Hi,
I don't know anyone who has Banana Plants, so i'm glad I found this site. I have a 3 year old and a 2 year old Banana Plant, sorry I don't know the varieties, I think the seeds I purchased were known as Large Seeded and Small Seeded Bananas.
I live in about Zone 5b, maybe 6 tops. The largest of the two plants is my problem. It is really too big for my little house. Last fall I successfully dug it from the garden and put it in the largest pot I could buy. We had to walk around the 4 foot wide plant in the middle of the kitchen all winter.
When things warmed up this Spring, I planted it in my garden again, but it has absolutely doubled in size, and I just won't be able to get it through the door, or into a pot or have room for company!
It has about 12 leaves at the moment, each leaf is about 4 feet long, but it has another good month of growing before any danger of frost... When it is time to dig up, how many leaves can I safely remove? OR could I possibly keep the rhizome dormant for the winter? I will try to get some pictures, maybe some of you can identify the varieties.

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V.

Aloha Island Gardener,
Sounds like your in Hawai'i or someplace like that. Also sounds like you got a monster on hand.
Zone 5b? If you got a Hardy type you probably be able to leave it in the ground with a hell of a lot of mulch (1 foot thick minimum). If I'm right about the hardiness and you put enough mulch (on second thought 2 feet would be just right for 5b and the plant being hardy), the plant will die back to the corm and come back next Spring. If it is NOT a hardy type or if you don't want to bet on it, do what you did last Fall. You'll have to walk around it and ask the pardon of all your guests. They'll probably admire it but look at you weird. Don't worry I get weird looks too.
You could dig it up, cut most of the leaves, maybe all, and have the corm go into dormancy, but it's tricky. And I'm not an expert in that area. I'm lucky that I have space. I keep my in pots, which I quess keeps them to a smaller size. They're still 6-7 feet tall and about 5-6 feet wide.
If you don't want to dig up the plant every year, do what I do and keep it in a pot. Especially if you're going for looks and not fruit. I do hope you find someone who is more an expert on putting bananas to bed during the Winter if that's what you end up having to do because of the size of your plant. Sounds like your doing the right things though with the plant growing that large. Congradulations!
Aloha and I wish you Good Luck, KAHOA

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Thanks Kahoa.
I guess I can't hurt it by cutting back the majority of the leaves in the fall, and the growth will slow down once it's back in the pot for the winter. I am really hooked on growing bananas! I work for a seed company and have talked them into adding some Musa seeds to our selection, they really are one of the easiest plants you can grow (sort of)!
Thanks for your help!
V.

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V.

Mahalo V.

Keep me posted on your progress. Hope you convince your company on selling Musa.

Aloha,
Kahoa

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I too have a tropical banana tree, Musa, that I planted in the ground in spring..It's now over four feet tall.
Should I cut it back or try sticking the whole tree in a pot? Thanks, Toni

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Hello

I planted (transplanted from a neighbor) a banana tree to my very sunny backyard two summers ago. Since I live in a semi tropical climate I thought it would fit nicely in the landscaping. It has. The only thing I did when I planted it was to feed it with a fertilizer at that time. Since then I have done nothng to it. This year...O, Yeah...we have some bananas! They are so cute. My question is can I expect them to grow into edible fruit? Is there anything to do at this point other than let them grow? Here on the coast we will have summerlike weather through September and into October. The bananas have appeared practically overnight and, of course, I'm out there every morning checking on them.

Aloha Toni,

Try and get the whole tree. 4 feet is nothing. I get 6 feet every year. Good luck!

Kahoa

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Aloha,
Depends on your species of Musa. If it is a hardy type, you'll probably not get edible fruit. Find out from your neighbor what it is if they know. Remember, if your species is not hardy it may not come back after a hard freeze, even on the coast. Here's a clue, if your neighbor's plant survived the winter in their yard, it will probably survive in your yard. You can feed the plant any time. Now is better than never and it will help mature the fruit faster. Good luck!
Kahoa

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Thanks Kahoa,
Actually, the banana is nearing 5' or more. The second a Cavendish, is about 4'. Both need to be dug up and transplanted in pots. I also have a hardy non-edible banana but that stays in the garden all winter long..In fact I got that banana here on Banana Tree.com
Soon before the cold sets in, I'll dig up the whole plant and place in apot..thanks..Toni

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Hello