4 Tips To Grow The Most BEAUTIFUL Banana Plants EVER Down To ZONE 5!
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2024
- This video shares 4 tips to grow the most beautiful banana plants you've ever seen! With these banana tips, it's possible to grow bananas down to Zone 5, as cold as -20°F [-29°C]! If you've ever wanted to know how to grow bananas in your backyard, look no further!
Many gardeners believe growing banana plants can only be done in the tropics, but most bananas easily recover from sub-freezing temperatures and grow back the next spring. Some cold hardy bananas can survive all the way to Zone 5! I've been growing bananas successfully for fruit for many years in Zone 8a North Carolina.
Bananas are heavy feeders and enjoy rich soil chock full of organic matter. Heavy mulching and chop and drop grows beautiful banana plants! In addition, the following products* will help you grow bananas:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 Introduction To Growing Bananas
2:24 Banana Growing Tip #1
4:48 Banana Growing Tip #2
6:45 Banana Growing Tip #3
8:06 Banana Growing Tip #4
10:03 How To Fertilize Banana Plants
11:46 The Banana Varieties I'm Growing
13:47 Adventures With Dale
If you want to know more banana tips for growing banana trees in your backyard, have questions about growing fruit trees or want to know about the things I grow in my raised bed vegetable garden and edible landscaping food forest, are looking for more gardening tips and tricks and garden hacks, have questions about vegetable gardening and organic gardening in general, or want to share some DIY and "how to" garden tips and gardening hacks of your own, please ask in the Comments below!
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ABOUT MY GARDEN
Location: Southeastern NC, Brunswick County (Wilmington area)
34.1°N Latitude
Zone 8A
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#gardening #garden #gardeningtips #banana #bananas
If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Introduction To Growing Bananas
2:24 Banana Growing Tip #1
4:48 Banana Growing Tip #2
6:45 Banana Growing Tip #3
8:06 Banana Growing Tip #4
10:03 How To Fertilize Banana Plants
11:46 The Banana Varieties I'm Growing
13:47 Adventures With Dale
What about using the barrels to warm up the bananas?
I need one just like this one please!! Where can I get one? I live in Iowa.
7:30 ... they're in overdrive... but they're likely very stinky. I can imagine that area smells like a gas station bathroom on overdrive.
Oh my god I've been trying to grow banana plants and I had three growing two died and one is surviving with a pup. I have watched a zillion videos and resilient articles and your short video here was the most helpful yet thank you so much
Thank you! I'm really glad to hear that. If you're growing bananas in a cold climate, the key to overwintering the corm is to mulch is VERY WELL. Chop up the leaves and pseudostems after the first few light freezes kill them back and cover the corm to insulate it. Add more chopped leaves and grass to insulate if you need to. However, once spring rolls around, you then need to rake back the mulch. Otherwise, the soil won't heat up quickly enough, and the bananas could stall or fail. The mulch can work against you if you forget to remove it.
@@TheMillennialGardener I don't live in a cold climate matter of fact it's too hot and too dry. I live just outside of Phoenix Arizona and this July the sun was extremely scorching we're having a lot of monsoons right now but June and July was scorching. But it's good to know I can grow bananas in a colder climate because my plan is to move to Oregon in a couple of years
@@JuniorFarquar I was deciding whether to ignore your comment or say something. But I think that's a very negative thing to say. I don't put any labels on anything or anyone and moving there I'm moving to be with family. Love of family never goes to s*** as you put it
@The Millennial Gardener do you recommend using grass clipping along with mulch for bananas
@@charlessingletaryiii331 anything goes. I live in northern Arizona 7a Climate. I use old leaves and grass clippings. I just cut them back and cover them with burlap. Keeps them nice and insulated.
Something to consider, is pruning leaves to promote faster vertical growth. Then chop those leaves and spread them around the trunks to help feed your trees.
Now that's chop ans drop
Here in South Florida I can grow 30 foot tall banana plants. They often have so many bananas I have to use the Bobcat to get the bunch down without dropping it. I compost my plants using a lawnmower. All my yard trimmings get dumped on the bananas and shredded after sitting a few days. I have collected urine in a pitcher and dump it out when it is full on the bananas. Have plenty of ducks that deposit their waste everywhere. One tip you may like is that magnesium sulfate (epsom salts) is important when starting your cluster. I did dump the ash and char left over from my woodgas truck for years. I grow orinioco, namwa, cavendish grand nain, gros michel, saba and plantain. had dwarf cavendish but after decades of having it the plants died. I am amazed you can get bananas in a time cycle of less than a year.
