How to Grow Bananas

It's quite possible to grow banana trees, even in cold climates. Banana trees aren't actually trees at all but are large perennial herbs native to the tropics. They grow quickly although it takes 10 to 15 months for a banana tree to actually produce bananas. They don't need a lot of maintenance, so just be sure to water and fertilize them regularly.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Banana tree
• Shovel
• Water
• Fertilizer
• Mulch
• Pruning shears

1. Obtain a baby banana tree. You can buy these at nurseries, through catalogs or on the Internet. You can buy banana rhizomes or suckers or you can buy small banana trees that are already planted in containers.
2. Select a site for the banana tree. You want a place that is warm, protected from the wind and exposed to full sun. Twelve hours of sun a day is ideal. The soil should be light and well-drained.
3. Plant the banana tree. If it's a small tree in a container it can be planted like any container plant. If it's a rhizome, dig a hole about a foot deep and a foot wide. Put the rhizome in the hole and cover it with dirt.
4. Keep the area around the tree free of weeds. A layer of mulch will help choke out weeds.
5. Water the tree lightly at first. Water it whenever it seems dry but you don't want standing water around the tree at any time. Add some fertilizer to the water before watering the banana tree.
6. Remove any suckers that appear at the base of the tree after it's about 3/4 grown, except for one. Allow one sucker to remain.
7. Prune the leaves and remove dead leaves, if you want. The banana tree doesn't need much pruning.
8. Harvest a bunch of bananas when they're plump, round and no longer have ribs. It will take a while before you actually get bananas, so be patient. You can harvest them by the bunch or individually. They will still be green and will ripen on their own after they're removed from the tree.
9. Cut the banana tree down after it has produced bananas. The sucker that was left over from step 6 will now grow into a new banana tree and produce more bananas.

Tips & Warnings

• Select a cold-resistant variety if you're in a cold climate. These include Musa Basjoo, Saja and Ice Cream.
• It takes a long time for a banana tree to actually grow bananas. In cold climates you might not have enough time unless the banana tree can spend the winter in a greenhouse.
• Speaking of cold climates, bananas don't like frost or cold. Cold-tolerant varieties can survive the winter if you cut down the plant and cover the roots with a thick layer of mulch and a plastic sheet to keep them warm. You could also dig up the plant or just the roots, put it in a container and bring it inside. Put it in a sunny place and treat it like a houseplant.
• Some banana trees are strictly ornamental. If you want to try to grow bananas you can eat, be sure you're not buying an ornamental plant.
• If you're planting more than one banana tree, put them about 10 feet apart.

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