Post #537740 by TikiTres on Sun, Jun 20, 2010 8:11 AM

It sounds like you're doing everything right. The main rhyzome will die off eventually as yours has and you have to foster new growth from the pups. Typically if it fruits then the main rhyzome will reduce in size and won't come back the following year, but that can happen even if it doesn't fruit.

You might play with cutting the main stalk back more, you mentioned leaving them taller so that the plant is taller but in fact it usually has the opposite effect. A buddy of mine had 3 growing in a row that he wanted to have staggered height, so he cut them off at different heights. But when they grew back the one he cut the shortest actually grew the tallest and the tallest cut grew the least, so his stagger was the opposite of what he intended!

Quote: "So, I've got a bunch of little pups and leafless, 4' stalks. Several of the stalks still feel fairly firm toward the bottom - can I go ahead and cut the old stalks down to about ground level, or are they still contributing something to the pups?"

Yes, cut them back. If they haven't sprouted but you're already getting pups then the main stalks are dead and probably the rhyzomes as well.

[ Edited by: TikiTres 2010-06-20 08:12 ]