The bananas here have to be overwintered. If they die back, they won't have enough time to fruit. Building a cage around them and stuffing them full of straw usually saves a few pseudostems from the previous year, and I'll usually get a couple that will flower during the season.
Incredible video!! I can’t thank you enough for posting this - loaded with great info👍
Dale, you've quickly become my favorite to watch.
I learn so much from you.
Plus your happy, enthusiastic personality is so attractive and catching!
I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! I'm happy to hear they're helpful.
21 plants last year MA.100 fruits,watch your videos for long time you are one of the 3 that i watch
You are in Massachusetts? What part? I'm interested in giving it a try.
I watched your video last year, protected and saved my banana plant in Switzerland. Now during the spring they are growing back. I will follow your tips for some fruits this year :). Thanks a lot.
I’m inspired to start growing bananas plants again. I have tried for three years and I couldn’t get them to grow tall, fruit, or survive the winter. I’m in zone 7a so your video helps a lot since our winters are similar.
Amazing video :) Truly is soothing, relaxing, and educating. I have learnt a lot from giving this a chance, and I am so glad. Thank you so much for taking the time to create this video with us, :) It really is special and inspiring to get into my own gardening as a way to battle and get better at handling the stressful life I got myself into. Finding the way to the roots of ourselves. Thank you again and wishing you the best :)
I'm glad you're finding the content beneficial! I appreciate you watching, and I'm glad to hear it's helping.
Wow!!!! I’m amaze at how you can grow bananas in zone 8a. You really inspire me and I’m so glad I found you and subscribed to your channel. I’ve seen so many videos on UA-cam regarding how to take care citrus and avocados and now bananas, your channel is the BEST. ❤️❤️❤️ you’re very knowledgeable.
Thank you! I really enjoy challenging myself and growing some interesting things that turn heads. People are confused when they see all the citrus, the avocado tree and bananas growing, but it's doable if you're willing to help them along a little.
Ty, I get told all the time by others that I’m really intelligent & inspire them to want to achieve greatness, but still nice to hear every now & then lol
Just bought one of these today, can't wait. I'm in zone 6 in Nova Scotia.
i'm amazed, i'm growing bananas in grow bags indoors for the winter and outdoors during summer and hope to get fruit off them
I like the explanations that's really get to the point without a lot of blabbing
Can't get mad at my son for peeing outside anymore 😂😂
I have been trying to grow chiquita banana in a Container in zone 9. Thank you so much for your Information
Wow what’s a Great Millennial Farmer!! Awesome Video with great detail. I will be using the Potash.
I watched from brings to end. I'm soooo glad you didn't do one of those quick moving videos that change every 2 seconds. The video is paced perfect, great information and you are for questions. Thanks and great video...
Really Great video! You unlocked the missing info I needed.
Thank you! I'm glad you found the video helpful!
How Beautiful !! Thank you for your Tips iam gönne try that
Thank you very much for answering my question that I ask a few videos ago. Your banana trees luck awesome. Great advise. Definite will do the pee and mulching down here in central Florida. As always a fantastic video.
Thank you! I'm glad you found the video helpful!
Excellent content, style & delivery. Thanks man.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
8:04 I’ve just purchased a Blue Java. It’s gonna love me. 😊
Great advice, i might try and grow some for shade for my hardy Kiwi. Might not go well as ill be pushing the plant zone at 4b
Great video as usual! Thanks for posting. 3rd year with bananas. I live in zone 7A and have always cut back my plants to about 12" and covered with yard leaves, NOT Banana cuttings. I will try the banana cutting process this year on your recommendation. My bananas are getting too thick and are spreading because the old dead trunks are no longer sprouting. What is the best practice to thin them out and should I dig out the old hard and dry trunk bases?
*Great video these tips are exactly what I utilized to grow my first rack of bananas. Quick Q... Thoughts of Potassium sulfate 0-0-50 for bananas vs muriate?*
I'm in Springfield IL zone 5b/6a and have been growing Musa basjoo outdoors year round for about 12 years.
We are in our second year with the Musa Basjoo in zone 7b/8a upstate South Carolina. What fun. I keep all the pups off so the energy can go to the main stem.
