Care of Red Banana Plants

Banana plants create a tropical focal point in the landscape.

Red bananas are named for the deep brown-red skin that surrounds the cream-colored flesh of the fruits inside. A large variety, red banana plants grow up to 20 feet tall. Red bananas grow best if the temperature is consistently above 78 F but below 98 F. In cooler climates, red bananas can be grown as an ornamental annual. The large, flat tropical leaves have some red coloring to add visual interest to the landscape.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Mulch
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Ensure your red banana is growing in full sun in sandy soil that has good drainage. If drainage is poor, replant your banana on a mound 2 to 4 feet high. Red bananas should be planted at least 12 feet apart for fruit production, but can be as few as 8 feet apart as an ornamental plant.

2. Fertilize bananas every second month. University of Florida Extension recommends using a 3-1-6 fertilizer at a rate of 1/2 lb. per plant for bananas, including red bananas.

3. Supply red bananas with 1 inch of water each week, particularly during dry weather. Bananas need consistently damp soil in order to flourish

4. Mulch banana plants with a 4 to 6 inch layer of wood chips or leaf mold in the spring. Keep the mulch layer back 3 inches from the base of each red banana plant and extend it out in a circle 9 feet in diameter.

5. Remove weeds as they appear by hand so as not to damage the shallow root system. Keep the area around bananas well weeded to prevent competition for water and nutrients.

Tips & Warnings

• Red banana varieties take 18 months from planting to harvest.

• Some red banana cultivars are purely ornamental and do not produce fruit.

References

• Desert Tropicals: Red Banana Red Abyssinian Banana
• University of Florida IFAS Extension Program: Banana Growing in the Florida Home Landscape; Jonathan H. Crane, et al.; September 2005
• Purdue University Center for New Crops and Food Products; Julia Morton; 1987 Banana