Banana plants! Anyone have experience/advice?

LyzzaRyzz

I recently bought two of these guys, and i realize i have no idea how to plant it! im pretty sure your not supposed to plant the banana part, as tghey also have roots, so i buries the longest parts. one of them has roots that arent long enough, so its floating.

Ive beed looking it up [as tfk has no profile] and i read the plant will send out lilly pads if you pland the 'nana part? Also you can propagate them from the lilly pads, and they will grow roots? Another site said to remove some bananas to make new plants?
Also, the plant only lasts about a year?
Im getting some different stories on lighting too. People say they have low medium and high lighting and thier plants are doing well!

Help me out guys!
And if anyone has pictures of theirs itll help alot!

Byron

Many years back I tried this plant, more than once, and my experiences bear out what the experts say, that this is not an easy plant and rarely lasts beyond a year, if that.

Nymphoides aquatica should not have the tubers (the so-called banana structures) buried. But even so, they often rot off after a couple of months, following which the plant's growth stalls. Given the varying comments from aquarists on plant forums, it is clear that this plant will either manage or it won't. Lower temperatures do seem better, it is after all a native plant to North America, not the tropics. And most suggest soft to medium hard water, with pH not much above the low 7's and preferably slightly below 7.

Byron.