This year it is flowering and fruiting, although I know these are non-edible. On this variety, in our zone, no protection is needed. I will fertilize more next year.
It is so neat to see you pushing zones and having success.
The day I have to wrap the bananas for winter is a bit of an ordeal, but aside from that one day a year, they're really easy to grow. They're one of the only things that are invincible here. Extreme humidity and rainfall don't bother them. Hurricanes bounce off them. They have no pests or diseases. They're just a delight.
@@TheMillennialGardener now we just gotta get you to grow that giant pumpkin down in NC for 2023!
Nice bananas! We grow them here in Arizona too. People think they won’t grow here cause if the extreme dry heat. But we make it work!
I appreciate all of your videos because even though I have had vegetable gardens for 40+ years, I have learned so much from you. With that being said, I now live near Charlotte NC in zone 7a and wanted to know if you think I would actually be able to grow bananas on a tree and if so which variety of dwarf would be best for where I live? Again, thanks for sharing your gardening experiences and for your amazing videos, 🙏 poppy
Same Q
I'm in Rocky Point (originally from Hawaii) and have been trying to fruit my bananas for years. Thank you for the tips!!!
You're welcome!
Just subscribed....I wanted to know more about banana plants and your channel appeared.😁
Thanks again for sharing this good to know information.
You're welcome! Thank you for watching!
A couple of my neighbors have these and they come back every year with little maintenance! I’ve never seen any bananas on them lol but I want to grow them to use the leaves in cooking and for food plates and more!
nice to see you tske your fur buddy for a walk....my pooch loves them too.
Great info on bananas im in a zone 10b, so fantastic.
Dale gets a walk every day, no matter what. He's a hound and he's very nose-driven, so he can't settle down until he gets it out of his system. He will not be content without it, but once he gets his walk, he's docile for the rest of the day. If I lived in Zone 10b, I would have a field of bananas 😄
Absolutely right...gotta 'pull my finger out' Thanks for the push. Paws gets a v early morning walk too,,calms her down. And I;m happy too..
PS: having great success withsunflower microgreens (from a 1kg birdseed packet)
@@TheMillennialGardener
Awesome video! I'm in Utah zone 6b and am just starting growing Dwarf Cavendish and Mahoi bananas for food. I built a heated greenhouse that will have a winter low temp of about 50 deg and a high of 75-80 so they will never die back. Do you think Dward Cavendish will fruit in my setup with low temps of 50? We get a lot of sun out here even in winter. I also want to get some Of the cultivars you have in this video!
I live in Iowa zone 5b,i grow about 60 banana trees outside from May to October, they get about 16 ft tall and look amazing. Theyve been out in the garden for about 3 weeks now and are recovering well from the long winter. Its a LOT of work,but its worth the effort if you love gardening!
Wow!
We are in uk. Have about six banana plants never take them inside ,leave them out all weather but cut them down in November..ours grow very tall too.
Do they fruit?
Pee in a bucket, empty the pee pot onto the bananas. And if you have a wood fire, use the cold wood ash as a fertilizer.
Love it! My banana flowered. Unfortunately late in the season. The dwarf Orinoco
Thank you for these tips.
You're welcome!
Leave 4 leaves on plant. If you have 5, 6, 8 , 10 cut back to just 4. Thickens false stem and gets it growing. I'm in Norfolk. Have the "real" blue java. Have a rack that began August 9th. Takes the fruit time to mature. 115-150 days. Crossing my fingers. 1st frost usually 3rd week of November. But it's supposed to be a mild winter so. 🤞
Why only four leaves you'll actually get produce on them
Would that be 4 leaves starting from the bottom up?
@@sunshinedayz2172 leave the top 4
I'm in Richmond! Hello, fellow Virgin! Lol 😆
Wow! Love how your banana plants look! 😊👍
Thank you! I'm really happy how they're coming along. They look awesome from above. I need to get a drone shot.
That would be cool!
pertunial garden green 🌸🌼🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳bananas groove
Thank you. Very useful
You're welcome!
Man thank you so much! I been trying to grow a banana plant for three years now.
