How to Feed Banana Plants

Banana trees are fast growers and heavy feeders.

Banana plants are grown for their broad tropical foliage and delicious fruit. Because they grow so quickly, they are often grown in containers or in the ground just about anywhere there are at least 150 days of successive frost-free days. In the southern half of the U.S., they often freeze to the ground in winter and return in the spring. Banana plants grown in containers must be protected from freezing temperatures by placing them in a greenhouse or other protected area. Banana plants grown outdoors make the most dramatic specimens, but they must be fed and watered regularly for the best display.

Things You'll Need

• Balanced garden fertilizer
• Banana plants

Instructions

1. Add water to the base of the banana plants before fertilizing. Adding water prevents the tender roots from becoming burned or adversely affected by high concentrations of fertilizer. Soak the base of the banana plants by adding enough water so the soil over the root zones of the plants are soaked with water to a level 6 inches deep. Fertilize when the plants are actively growing after planting. If the plants are returning from winter dormancy, wait until the plants have at least two leaves fully open before fertilizing.

2. Spread 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. of a garden fertilizer with a ratio of 8-10-8 around the base of the plant. Spread the fertilizer evenly from 4 to 8 feet around the base of the banana plant. Do not allow the fertilizer to be applied any closer than 6 inches to the base of the plants because a high concentration of fertilizer may damage the tender trunk tissue.

3. Add water to the fertilizer and wash the fertilizer into the soil until it is no longer seen on the top of the soil.

4. Repeat the fertilizer application to the banana plants once a month during the growing season. Do not fertilize after the plants begin to decline in the fall and during the winter when growth is slow or non-existent.

Tips & Warnings

• When feeding banana plants grown indoors, use a plant fertilizer recommended for indoor plants. However, feed the banana plants twice as often as recommended on the container label, but use half the rate suggested on the label each time your fertilize.

References

• California Rare Fruit Growers: Banana
• UFL: Banana Growing in the Florida Home Landscape
• Greenhouse Business: Banana Info