I recently started growing a banana tree as a house plant. Can anyone offer me any information or help on how to keep it healthy? I know I need to keep it watered and misted. It is currently growing like crazy. I have had it for about 2 months now. Will it ever produce fruit in the house? I am a complete newcomer. It is a miniature something or other. Purple spots on the leaves. I apologize for not knowing more about it. I just had a real passion to grow a banana tree once I saw them down in Tobago and Grenada. Thought it would help me to remember the vacation better if I could have one of these up here. I live in B.C. Canada. Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks

Hello Jen.
I live in England and am keen on growing Banana plants but am by no means an expert.
Your plant, following your description I would say is almost certainly a "Musa acuminata DWARF CAVENDISH". These are quite commonly sold as decorative fast growing plants.
They are propagated by microculture. They are quite capable of producing excellent fruit.
They reach a height of 6 -7 feet (1.8-2 metres.)
You must keep it growing fast as it is. Plenty of feeding. A high potah fertiliser is needed. (Phostrogen or Miracle grow or proprietory tomato fertiliser.)
Most important is a BIG container the biggest you can get, as the plant grows make sure that it has at least 4 inches or more from the edge of the pseudostem to the edge of your pot. So keep potting on. Good light warmth a moist atmosphere all contribute to producing a good plant with a chance of fruiting. A good book is "bananas you can grow" by James Waddick & Glenn Stokes,Published by Stokes Tropicals. www.stokestropicals.com . If you think it is growing fast now give it good care and you will be AMAZED....! Good luck Sidney Parker.

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Thanks Sidney,
Glad to hear from you. Got the BIG container right after I got the plant. Feeding it lots. Fruit inside? Wow, I never thought that would happen. I had heard that once a banana produces fruit it dies shortly after. Maybe just some species or maybe just an old wives tale? I'll definitely look into the book you suggested. Thanks again. Once this baby grows a bit more I'll post a picutre.

Hello again Jen.
Thank you for taking the trouble to reply to my advice (only given as an amateur!).
Relax, your plant will not die after fruiting, this is a misconception. What happens is that as the plant feels happy and is growing away quickly it produces "suckers" (we call them "pups" dont know why apart from the obvious.) from the base. These grow alonside the main pseudostem and can become quite large often rivaling the main plant in size. You then have a choice, you can remove one or more to increase your stock by potting them up individually or, leave them in position BECAUSE when the large main stem has produced an inflorescence and fruited it then DIES and needs to be removed (cut off at ground level). The remaining suckers then take over and grow to maturity and fruit et al !!.
All this CAN happen in a pot (particularly with a dwarf variety such as you possess) but I hope you have a large house / conservatory or you will be faced with the choice of cutting down the plant or moving to a bigger place. Forgive my rambling ,once I start on about Bananas I could talk forever. Good luck , Cant wait to see your picture. Regards Sidney Parker.

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Hi again Sidney,
No trouble for me to reply. I'm so happy to chat with someone about banana trees. Thanks for clearing up my confusion about the tree dying. It just so happens that I already have a "pup" about 10" tall and now I understand what it's up to.
Luckily I do have a large house that is just perfect for growing plants. We just moved in October 1st and that's why I decided I could finally start growing some plants that I never could before. It faces directly south and has huge windows all the way around the front. Probably about as good as it gets for growing tropical plants in the house. The humidity factor is the only thing I'm a bit concerned about but so far so good. A friend of mine told me that there is such a thing as a plant humidifier so I may eventually look into that if it becomes a problem.
I also got a Bird of Paradise at the same time I got the Banana Tree and I've now learnt that it is actually part of the banana family too.
Nothing at all to forgive about your rambling. I think it's great. I'm becoming quite consumed with bananas myself and this site seems to be the place to indulge that passion.
I'll post a picture as soon as I figure out how to do that.
Take care. Jen

Hello again Jen. Just been looking at my plants and thought I might pass on a word of caution.If as you say you are growing your plant indoors then take care to guard against tiny insects that live on the underside of the leaves, mosty Red Spider Mite or similar. They produce tiny webs etc and can be seen with a magnifying glass !(not a pretty sight!!) the inevitable dry (although you say that you mist regularly) atmosphere encourages them.
I have just sprayed and thoroughly wetted both the top and underside of the leaves and stem of my seedlings (Musa Zebrina and M. Velutina.) I spray with a proprietary brand such as a "bug gun" etc.
I have never seen Banana plants growing in their natural habitat, I guess it is a beautiful sight.
I got into growing them by buying a pack of "Banana" seeds . These turned out to be "Ensete Ventricosum.".If you see these seeds in your local catalogue then give them a try, very decorative, if a little difficult to germinate.
Hows your plant? dont you just love the way each leaf is bigger than the last one!!!!!.
Nice to hear from you, Sidney Parker.

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I have a banana tree and it is growing very fast. But I am having problems with keeping it to look healthy. Every time the tree starts growing really good, it starts to develop purplish brown spots on the leaves. Eventually where the spots were located it starts to dry up and die in those areas making the tree look unhealthy. Do you have any idea what this could be from? I have it by the window getting good sun light, I water it consistently etc. I have it also in a large pot, fertilizer, mulch etc but it still happens....Any help would be appreciated.

Sorry I dont know what kind I have. It is just big and green with no other charactieristics.

Jen, do you know what this could be from?

I have a banana tree and it is growing very fast. But I am having problems with keeping it to look healthy. Every time the tree starts growing really good, it starts to develop purplish brown spots on the leaves. Eventually where the spots were located it starts to dry up and die in those areas making the tree look unhealthy. Do you have any idea what this could be from? I have it by the window getting good sun light, I water it consistently etc. I have it also in a large pot, fertilizer, mulch etc but it still happens....Any help would be appreciated.

Mahalo Sidney,
I really appreciate the advice you gave to Jen. It lend me hope that I too may one day have fruit from my Cavendish I recently purchased.
I grew up in Hawai'i and had watch and grown my own banana plants. I missed them so much that I jumped at the chance at growing one here in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan, USA. And I am glad to read that the ability for Cavendish to fruit indoors was not just commercial hype.
I already grow tropical gingers and ti (dracenas) plants from Hawai'i successfully to bloom, here in Michgan. And I finally have been successful at coaxing a bird-of-paradise to bloom, although it took me 10 years. So there is hope for Jen although she may have to wait a while (maybe not as long as I with your advice).
Again, I thank you for giving your insight and advice to this site. I do have a question of my own and I hope you can help. Do you know anything about tropical gingers? Although I have had them bloom (I have 6 species), only 2 of them (the species) have had any kind of inflorescence. I would appreciate greatly any insight you may have on this subject as no one has replied to my inquiries as yet at this site.
Mahalo and Aloha,
Kahoa

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