You're welcome! If you're in a cold climate, make sure to mulch the corm very well. After the first couple light freezes knock it down, chop down the pseudostems, cut them into pieces and mulch the area with the cut up pseudostems and shredded banana leaves. If you need more insulation, toss on a couple inches of shredded leaves, etc. Then, when it warms back up in the spring, rake the mulch back to soil level so the ground can heat up and the corm will grow back. It's fairly important to pull the mulch back, because while the thick mulch layer will insulate the corm from cold damage, it'll prevent the ground from heating up in spring and could prevent it from regenerating.
Thank you! Now I have some excellent tools for success🍌
Wow! Those are so beautiful!
Thank you! I really appreciate that!
I’m in a 6b-7a though our winters usually low average around 20-25 degrees F. I’m in Boise area Idaho which is very dry here with sweltering summers and don’t think they can do full sun but I do have a location in the front. Never tried growing these but my plan was to cut them down to 2 ft. once they die down and fill with dry leaves and the dead musa basjoo leaves inside chicken wire with a tarp over it. Hoping that’ll be good enough.
Thanks for the info I ordered all 4 varieties today! Which will make 7 varieties in my food Forest!
Outstanding! I hope you like them!
Great video, I was wondering what I could use for my dwarf bananas in my zone 6a garden. Do you think if I use these tips and bring them inside, they would fruit even if it was inside?
Also located outside of Wilmy and so inspired by your gardening videos! Hoping to get my little banana plant to bear some fruit!
Excellent! You may want to watch the banana protection video I have linked in the video. It works well enough to get them to fruit here on mild winters. Last winter was particularly bad, though, so this may be my first year without fruit in 4 years.
Also, I was thinking about planting mine in a large pot that I could potentially drag inside during winter. Have you had any success doing that with your banana plants to keep them going through winter?
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks! I have watched that one in the past. My poor plant right now is in a pot that's way to small for it and I need to decide if I'm going to plant it in the yard or get a bigger pot and try and drag it inside when it starts getting chilly.
Also a great banana tree fertilizer is dead fish. Throw fishing scraps into the hole before you plant them. No smell. If you have an aquarium, the detritus from gravel cleaning is very effective.
Great video !! Question.. can the fertilizer mixture you outline be used for potted banana as well?
No.
Loved learning from your experience. I have a large plant that has been growing super nice for last couple seasons in zone 8a here in NC but it has not fruited. I got the corm from a friend who doesn’t know the variety either. Even though foliage of banana plant I wonder if it could be something related to banana but inedible.
Any thoughts? Any way to determine the variety?
OHMYGOODNESS! Hi neighbor! I live in Maple Hill, NC about 45 minutes from you. I just bought a lady finger corm. Do you think I can grow her in the ground. Or do you think I should keep her in a pot and move her in & out? Thank you for the video. It was awesome!
Thanks for the great information. What kind of soil, drainage, watering do they need. You have me convinced to try several types in 8a zone near Dallas. I have nasty sand (really light and dusty?) over clay (about 6" down). I lose almost all plants I plant. May be watering them too much. OH, and when to plant tiny starters?
Bananas aren't picky. They grow in rainforests, so they tolerate extreme rain and heat. They are salt-tolerant, too. As long as they don't sit in standing water, they should be fine. Just keep them irrigated in summer, because they have a high water demand. I plant them at last chance of frost in spring so they have maximum time to acclimate so the corm can build strength to endure the winter die-back.
idk you, but i love you for this, i bought a 4 foot winterized plant and im really hoping it starts back up. already ordered everything you suggested. and am getting ready to pee!
Gals can peeee too, we just need a pot to pee in and then we pour it. However, I always advise to delute the urine 1 part urine to 10 parts water because urine can burn the roots , etc. great info..thanks
If you're up for it, definitely go for it! The bananas will greatly appreciate it. I just can't suggest it or the crowd will turn on me 😂
@@TheMillennialGardener oh you poor guy...I hear you. Its okkkay, I spoke up for ya! lol
Looks great. I tried your pizza dough recipe Friday and Saturday, turned out great. Thank you for the info
Awesome! I’m really happy to hear that! The more you make it, the better it gets. It is a dangerous addiction 😆
Awesome! I’m really happy to hear that! The more you make it, the better it gets. It is a dangerous addiction 😆
Where do you find your pizza dough recipe?
@@SAllen-lf7ft it’s on the millennial gardener’s channel. 7 months back, pull it up. It is a very crispy dough.
