How to Grow Banana Plants

With its large, shiny, exotic-looking leaves and remarkable flower, the banana plant is a popular edible landscape plant for tropical and sub-tropical locations. Five year Highlands County Florida Master Gardener and ten year banana grower Don Ingram shares his recommendations for caring for and maximizing yields of banana plants in a 2009 interview with Suite.

Where to Plant Bananas

Bananas prefer full sun, but can tolerate some shade. Soil should be well-drained, and in sub-tropical areas, care should be taken to place the banana plant where it will be sheltered from strong winds and receive some protection from frost and freezing.

Micro-climates (such as areas near a body of water) which maintain a temperature a few degrees higher than the surrounding areas are optimal for the planting of bananas in sub-tropical locations. Avoid planting bananas on the cold and windy north-facing side of the house.

How far north can bananas be grown? Ingram has seen them in Jacksonville, New Orleans, and even Maryland. But in areas that experience freezing, the plants need to be brought indoors in the winter, and even then they may not fruit because it just isn’t warm enough.

Fertilizing Banana Plants

Bananas like a lot of fertilizer, according to Ingram, who should know since he has had about twenty different varieties growing in his Central Florida backyard. ‚”You need 15 pounds of fertilizer per year per mat,” he says. A ‚”mat” refers to a single banana plant, which will eventually put off suckers, or underground offshoots, that will grow into new plants.

Ingram uses Sure-Gro special banana fertilizer, which is heavy on the potassium‚Äîthe nutrient most needed by bananas. ‚”You can also buy citrus fertilizer and add muriate of potash (for extra potassium),” adds Ingram. ‚”Follow the directions on the muriate of potash bag.”

Since bananas stop growing when the temperature drops below 60 degrees F, Ingram recommends putting in 1.5 pounds per month for ten months or three pounds every couple of months during the warmer months.

Irrigation of Banana Plants

Bananas are susceptible to drought, and severe drought can delay fruiting and flowering. In areas like South and Central Florida, summertime rains are adequate, but as the drier winter season ensues, supplemental irrigation in the form of lawn sprinklers or micro-irrigation is needed. If the banana is part of a landscape that is irrigated with a sprinkler system, weekly lawn watering should be sufficient for the banana plant, too, says Ingram.

Pests and Diseases of Banana Plants

There are three fungal diseases that can affect banana plants: Black Sikatoga, Yellow Sikatoga and Panama disease. These problems are more prevalent in humid, tropical zones.

According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) in its publication ‚”Banana Growing in the Florida Home Landscape,” banana borer, sugarcane weevil, and nematodes can also cause pest damage (Jonathan H. Crane et. al., 2009). However, Ingram himself has never had any pest problems in ten years of growing bananas.

More information on choosing banana varieties and caring for banana plants, including sucker management and maximizing fruit production, can be found in additional Suite articles. Tips on growing other tropical and temperate fruits are available as well.