Going Bananas!
A couple of weeks ago my Birthday present arrived in the post. This is a variety of banana which is the one most suited to grow in our climate if at all possible. This is 'Musa Basjoo' a dwarf variety which should survive our Winter if protected well. I am going to plant it in a half barrel container, so it would be possible to give it some protection in Winter.
I did grow a banana plant once before in a pot. It grew enormous! Apparently they can sprout one leaf per week! The large leaf shown has grown entirely since it was delivered in the first week of April. You can see at the base of this leaf, the second leaf is now ready to grow! Has anyone grown Musa Basjoo ?
posted by Matron @ 5:21 PM
11 Comments:
Unfortunately I don't have the room, especially when they grow at that rate!
Margaret and Noreen
No, haven't got one of those Matron. Goodness, I struggle just growing common things like carrots!
Will be interesting to see your progress with it.
Hi Matron, Good luck with your banana plant. Is there any chance they you will get fruit on it? I have a couple of the red leaf ornamental bananas which I keep indoors during the winter, these will not fruit. Bob
Oh I meant to say, poor old Tom does look a bit like he just starred in the specsavers ad - LOL!
Bob - yes, these are supposed to have small red fruit in this country when the plant is about 3 years old. I'm going to give it a go!
How cool! That's really exciting! three years is a long time to wait but it'll be well worth it if you get some fruit. It's sure to be a talking point whatever happens! :)
Thats a lovely looking tree. Even if it doesn't fruit, every once in a while you can use a leaf to make some special dish- like tamales or rice dumplings-wrapped and boiled in banana leaf.
we have a banana tree that my husband rescued and has in a large container outside our house.. not sure what type it is, probably not the same
but just wanted to say it survives outside overwinter (it sometimes gets a fleece wrapped round it, but lately is too large for this!) and can confirm that it does indeed grow enormous new leaves at a rate of about one a week when it gets going!
ours even sprouted a new banana plant which has now been separated and is growing up in its own pot.
good luck with yours!
We've got a banana palm which looks a lot like yours. It's planted in the garden and then over winter we stick 4 bamboo canes around the stems, wrap some chicken wire around these, and then stuff the middle full of straw - plus an extra wrapping of fleece, just in case. It's been fine over 2 winters now - it looks a bit shabby in the spring but once the leaves start growing again they come thick and fast. Good luck with yours! Sarah
I grow it here in Tennessee. Love it! It needs no extra protection in my Zone 6 garden. It will spread easily.
Hi Matron I just googled your banana plant. Said it is a japanese banana fruits when you get 35leaves on it and the friut is inedible..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/3568.shtml
Like to be in your garden and nibble the fresh asparagus as it grows. so yummy..
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