Personally I think the banana is a marvellous thing but does need some attention as it will get out of hand if you just leave it, here's some information I posted a long while back under my previous identity (don't ask)
Posted - 22 Sep 2005 : 14:51:10
Dippey asked....
Can anyone tell us how to look after a banana plant, we brought it in line with a mideast tradition and need to know the best way to look after it and make sure it grows healthy and bares fruit, as this is how our future married life will be dictated.
How do we tell if the plant is male or female and do we need to cross pollunate? When the leaves get old do we have to cut them off at a particular height or angle to strengthen the stem or does it not matter.
we have looked on the internet but there is not much info on this.
ta
Dipps
MUSA
Banana, Plantain
MUSACEAE
Common Names: Banana, Bananier Nain, Canbur, Curro, Plantain
There is no such thing as a banana tree
Bananas are not a tree but an herb
The banana plant is an herbaceous perennial
The fruit is really a berry
Banana's are male and female in the one plant
No need for cross pollination
Keep as many leaves on the plant as the eye will tolerate
Cut unsightly leaves about 2 inches from the stem, or wherever?
No need what so ever for petrol
Plant your banana in well-drained soil rich in humus. Some banana experts claim an old compost pit would be the perfect spot
A single banana stem has a short life producing a stalk of bananas in about 10-18 months in ideal soil and climate. With less than a perfect environment, you may wait for 2 years or longer. One plant, however, can develop into a grove in two or three years and may need restraining.
To get the best and most fruit, especially under less than ideal conditions, keep the population of any group to three. One adult that will be chopped down to three feet after the stalk of bananas is harvested, one juvenile and a baby. Remove all other growth as soon as it emerges. After harvesting the fruit the juvenile will become your next plant, the baby will become the juvenile, then let one more baby grow, and so on year after year, remove the cut stem several weeks later, Further, if the hands fail to set, lop off the flower head.
Stalks of bananas are usually formed in the late summer and then winter over.
Once harvested the stalk should be hung in a cool, shady place. Since ethylene helps initiate and stimulate ripening, and mature fruit gives off this gas in small amounts, ripening can be hastened by covering the bunch with a plastic bag. Plantains are starchy types that are cooked before eating.
Fruiting takes a huge amount of energy from the mother plant, that needs a lot of nitrogen and moisture to sustain it.
After a stalk of bananas has developed, it may be 6 to 7 months before the fingers are mature.The plant may need support during this time
The average mild frost will almost never kill the corm and roots but the tender leaves and stem will usually freeze unless they can be covered or otherwise protected.
Wrap the stem and any fruit with hessian or a blanket if frost is forecast.
Bananas are believed to flower only after a certain number of leaves have been produced; Estimates run from 15 to 20'. Count them with a permanent marker if you really wish to know.
In summary, grow well-established bananas in full sun in well-drained soil rich in organic material. Water and feed them well during warm weather, protect in winter and let the plants rest during this time and be patient.
I also found this variety if you fancy something a little different and you have a sheltered spot:
Ravenala madagascariensis
Dennis:
Edited by - dennisandrea on 23 Sep 2005 09:54:50
And here's a link to the post in its entirety:.
{A Link to an old CBF topic was here - no longer available}6563&whichpage=1&SearchTerms=banana
denniz...
