 5 inch pot is warm. You don't feel any warmth on the sides. Am I doing it right? I only have a heating pad that has one setting, that is why I have the hand towel and wash cloth between the plant and the heating pad.
That sounds good! Realistically it doesn’t need to be too warm, we’re just trying to mimic tropical conditions around 75-80F. Be patient and resist the urge to dig it up and check on it. Trust and let it grow!
@@JohnDennery PS, you mention watering it every day. Mine is just really tiny like I said. It has 3 tiny leaves, and if just a few inches tall. I can see moisture built up under the saran wrap. When you say that you watered it every day, do you mean just a teensy bit, or a medium bit? And every day?
@@woowooone I watered mine every day because it was in pure perlite; it was impossible to overwater. If I did it again I would stick the pot of perlite in a saucer with 1” of water so that it just stayed perfectly moist all the time (assuming the corm is planted safely above the 1” line). Is yours in soil? It should just be moist and warm enough to trigger root growth. It won’t be drinking any water yet so you just have to make sure it’s not staying soaking wet.
@@JohnDennery again, thank you so much! Mine is in soil, so now I am much more educated about how to care for it. Information has been very hard to find as to how to care for such young ones, so I really appreciate it.
I got this from Asean Plant Export. All in all my dealings with them have not been great so I wouldn't recommend them but I did get this one plant from them successfully and I'm thankful for that.
I almost always do but, since this had recently rooted and was going into a larger pot of the exact same mix, I wanted to be as gentle with it as possible. It’s still growing very well! If it had been more established in the pot, I would have massaged the roots to get most of the soil off when repotting.
It should thrive in very bright light but so far mine has been under grow lights exclusively. I'll transition it into my brightest indoor area probably next month
Mine is in half perlite half coco coir. And it‘s in my indoor greenhouse with high humidity and soft artificial light. I think high humidity and an airy potting mix in the beginning is very important, but when they‘re established you can go with half drainage half soil. But I‘m still unsure if it needs strong light or not. Maybe someone has experience with that?
I've heard that they love bright light but too much direct sun will cause the white parts to burn. Haven't had experience with that yet though because mine is still under grow lights for now. Thanks for your soil recommendations and good luck with your plant!
Oh really? That’s so exciting! Best luck with yours! Feel free to msg me on Instagram anytime if you want help with it instagram.com/enlightenedgardener/
Not sure anymore. I’ve heard that the import of all musas into the US has been fully restricted for now. You’ll have to look up official info to see if you have any options available, but I’m not aware of any. Eventually someone will figure out how to tissue culture them and we’ll find them everywhere but it may be a bit of a wait. Good luck!
Ooh good idea, that would be a great way to test this. I definitely think it would work. So far, every time I've used gritty mix in the humidity bins there has been an explosion of root growth.
Thank you so much!!!! The part about the corm and pot size was SO helpful!!! 🙏🌱
Hi John I have found out that the trick for the best result from zero to healthy roots is first the time of the year the best thing is to get the corms during the warmer season, second is to have a loose soil that needs to be kept on the dry side for the beginning of the new roots watering only after the soil has completely dry out. The new roots loves to feel a little thirsty in order to be stimulated to grow so the trick is a good soaking of water until the water flows out through the bottom than putting the pot aside and leave it there until well dried. Clay pots help in getting the roots able to breath well. For the repottings is best to increase the size slowly slowly and to use the same aery mix used for the first stage. One thing that is important to watch for are fungus gnats. I have lost my first Musa due to an infestation of fungus gnats since I used an old soil that was left outside. On my second corm I got rid of them using neem oil. My corm is growing well now. I m so very happy with it. I purchased it from Am plants.
Yessss when mine arrived i soaked medium mix orchid bark, perlite and a little cactus soil then let it dry out… watering everyday i thought was crazy but i guess in moderations it would be cool. Outside is California i water bi weekly during the spring summer and weekly during fall winter.
Thank you! This was so helpful! Mine is at the shriveled brown stage. Comforting to see yours doing well.
You're welcome! That was definitely the hardest part to watch haha. I hope you get your first leaf soon enough :)
Very helpful information, thank you. I am "nervously" contemplating getting one of these.
I’m right there with you! I want one so bad but the investment is hard to jump into…
Thanks for the good complementary information, will try this.
Which site did you use to order the plant?
Hi John. Looking to buy this plant also. I have bright south facing windows. You think this plant can survive indoors with enough humidity and light? I see you're in CA. On the east coast. Also are there temperature requirements too (needs to be hot?)
Hi there! This plant can definitely survive indoors, but does need to be kept warm ~65F+. I don't know if it will get enough light indoors to actually bear fruit ever, but mine is growing very quickly by a SE window with humidity on the lower side at ~35%. Recently I heard that the import of all musas into the US is now restricted so I would definitely check into that further but if you can get one - go for it! Rooting it was stressful but since then it has been a very easygoing plant and it just keeps growing and growing!
love this video! Very informative.
Mine came with brown roots and leaves. one new leaf is dying. one root had root rot. i have a few new white roots as well. i removed it, and set it in some leca and moss. Any advice?
