Making Banana Or Plantation Rope

Banana or Plantation Rope

There are various uses for rope or twine about the house or farm but one can hardly find one when needed. In Nigeria, rope is made from banana or plantation trees. The twine produced can be used for tying bundles together or tying plants to stakes. For example, Nigerians used this cord to secure your plants against stakes and to attack yarns to vertical poles for storage.

The central stem of the banana tree is surrounded by leaf sheaths or sections. Once the fruit has been harvested from the tree the stem can be made into rope.

Procedure:

1. Cut the stem into long-shaped pieces, the length of which should be the same as the length of     the rope required.

2. Peel off the section off the log and let it dry in the sun. There are about 20 sections per log.

3. The strips should not be allowed to become brittle, however.

The sections can be split into narrower strips about 3-4 cm wide or wider or narrower, depending on the strength of the twine required. These strips can be tied together if longer pieces are required, or twisted together if a greater strength is needed.

Appropriate Technology

V. 17, No. 1, June 1990

This Information Came From: