flipkick,

I've got a few Banana plants now and they are hardy and fast growers which put up new shoots at the end of Summer.

They are described by most sources as very hungry plants that need a lot of mulch and will suck up fertilizer like milk to a baby. Where too much fertilizer will kill many plants, Bananas aren't phased. The larger you pot the greater the root mass of the Banana plant. It pays to plant them outdoors to get them big and possibly, big enough to flower.

Bananas do well in shade, but to flower they may need sunlight like many plants do. Some Banana may flower without sunlight. One thing is sure though ... they will do best in a constant average of 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. It has even been stated that if you break the continuous temperature by exposing them to lower temps for part of the year, they will not flower.

The reasons why most people can not get Banana plants to flower is apparently 1) their plants do not maintain continuous optimum temperature for at least 18 months leading up to flowering or 2) the plants are kept indoors and never receive the stimulus of direct sunlight to evoke flowering. It's also possible that 3) with the Banana Plants great apetite, it may reduce potted soil nutrients enough to cause it to sicken. Thus adding new mulch and periodic doses of liquid fertilizer are more essential.

The humble opinion of a Neophyte Banana Gardener.

thank you for your information it helped alot

flipkick,
Growing bananas indoors can be a challenge. Getting them to bear fruit is even more a challenge! The Super Dwarf Cavendish is reportedly very difficult to maintain to fruiting. It just wants to grow pups (unless you have a greenhouse and can keep it warm, humid and give it lots of sun). The Dwarf Cavendish is more forgiving. But you'll need to eventually put it in a huge pot (20 - 30 gal.) or plant it in the ground over the summer. A Dwarf Cav that is of fruiting size could be anywhere from 5 to 8 feet high, or more!

For your 9 inch banana, I'd put it in your sunniest window. Keep it warm and mist it regularly to discourage spider mites. Only water it when maybe the top 1 - 2 inches is dry. Then in summer place it outside after frost, in a protected location. Once it starts to really grow, you may need to pot up several times during the growing season. By the end of the growing season, it should be at least 3 to 5 feet high. Or, you can plant it directly in the ground, then dig it before frost and keep indoors. Where you 'store' it over winter will depend on your home. If you want slow growth place in a dimly-lit, cool room around 45-60 degrees and keep it on the dry side. I usually clip off the lower leaves to reduce transpiration after having dug and clipped the roots. Roots will regrow around Dec -Feb. It should grow very slowly all winter. Watch for mites. If you want faster growth, 80 degrees, sunny and humid (greenhouse conditions). The mother plant will eventually flower and fruit. Indoors, it just takes longer--like 2 to three years. And you might want to clip off the pups until the mother plant blooms. Bananas have a finite number of leaves they put out before they bloom. So the faster it grows, the sooner it will bloom.

Here's a fruiting Raja Puri that was around 9' tall planted in the ground one summer. It was too large for me to dig at that point.

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I'm sure others will add more.

I've got an e-bay guide on outdoor banana care and indoor care, here's a link to the indoor care. Don't try to get a lot of growth out of them indoors over winter, but you can easily keep them alive and ready to go outside for spring.

Here is a link that might be useful: indoor banana care

does anyone had any fruit on this plant? I want to grow one. But they seems expensive plant.