How to Grow and Care for Banana Plants

Selection of material plants (seedlings). You can find shoots (small shoots that grow from the base of a banana tree) from other banana growers or nurseries, or from online sites. The subterranean or bulbous stem of a banana plant is the part of the base where the shoots develop. The tissue culture method carried out in the laboratory will help increase fruit yield. If you are planning to transplant a mature banana tree, dig a hole in the ground that is suitable for the size of the tree and get someone to help you.

• The best shoots to plant are those that are 1.8 – 2.1 m tall and have thin sword-shaped leaves, however, you can also use smaller shoots if the parent plant is healthy. ^[12] Large, round leaves are an indication that the shoots are trying to make up for the lack of essential nutrients in the mother plant. ^[13]
• If the bud is still attached to the parent plant, use a shovel and press firmly from top to bottom to separate the bud from the parent plant. Remember to keep most of the underground stem (stalk) below ground and the roots that accompany the shoots. ^[14]
• You can cut the underground stem (onion stem) without many good shoots into small pieces. The piece containing the bud (the original bud) will grow into a new banana plant, however, this method will take more time than using the bud directly.

Prune trees. Cut away parts of the plant that are wilted, eaten by insects, rotted, or discolored. If most parts of the plant are affected, cut it down and use another plant material.

• If you are using shoots, remove all parts of the plant except for a few roots (about 3-5 cm). This will help reduce the risk of plant diseases. You can also remove any excess leaves beyond five and/or cut the top of the plant with a diagonal cut to increase sun exposure to warm the soil for root growth. and rotting prevention. ^[15]

Dig holes for each tree. Pull out any plants or weeds growing on the banana area, then dig a circular hole 30cm wide and 30cm deep. Larger holes will increase the plant’s ability to support but will require more soil.

• If you grow plants indoors, use a similarly sized or larger pot.

Use loose and fertile soil to fill the hole. However, leave a few centimeters (several inches) above the crater to aid drainage.

• Do not use potting soil or regular garden soil unless you are sure that they are suitable for growing banana trees. You can either use a soil mix commonly used to grow cacti, ^[16] or ask for soil from other growers who are also growing bananas similar to yours.
• The right soil acidity for banana growing is around pH 5.5 to 7. A pH of 7.5 or higher can cause the plant to wilt. ^[17]

Place the plant upright in the hole. Leaves should be facing up and the soil should cover the entire roots and cover the base of the plant by 1.5-2.5 cm. Press the soil down to hold the tree in place, but do not compact the soil too tightly.

Fertilize the plant every month at a location a short distance from the trunk. Look for fertilizer, compost (manure from industrial and domestic waste), animal manure, or a mixture of these at the store. Immediately after planting, fertilize around the banana plant in a circle and repeat this cycle every month.

• Seedlings need 0.1-0.2 kg of fertilizer per month, and this figure will be 0.7-0.9 kg for mature plants. The amount of fertilizer will increase gradually with the growth of the plant.
• If the temperature drops below 14ºC (57ºF) or if the bananas are slow to grow, skip fertilizing. ^[18]
• Fertilizers usually come with three indicators (NPK) which are Nitrogen, Phosphorus (Potash), and Potassium. Bananas need a large amount of potassium, but other nutrients are just as important. You can use a balanced fertilizer (three NPK values are almost equal) or use a fertilizer that improves nutrient deficiencies in the soil. ^[19]
• Do not use manure that has not been thoroughly composted as the heat they release during decomposition can be harmful to plants. ^[20]

Water the plant regularly but avoid over-watering. Lack of water is a common cause of wilting, but overwatering can cause root rot. ^[21]

• If the weather is warm and there is no rain each day, you will probably need to water every day, but only water when the top 1.5-3 cm of soil shows signs of dryness. Use your finger to check before watering.
• Reduce the amount of water each time if the stump is waterlogged for a long time. (This condition can lead to root rot.)
• At lower temperatures, when the banana plants are young, you only need to water once a week or every other week. Remember to check the soil moisture.
• Leaves help remove excess moisture, so be careful not to overwater seedlings that have not yet sprouted leaves (just moistening the soil will suffice). ^[22]
• Water the fertilizing site so that the fertilizer can penetrate into the soil.

Cover the planting area. Trim off dead leaves and banana plants to cover healthy plants. You can also mulch with garden waste and wood ash to add nutrients to the soil.

• Regularly check the mulch and remove weeds. These grasses can compete with the banana plant for nutrients.

Watch out for leaf discoloration, wilting, and pests. If a diseased tree is found, localize the tree and treat it immediately, or remove the tree. Pests and diseases need to be controlled as soon as possible. Nitrogen and potassium deficiencies are the two most common nutritional problems for banana plants, so learn how to recognize the signs of disease as early as possible.