Will your fertilize process work with the Musa basjoo banana tree? I live in Connecticut and I started growing the Musa indoor and looking forward to transplanting them outside in the spring. Any recommendations on indoor growing? Thx for the help
Florida here and I grow bananas. VERY IMPRESSED with your dedication and success growing them in your zone! Great tips, however, as my bananas are in my front yard, close to the street, AND I'm a chick, peeing on them is def out of the question! 😂👍😥
Thanks for info! I am also in 8a NC zone, so your videos are very helpful to me. From where did you buy these varieties? Would love to get hold of one of them.
I recommend checking out Banana Man Larry at bountifulgardennursery.com. He always has a few things in stock. I've purchased several things from him. Super common bananas like Dwarf Namwah and Dwarf Orinoco can usually be purchased off eBay for dirt cheap. I wouldn't buy any "rare" banana off eBay. They're usually a scam.
@@TheMillennialGardener thanks for the prompt response
TY!!! Growing bananas now just transplanted 4 pups about 2’ high growing like crazy also have main about 8’ or more & one 4’ 2 more babies 🙂 coming perfect timing I want a wall! + fruit
Outstanding! Bananas grow like nothing else. They grow so fast, they make my fig trees look lazy. I love the way the leaves sound rustling in the wind. It makes me feel like I'm on a tropical island somewhere.
Thanks for the great info!
Love your videos and Dale segments.
I live in a zone (10b) where banana plants would possibly grow well (just a bit dry). Do you think they would be able to grow well in a very large pot? We don't have too much space in ground.
Also, is that a coffee plant growing next to your back yard Dwarf Orinoco? Looks sort of similar to my coffee plant and I know they sometimes grow coffee plants in the same area as banana plants.
Bananas grow excellent in containers. You'll just need to water them well, because bananas require a lot of water. Some sort of self-watering setup that wicks up the water could be helpful in the heat of the summer. For potted bananas, I recommend dwarf varieties. Dwarf Orinoco, Dwarf Namwah, Dwarf Brazilian, Veinte Cohol, Raja Puri and Dwarf Puerto Rican Plantain are good places to begin.
The tree next to my Dwarf Orinoco in the rear is a persimmon tree. I have 5 coffee trees growing, though. They must've put out 300 berries last year. They're just starting to flower now. They have to stay in pots, though.
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you!
I do love bananas, so this has given me fresh hope for growing my own.
I'll start keeping an eye out for dwarf varieties.
Oh yes! Now that I think of it, it doesn't look like a coffee plant haha.
You're lucky! I've had my coffee plant (in a container) for a bit more than 3 years and yet to get fruit. I think it's at least 4 years old. Thought I'd get some last season, but hopefully next season will be more favourable. I think the insane heat we had in the southern hemisphere inhibited it.
@@TheMillennialGardener when do they start sucking up water after potting? i've had a 4 in cloth pots and the moisture level hasn't gone down over a couple weeks... pearlite/coco coir/goat manure soil mix. 2 are struggling with no new growth + yellow/browning leaves i had to cut off... zone 9b northern california coastal town
Very informative video! My banana tree fruited this year and I'm in Zone 8a too. I mulch heavily and also chop and drop. This year I fed them kitchen scraps and covered it with the mulch. However when it fruited the flower only produced a few bananas. The rest didn't get pollinated or we're sterile. How do you avoid that?
The first crop is usually pretty bad. The next one should be better
You avoid it by giving it proper care & nutrition. Let’s say it’s 2 years in the future, and you’re a banana tree. You sprout as a seed & into the sun as the season turns warm to spring. Now, would you like it if someone came along, dumped garbage all over you, and covered you in prickly wood chips? No, you wouldn’t. Do you get some kind of enjoyment out of suffocating plants? Mulch is for trees, genius… not smaller plants or shrubs
Awesome video. Very informative. Do they require full sun?
Great video! I was not doing any of these things with my banana trees. No wonder thay are only 2 ft tall after a year or two. Poor things have been starving. Off to your store to get them some food! Thanks so much! 😃
Bananas are very heavy feeders. I think they're the heaviest feeders of anything I grow, even more than figs. They need constant organic matter. The good news is that the banana plants themselves contain tons of nutrients, so if you chop up and mulch the old leaves and pseudostems religiously, the requirement for fertilizer goes down. When the bananas are young and you don't have that thick "rainforest mulch layer," they need more supplemental fertilizers.
