Grow your own babaco plants from stem cuttings

This is a quick, easy, low cost way to grow babaco plants. In fact it may be the only way as they don't seem to produce any seed.

Cuttings can be taken at any time of the year (my plants grown in a large plastic house) and are placed right way up in a suitable growing medium, kept warm and moist and quite soon they will begin to grow new leaves and produce roots. Once the plant is growing well it can be transferred to a permanent location.

In good conditions the plants can start producing many fruit after about 18 months

Things to watch for:

• Do not over water the young cuttings. Keep damp, not wet
• Plants are susceptible to wind due to large leaves
• Frosts can kill even larger trees
• The don't like heavy, wet clay soil although with adequate drainage should be fine