• Signs of nitrogen (N) deficiency: small or pale leaves; reddish leaf roll; slow growing plants; small bunches of fruit. ^[23]
• Signs of a potassium (K) deficiency: leaves quickly turn orange or yellow then begin to wilt; small or broken leaves; slow flowering; small bunches of fruit. ^[24]
• Some examples of major plant diseases include: “Bacterial wilt/Green wilt; Panama wilt disease; Banana stem blight; Brown Spot/Root rot/Stalk; and Black Stripe. “
• Some examples of pests that cause major damage to crops include: “Corn weevils; Aphids; Cotton aphids.” Pests that damage fruit include: “Flower thrips; Red thrips; and Thyroid beetles.”

Pruning buds. When the banana tree is mature and has many small shoots, remove them and leave only a single bud to improve fruit production and plant health.

• Cut off most of the above ground shoots and cover the newly pruned plant with soil. If the shoots grow back, repeat this method but proceed to cut the shoots deeper.
• The layer of buds that continue to grow is called the bud layer and they will eventually replace the mother plant.
• Particularly healthy plants can nourish two layers of young shoots.

Fix the banana tree to avoid uprooting due to strong winds or the weight of the banana chamber. There are 3 simple ways to do this:

• Wire/Rope and Bottle Method : Cut off the bottom of a plastic bottle. Thread a long metal wire/strong twine through the mouth of the bottle and the bottom of the bottle. Squeeze the plastic bottle so it can be easily bent and softened. Use a plastic bottle to support the banana stem, and use a string to pull the stem a little more upright. Tie the rope to the sturdy posts.
• Method of Use One Bamboo Pile : Use a 3 m long bamboo pole or other strong, durable material. Cut a Y-shaped piece of wood 10 cm thick and 60 cm wide. Place the banana stem against the center of the “Y” and push the bamboo pole slightly upwards so that the stem is firmly inserted into the “Y”. Bury the other end of the bamboo stake (the base) deep in the soil. The soil is tight.
• Method of using Two Bamboo Piles : Use two bamboo poles 3 m long. Tie two bamboo poles together at one end using strong metal wire 30 cm long. Unfold the bamboo stake to form an “X”. Place the banana stem against the short end of the bamboo pole, push the stem up a bit to build up pressure, and bury the other end of both bamboo poles into the soil. The soil is tight.

Care for banana plants in winter. If the temperature drops too low during the winter, there are a few things you can do to take care of your banana plants: ^[25]

• Use blankets or soil to cover the trunk. If the soil does not freeze and the banana plant is still small, this method will provide adequate protection for the plant until the ambient temperature returns to a suitable level so that the plant can continue to grow.
• Preserve indoor plants. Pull the plant from the soil, remove the leaves, and store the plant in moist sand in a warm area of the house. Do not water or fertilize; The plant will go into “hibernation” until you proceed to plant it outdoors.
• Grow plants in the house. You need to prepare a large pot with drainage holes. If you don’t want your banana plant to grow too tall in a pot, you can stop or reduce fertilizing the plant.
• Preserve the shoots for future use. If ice or cold weather kills the plant, the plant’s buds and bulb may still be usable. Cut them off from dead plants and store them in a small pot for future use.

Watch for the appearance of purple flowers. Normally, under the right conditions, banana plants will flower after 6-7 months, but this process can also take a whole year depending on climatic conditions. ^[26]

• Do not prune the leaves around the banana flower because the leaves protect the flower from the sun. ^[27]
• The flowering process should not be confused with Banana Sprout. Refer to the Tips section in this article.

Wait until the petals retract and reveal the banana chamber. This process can take another 2 months or more. ^[28] Each banana bunch is called a “bundle” and each individual banana is called a “fruit”.

Once all the banana pods have formed, prune off the excess on the banana plant. The remaining flower buds and/or small bunches of bananas on the plant are the non-reproductive male flower parts of the banana plant. The banana bunch will form on its own, however, pruning the banana flower buds will encourage the banana plant to concentrate nutrients on the resulting process.

• Male flowers are called “bananas”. Some types of banana flowers are edible and are commonly used in popular Southeast Asian dishes, but not all types of banana flowers can be used.
• Use a stick to support the banana tree if the banana bunch causes the banana tree to fall down.

Use a plastic bag to cover the banana chamber. This method will help protect the banana from insects and other dangers, but you need to leave the ends of the plastic bag open to allow air and water to circulate. ^[29]

• Use soft twine to tie a nylon or plastic bag a few inches away from the first bunch of bananas.

Harvest bananas when banana flowers or banana plants are wilting. When the small flowers on the top of each banana will become dry and easy to fall, or most of the leaves of the banana tree begin to fall, this is the right time to harvest bananas.

• Make a diagonal cut in the center of the banana tree, opposite the banana chamber.
• Carefully bend the banana plant and cut the banana chamber from the tree.
• After harvesting, bananas will ripen quickly, so you should choose delicious banana chambers before proceeding to harvest so as not to waste bananas.