I only grow dwarf bananas. I’m not climbing a ladder to get my fruit. I grow dwarf cavendish and just started growing the truly tiny variety that only grow 3-4 feet tall. After the banana fruits and I chop off a bunch, then chop down the fruited stem. It will naturally die anyway. So I chop and drop, in addition I always mulch the area. The humidity breaks it down so fast in south Florida we don’t need to chop up the stem after fruiting. If your in a cold area, try the “truly tiny” variety. Thanks for the great video from zone 10b south Florida. 🍌🍌🍌
You're welcome! I also don't see much point in growing full-sized banana varieties unless you're selling bananas, or you want to grow a really cool variety like Blue Java and you have no choice. How can one person eat one of those full-sized bunches? There are like 80 bananas on a bunch, and they all ripen at about the same time! The dwarf bunches are perfect for a family garden, and you don't have to worry about climbing, support for the bunches, etc.
Thank you sir
Beautiful little jungle you got going. You thought about adding some palm trees? Butias, Trachycarpus, palmetto's, european fan palms is some that would be great in your climate.
There is a youtuber growing way more tender palms inland in Charlotte so the ones listed should do well at your place.
I'm lucky to live in an area in Australia which has a similar climate to Charleston in South Carolina which is north of Sydney in Australia in New South Wales (Newcastle) which has a 10a-b USDA plant hardiness zone.
They do go semi dormant at winter time & our areas climate isn't much different to where my grandfather on my dads side used to grow them commercially 600 kilometres (360 miles) north near the Queensland border where he grew the same lady finger variety that I grow.
They're grown in a subtropical climate & I am experimenting with growing the Cavendish variety which is commercially grown in the more tropical parts of Queensland in the Tully & Atherton Tablelands areas !
I live about 2.5 hours north of Charleston. They get around 5-6 hard freezes, and about 8-12 freezes total, a year there, so bananas still struggle. They're a *very* weak Zone 9a, so bananas often die back there and require some protection, though they perform better there than where I live in 8a. I've been to Sydney in May, and while it got cold there at night, it stays frost-free, so bananas perform a lot better. The stuff at the botanical gardens looks absolutely magnificent. Things were definitely in dormancy, but everything looked beautiful and held their form.
I would actually advise against Cavendish, solely because they're found in grocery stores. You can get them anywhere. Most people say the best tasting bananas are Mysore and Namwah. Growers "go bananas" for Mysore. If you can find that, maybe give that a shot? I would grow it, but it is a tall banana that can grow 15-20ft (5-6 meters), so I can't protect it in my 8a climate.
wonderful video, thank you so much for sharing , love it. I will try cold hardy banana plant for zone 5. LOL i have 3 boys i will have enough nitrogen solution for the banana plant.
My banana tree doing well this year / have 2nd flowers .
and some banana young trees around .
I love ❤ banana trees
I love ❤️ papayas tree
Too banana trees plant in small lot …
Great video! You got me more interested in figs and I'd love to see an annual tour of your fig trees to see what has changed in the last year. Any plans to make a fig tour video anytime soon? Also, i know you use figbid, but do you ever sell cuttings? I'm jealous of your 258 tree!
I do a fig tour every single year. You can search my channel for past year's fig tours. However, this year, I probably won't have one, because it was a very, very bad year for the figs. Many of them were damaged by the bad winter we had last year, and the fig breeding program I started required me to overwinter 42 seedlings, which wound up overwintering the prior year's fig rust, which rapidly spread across all my trees. This winter, I will be going through a massive cull of varieties I no longer want, I'll be re-organizing my entire container garden, aggressively pruning and rehabbing the orchard to fix up the damage this year. I do offer cuttings every winter to my subscribers. Everyone that subscribes gets notified when the time comes.
@@TheMillennialGardener Ignore my comment on your new video - it says pretty much the same thing as the one you just replied to. I missed your reply on this comment before I typed that comment out. And yes, i thoroughly enjoyed your fig tour videos and I pull it up often to see if you mention a variety when I'm looking to buy one on Figbid. I'm sorry to hear about your figs this year. There's so much work that goes into gardening and it's hard when something doesn't work out. Especially the fig breeding stuff! I have several fig trees with rust and I'm assuming I can't even root cuttings of those this winter because it will contaminate the new plant, and I'm bummed about that.
