How to Propagate Musa Dwarf Cavendish

Locate a suitable pup for propagation near the edge of an existing Dwarf Cavendish plant. Find one measuring about 3 feet in height with a mix of large, mature leaves and small, juvenile leaves near the base.

Remove the soil from around the base of the pup to a depth of 8 inches. Use a garden trowel to excavate around the pup. Remove all soil between the pup and the parent plant.

Sever the connecting roots between the pup and parent plant using a gardening knife. Cut them at the base of the parent plant so the pup is provided with a large portion of fully developed roots.

Work the blade of the garden trowel underneath the pup at an angle. Gently pry the fleshy, whitish rhizome from the ground. Work carefully to avoid breaking off too many of the lateral roots.

Prune off the large, mature leaves from the Dwarf Cavendish pup. Cut off the leaves at the base of the stem using pruning shears. Leave the smaller, juvenile leaves in place.

Pot the pup in a 16-inch nursery container filled with a mixture of equal measures of compost, garden soil and coarse sand. Position the pup so the top 1/2 inch of the rhizome is above the soil surface.

Water the pup thoroughly after transplanting it to settle the soil. Run water onto the soil until the top 3 inches are saturated and the water begins to trickle from the drainage holes.

Place the potted Musa acuminata "Dwarf Cavendish" pup outdoors in a warm, sheltered spot where it will receive bright, diffuse light and temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. Protect the pup from strong wind and direct afternoon sunlight during the rooting process.

Maintain moisture in the top 3 inches of soil at all times for the first four weeks after transplanting the pup. Let the top 1/4 inch dry out slightly between waterings.

Transplant the Dwarf Cavendish pup into a permanent bed with the same growing conditions as the parent plant once the leaves mature and a new crop of foliage emerges.