Hi John, thank you for this video 🙋🏻♀️your video is exactly what I am looking for!! Very helpful😀 How long does it take to grow from the leaveless musa to this size in the video?:)
Hi! I don't remember exactly but I'm going to guess it was about 6 months for mine to reach that point. It fully depends on the size and health of the corm you receive. A larger corm will shoot up much more quickly as long as it is tended to properly. I think it's been about 2 years now and mine is currently about 6 ft tall. Wish I could keep it small forever haha but certainly Life will send me a good friend with a greenhouse soon 😉 Best wishes to you and your musa!!
@@JohnDennery that sounds wonderful!! Did you place it outdoor to achieve that growth speed? Otherwise, what are the conditions you are providing (light, watering frequency, humidity, temperature). All of my plants are in Lechuza Pon, do you think musa ae ae will enjoy that? I’m getting one soon, would be awesome to learn more from you!!😀
@@tfyfonniedid you try with pon ? How were the results ?
I am in a similar situation and looking for help/ advice! My Musa Ae Ae also came from Thailand, and after a few months in banana soil, the corm became extremely rotted, and I’ve lost about 85% of it. There are 4-5 roots at the crown of the corm and when I cut back the pseudo stem, there was new growth about three inches. I have it in a sealed glass jar with lightly moistened sphagnum moss.. but now I am thinking Perlite or a gritty mix would be wiser. What do I do?!
Your approach sounds great. I just repotted mine this week and there still isn’t much corm but there are lots of new roots and it grows leaves constantly. So I think it’s not really much of an issue. As long as you’re getting root growth then you’re good to go!
If you want to dm me on Instagram I can send you pictures for comparison @enlightenedgardener
Thanks! Your video was very informative 👍🏾
Glad you enjoyed it! Best of luck to you and your plants
Thank you for your video. I just got mine Musa too. But the bulb is not that clean as yours… one of them (I have 2) is a bit soft at bottom- like rot a bit - should I some how clean it? Or just do not touch?
Can they be grown by the rhizomes?
I don't have experience with it but, yes, they can be cultivated and propagated by corm division. Not sure how big of a piece it takes but it is possible!
I have a heating pad under a 5 inch baby. I have it on a hand towel with a wash cloth under it. Only the very bottom of the 5 inch pot is warm. You don't feel any warmth on the sides. Am I doing it right? I only have a heating pad that has one setting, that is why I have the hand towel and wash cloth between the plant and the heating pad.
That sounds good! Realistically it doesn’t need to be too warm, we’re just trying to mimic tropical conditions around 75-80F. Be patient and resist the urge to dig it up and check on it. Trust and let it grow!
@@JohnDennery thank you so much!
@@JohnDennery PS, you mention watering it every day. Mine is just really tiny like I said. It has 3 tiny leaves, and if just a few inches tall. I can see moisture built up under the saran wrap. When you say that you watered it every day, do you mean just a teensy bit, or a medium bit? And every day?
@@woowooone I watered mine every day because it was in pure perlite; it was impossible to overwater. If I did it again I would stick the pot of perlite in a saucer with 1” of water so that it just stayed perfectly moist all the time (assuming the corm is planted safely above the 1” line). Is yours in soil? It should just be moist and warm enough to trigger root growth. It won’t be drinking any water yet so you just have to make sure it’s not staying soaking wet.
@@JohnDennery again, thank you so much! Mine is in soil, so now I am much more educated about how to care for it. Information has been very hard to find as to how to care for such young ones, so I really appreciate it.
what site did you buy it from in Thailand?
I got this from Asean Plant Export. All in all my dealings with them have not been great so I wouldn't recommend them but I did get this one plant from them successfully and I'm thankful for that.
@@JohnDennery i've ordered of them before and have had the same bad experience. I try order plants closer to home.
Thanks for the good complementary information, will try this.
When you repot do you break apart the roots?
I almost always do but, since this had recently rooted and was going into a larger pot of the exact same mix, I wanted to be as gentle with it as possible. It’s still growing very well!
If it had been more established in the pot, I would have massaged the roots to get most of the soil off when repotting.
What's the lighting requirement?
It should thrive in very bright light but so far mine has been under grow lights exclusively. I'll transition it into my brightest indoor area probably next month
Mine is in half perlite half coco coir. And it‘s in my indoor greenhouse with high humidity and soft artificial light. I think high humidity and an airy potting mix in the beginning is very important, but when they‘re established you can go with half drainage half soil.
But I‘m still unsure if it needs strong light or not. Maybe someone has experience with that?
I've heard that they love bright light but too much direct sun will cause the white parts to burn. Haven't had experience with that yet though because mine is still under grow lights for now. Thanks for your soil recommendations and good luck with your plant!
I’m waiting on mines to come 🤞🤞🤞
Oh really? That’s so exciting! Best luck with yours! Feel free to msg me on Instagram anytime if you want help with it instagram.com/enlightenedgardener/
Where can we purchase???
Not sure anymore. I’ve heard that the import of all musas into the US has been fully restricted for now. You’ll have to look up official info to see if you have any options available, but I’m not aware of any. Eventually someone will figure out how to tissue culture them and we’ll find them everywhere but it may be a bit of a wait. Good luck!
Good tips! Could the gritty mix rooting method be used for alocasia corms?
Ooh good idea, that would be a great way to test this. I definitely think it would work. So far, every time I've used gritty mix in the humidity bins there has been an explosion of root growth.