This was fantastic! I want to grow a banana tree. Thank you! 🍌
I almost choked when you said to pee on them, lol! The potash really makes sense. Bananas are high in potassium and I guess they have to get it somewhere. Does your bananas have large seeds? Or do they look like the ones you buy at the grocery store? Thanks for such great content!
It's funny, but it's true! Bananas LOVE being peed on. If you're willing to do it, they'll greatly appreciate you for it. All my bananas are edible and of high quality. They are all seedless.
Thank you. This was interesting. I would want a fruiting banana tree. I am in zone 5B & we get some pretty cold temperatures.
You can grow Musa Basjoo in ground as an ornamental. Just make sure to mulch the corm with a few inches of thick mulch of some kind to insulate it to get it through the winter. Then, rake the mulch back in the spring to heat up the ground and re-sprout it. If you want to grow bananas for fruit, the dwarf varieties grow well in a container and can overwinter in low light in front of a window.
Why would anyone want an ornamental banana? I want to EAT
@@sr2340 they are just smaller bananas. That’s why they call them ornamental.
Since you live in the south do you have any Butia palms with fruit on them? Would love to see your palm collection. Lastly is it possible to make a Butia flower faster by using fertilizers in a spesific way like with the Bananas?
I love that you rise to the challenge of growing things that are not necessarily perfectly suited to your climate zone. I am on zone 9B... but zone isn't everything. My 9B is extreme. Blistering hot and dry in the summers, 105+ on a regular basis. But also frosts up in winter. So I'm scared to try certain things. Like Avocado trees... I recently bought an ice cream banana plant and a dwarf Cavendish... Wish me luck.
Me too. Same. But zone 9A
I'm zone Zone 9A, just north of Houston Texas. Last year I planted a Cavendish and Nam Wah ladyfinger and this year in April I transplanted them to a different location. And to my shocking surprise the Cavendish is producing bananas! Only two hands worth but I'm extremely happy with it. I protected them during the winter just like he showed us on his videos by putting a cage around them and stuffing it with hay and it worked great. I also just planted an ice cream banana tree and it's growing like crazy with four pups around it.
I am also in Zone 9A. Last my banana tree die down and it came back. I have it in a pot and want to take it inside this Winter. Right now it is beautiful and dont want to Lose it. Thanks for All the Info. Thanks Dale. Fantastic information
Hello from California!!!Thank you for making me laugh this morning 😂 “about peeing on the banana”😂 I just bought a dwarf banana from HD and I’m keeping it indoor cause of extreme heat. Thank u so much for infos…love ur channel n finally subscribed😊
Thanks for subscribing! I appreciate it! Trust me on the bananas. They love human urine. Works like a charm!
Thanx it's been pleasurable listening to your professional presentation & equally the URINE trick!! When cutting off the last tip of the fruit's bunch why leave a single finger?
Not sure which video got me to subscribe, but this one is well worth watching. Does it matter if they are shielded from the west sun? I am going to have so much fun growing bananas after watching this. Thanks
Thanks for subscribing! Bananas are from the tropics where the sun is more intense than anywhere. There is no need to shield them from afternoon sun. The only time you'd need to be careful is if you overwinter your bananas indoors and you're re-acclimating them to real sunlight again in the spring. In-ground bananas won't need sun protection.
@@TheMillennialGardener thanks. Mine in pots fade in the afternoon sun. Time to go in the ground then …cheers and thanks.
You can grow faster if you maintain a 4 leaf stem, cut off the older leaves so you’re left with 4 leaves. The banana knows how many leaves it needs to produce before it sends a blossom.
I'm not sure what you mean. My thinking is that more leaves = more solar energy gathered, so that would help the banana complete the cycle more quickly and flower. Wouldn't removing leaves slow the banana down, because it wouldn't be able to absorb as much energy?
@@TheMillennialGardenerno actually it will rob energy from the plant to support all those leaves. Keeping fewer leaves gives it more energy to focus on fruiting. Definitely needs some for photosynthesis so 4 is a good number.
Beautiful plants
Thank you! I appreciate it!
Thank you your ideas
You're welcome!
Hey MG - Im in 8a deep south here and growing dwarf namwahs. I just use compost and manure around them in the spring, and feed then with a mix of the MG performance organics edibles, seaweed extract, and unsulfured molasses every 2 weeks during the growing season. My namwahs are right at 15foot at the moment and beginning to flower.
