They look like trees but are perennials. I am talking, of course, about banana trees.We find them more and more often as potted plants for the terrace or for the winter garden, and lovers of more resistant varieties are also trying to cultivate them in the ground.
Obtaining a banana plant from seeds and its subsequent care are not difficult. Dwarf varieties can reach up to 2 m in height. Unlike other plants, they do not require pruning. Banana leaves are soft, delicate and quite thin, so they can tear when exposed to strong winds.They are used, for example, to prepare meals - like our lovebirds, they can also replace a plate. The most popular banana is the Musa x paradisiaca banana, which is native to Southeast Asia. Also known as the paradise fig, today it is also found in other tropical regions of the world and grown for its tasty fruit.
As houseplants in our latitude, the most common are ornamental bananas : Ensete ventricosum, green-purple Ensete ventricosum Maurelii ’or the extremely frost-resistant Musa basjoo. Other interesting potted species include: musa acuminata dwarf banana, Musa sikkimensis, purple striped Musa sikkimensis ῾Red Tiger ’or Musa ornata with red, pink or orange flowers.
Decorative qualities of the banana plant
Banana inflorescences are extremely decorative - delicate luscious petals make a real tropical gem. If we want this plant to bear fruit, we must try to overwinter it in frost-free conditions. It may take 2 to 5 years for a banana plant to sprout until it produces fruit. Musa velutina produces the fastest fruit. It is important to remember that all bananas obtained from seeds produce fruit with seeds. These fruits have little flesh and therefore are not suitable for consumption. After the fruit is released, the plant dies, but earlier it develops many side branches from which we can successfully obtain young seedlings.
If you want to grow bananas indoors, you should provide them with the brightest possible place. In summer, however, their leaves are sensitive to the strongest midday sun that can burn them.In winter even the place near the window may be too dark for banana trees.If possible, provide plants with an additional source of light. Banana trees also love heat all year round. A constant temperature within 18-21 ° C will be optimal. When growing them at home, we should also remember about regular airing. Banana trees benefit from being exposed outside from spring to autumn.
Nothing prevents you from landing a banana plant in the ground for the summer. Then we choose a sunny place, but sheltered from the wind. Before winter comes, we dig out the log, trim the leaves and store the log planted in the pot until the next spring.Even large winter damage is not scary for exotic banana trees.They grow quickly and in a short time remind you that Mother Nature has made them true volcanoes of energy.
Cultivation requirements
Since banana trees have large leaves, they need plentiful watering, especially in summer. However, they do not like the so-called wet feet, so any water that has drained into the tray must be poured out. It should also be noted that the water can easily drain from the pot.The soil in the container should be kept uniformly moist.For watering, it is best to use soft water at room temperature. In winter, we water them a little more sparingly.
Banana trees grow very well when we add liquid fertilizer to the water from spring to the end of summer. During this period, we supply them weekly, once a week in autumn and winter.Important: it is better to fertilize banana plants with small doses than less frequently with larger doses.
