Banana Plant Care

PLANT DESCRIPTION: Banana plants are fast-growing herbaceous perennials arising from underground rhizomes. The fleshly stalks or pseudostems (upright,trunk-like structures) formed by tightly packed concentric layers of leaf sheaths, an underground rhizome, and a fibrous root system. The entire plantis called a mat. The pseudostem constitutes the functional trunk which supports the leaves and the flower and fruit bearing stalk.

Rhizome: A rhizome is a underground stem with numberous meristems (growing points) from which the pseudostems, flowering and fruiting stalks, and fiberous roots arise.

Foliage: The large oblong leaf blades are extentions of the sheaths of the pseudostem and are joined to them by fleshly, deeply grooved, short petioles. The leaves unfurl, as the plant grows, at the rate of one per week in warm weather, and extend upward and outward becoming as much as 9 feet long and 2 feet wide. They may be entirely green, green with maroon splotches, or green on the upper side and red-purple beneath. The leaf veins run from the mid-rib straight to the outer edge of the leaf. Even when the wind sheds the leaf, the veins are still able to function. About 35 plus leaves will appear before inflorescence.

CULTURE:

Location: Banana plants require as much as can be given them, full sun unless otherwise noted.

Soil: Banana plants will grow in moist soils, but to thrive, they should be planted in a rich, well-drained soil. They prefer an acid soil with pH between 5.5 ans 6.5.

Irrigation: Water should be applied periodically to thoroughly wet the soil. Avoid standing water, as bananas do not tolerate overly wet conditions, do no let plants dry out, but do not overwater.

Fertilization: Banana plants grow very rapid, adding a new leaf every 5 to 7 days under opitmum conditions, they will actually grow right before your eyes. Apply a well balanced fertilizer (one with three numbers) once a month, a mature plant requires one to two pounds of fertilizer per clump (mother plant with offsets or suckers) spread the fertilizer evenly around the plant in a circle extending 3 to 6 feet from the trunk.