Basjoos are also down here a lot and flower easily every year. They make a great green screen for privacy and look super tropical which is really the only reason I have them haha.
I have been considering a Patupi or Kokopo, or a Viente Cohol as well. Its my understanding that the VC has orange flesh?
If I could get my hands on a Pisang raja I would in a heartbeat - its by far my favorite banana of all time!
If your bananas are 15 feet tall, they can't be Dwarf Namwah's. Dwarf Namwah's are only around 5-6 feet tall. Are you sure you don't have the tall version? That sounds more like the standard Namwah. What I've found here, unfortunately, is that your bananas have to flower in July or they won't have enough time to ripen. After the first week of October, the bunches tend to stall, and then they'll rot come November. You will probably only want to let the first two sets of hands form, then quickly remove the flower to have a chance of ripening something.
Basjoo's will flower, but they aren't edible. They're heavily seeded.
I have Veinte Cohol. It's on its 3rd season, but it has never flowered. It is definitely my least vigorous banana. I'm hoping it'll eventually get its footing.
@@TheMillennialGardener Apologies, I should have clarified. ~15ft total height. Pseudostems are around 8foot currently. They are dwarfs, tall namwah would be much taller and have more psuedostem height. All "dwarf" plants here grow taller and larger than advertised. Deep South 8a and east coast 8a are different in that respect, as is the PNW 8a. Climactic differences can create more favorable conditions for certain plants (including bananas) to thrive. Typically as long as the edibles (or basjoos for that matter) flower by August here the rack has time to mature, but like you said sooner is better. Was your VC a tissue culture acquisition or was it a division from a mature mat?
you're right - i was totally surprised to see bananas pop up on your vids because i know you are north of me and that means freezes. had no IDEA you could grow bananas in non-tropical areas. i was getting so used to having to give up on a lot of things that would have grown in FL but i didn't have any space to. and now in GA, have space, can't grow things like lemons, limes, or passionflower. :/
I have my first flower in my banana! This is from my ice cream banana. Growing it in Sacramento area. I feed it with fish emulsions every week and then more bloom.
Any tips on transplanting from pot to soil? Mine was stretching the pot so much with 3 big stems and a baby one. When i cut apart the plastic pot, i had thicks roots that hit the bottom and started curling up. Should I take the tree back out of the ground and separate all the bottom roots so they grow out instead of up?
How did you learn all this very useful horticultural information, for all of the edibles you grow?
I have been gardening most of my life and worked on a farm my entire childhood, so it has always been an interest. I am an engineer by trade, so if I determine something is feasible, I design ways to make it work. I like a challenge. Bananas, however, are surprisingly easy.
I am from Canada. I use a greenhouse to grow them as we are a very cold.
I have dwarf cavendish. Is same method for fertilization? I am blocks away from Biloxi Beach in Mississippi. Few light freezes
I just got two musa banana 6" trees. We're in zone 7b. I'm planting them near my chicken coop (lots of nitrogen!). Do woodchips make good mulch for banana trees? Or does it have to be straw?
Live in East Texas, pine needles OK for banana trees? And how do you prune them or do you?
AWESOME 👍!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you very informative. I live in zone 7b. I bring all banana plants indoors during the winter months. I currently have a blue java that is about to flower. If I bring the blue java indoors during the winter, will the banana plant bare fruit?
The problem with banana bunches is they need a lot of heat to ripen. If your banana flowers too late, the fruit often rots. I don't know if indoor conditions are warm enough, and if indoor light is strong enough, to get the fruit through the winter. In short, I don't know. What I do know that in frost-free places like San Francisco, bananas that flower in the fall have their bunches rot, because the winters are too cool and damp even though it doesn't freeze there. The same thing happened to me. I had a plant flower in early October, I tried overwintering it by dragging it in at night and back out during the day, and the bunch rotted.
You should try dwarf Kokopo their flower to fruit is 6 weeks can’t find nothing reliable about the cold hardiness trying them here in zone 9b
The Bananas are AMAZING just like the Gardener is!
Thank you! They're a lot of fun to grow. Just looking at them makes me happy. It feels like you're on vacation. Bananas are a must-add to the garden, even if you're just growing them as ornamentals. They're an excellent source of mulch, too!
I learned so much. I always cut my leaves and toss them. The pee though 😂😂😂. Thank you the information is priceless
thank you.