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soonergrandmom

Banana Help Needed - Randy, are you there?

15 years ago

A friend was visiting a couple of months ago and asked me if I would like a banana plant. I don't think it was his, but that someone had offered it to him. A few days later, it showed up on my front step and I got the idea that it had just come out of the ground. It was not in a pot, but still had soil around the roots. I put some potting mix in the bottom of a pot just a little bigger than the root structure and added additional around the edges of the roots. I think he must have brought it over in his truck because the two leaves on this plant were shreaded into small strips. I did a little research and learned that as long as they were green that they were still helping the plant. They eventually turned brown and fell over, but two new leaves had formed before that happened and they look healthy.

My problem - I don't know what kind of banama plant this is. I don't know if it can live outside. Should I leave it in a pot, but put it outside for the summer? I may not be experienced enoujgh to keep it alive anyway, but I know I can't without some help. LOL I have two outside locations that are somewhat sheltered. It looks like the wind would be a real enemy. What about sun? Or....do I just need to find a BIG corner in my house for this thing. It is about 3-4 feet tall right now.

Comments (4)

  • 15 years ago

    There are a lot of ways to do this.

    Here's one I'm about to do with some of my bananas. I have a semi wind sheltered bed on the north side of my house. I'm going to put a few in there. Come fall before the weather turns bad, I'm going to dig them up and store in my basement. I've heard others store them under the house or in the garage if it doesn't freeze in those locations.

    Or just leave the silly thing in the ground well mulched over. In a decent microclimate and depending on variety, it may come back. There is a house about 5 miles from me on Sooner Road that has or did have hundreds of bananas in his yard. If it doesn't make it, I'll fix you up with another one. :-)

    I have some big ones in pots that get rolled into the bedroom each winter and stuck in front of a corner that has both east and south or east and north windows. I keep them bone dry. They're only watered enough to keep all the foliage from falling off.

    Over the years if the mother plant is too big to go through the door in the fall I cut her off at the soil line and allow the pups to fill the pot. I need to do some repotting next week.

    Sun is really not that big a deal for bananas. I landscaped an orphanage in the Yucatan of Mexico some years back. I planted a number of bananas within two feet of the south side of a 15 foot tall security wall. The sun back then in that spot was brutal. It's a gorgeous spot now. Love to sit and watch the geckos run up and down the trunks in the evening when it cools down. Even got to eat a few bananas off them when visiting.

    randy

    Here is a link that might be useful: Digging up Bananas in the winter?

  • 15 years ago

    Back in Texas I had several bananas all in the ground - Yellow Chinese did not make an OK winter, but the small Basjoo did, the other bigger one - nothing yet but there is still hope from the corn. Most musa like to be in the house during winter and if you plan on getting fruit you will need to dig and plant back and forth each year. I have one little baby Ne that will live its whole life indoors - why? they dont like anything below 40 and they dont like anything above 70 and they dont like sun or deep shade... but the leaves on it are Stunning.... so I put up with it. I would plant out but plan on digging the corn for fall.

  • 15 years ago

    Thanks so much Randy. I knew that you would be the one to ask. It doesn't sound like they are as termpermental as I thought they would be. I think I can put it in the "L" of the building and help with the wind situation. It will start getting sun mid-day but by late afternoon most will be shaded by a large tree, so maybe 5 hours of sun or more. It is also the location where my dryer vents. With our rainfall, the ground always seems to stay moist in that area though. Thanks for the info, and the offer, but if I kill this one, I may not try again. LOL Thanks again.

    Thanks okiegarden for sharing your experiences also. I am going to give this one a try.

  • 15 years ago

    You really have to kill something a few times before you give up on it. The first time or two may not be your fault. :-)

    Your welcome.

    randy

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