Banana Plants

Alison
Alison Posts: 179 ✭✭✭

I live in a cold climate and am 'pushing the zone' as David The Good would say.

I have a few cool climate dwarf banana plants that I've managed to keep happy the previous winter, but I've got a few questions:

  1. When do Banana plants begin to produce fruit? Is it 2yrs, 3yrs??
  2. When it produces fruit do you have to cut it back to the base? I've heard that a banana plant won't produce again so it needs to be cut down. Not sure if this is true.

I think that's about it, yet, being an absolute novice at growing banana's I'd love to hear some other useful information.

I'm aware they are very hungry plant, requiring plenty of water, nitrogen and potassium.

I've built a small greenhouse for a portion of the pups, and have the intention of building a temporary circular frame around the original tree, enclosing it with a double layer of greenhouse plastic. I expect the ones in the greenhouse; built with suntuf, to over-winter somewhat better.

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Answers

  • Alison
    Alison Posts: 179 ✭✭✭

    Thanks I'll have a look.

    I was bringing then in but I've made a small greenhouse for some of the pups and have thick clear builders film I will wrap around the initial one and another pup. I will put in tall stakes and wrap the film around that. We get cold enough to freeze the animals water and heavy frosts for a few months, some sleet, but rarely get snow.

    David the Good inspired me to try to grow bananas with his "push the zone" book.

    Mine certainly get enough food/ water. Like David the Good, we dilute urine for the garden and use the ash from our fireplace for plants that like potash.

  • Happy Hank
    Happy Hank Posts: 10 ✭✭✭

    Hello, I am new at this site but very interested in growing bananas. Found this link to Lowes and will check with them soon.


    Will report Saturday 6/20/2020

    Happyhank in western Oregon

  • Alison
    Alison Posts: 179 ✭✭✭

    Let me know how you go. I have some in 2 locations in the garden now. Mine are dwarf varieties with one almost to full height. I am hoping that if that one doesn't take too much of a hit this winter it will fruit in summer. [we are currently in our winter].

    Happy Gardening and experimenting.