Banana Plants Banana Trees
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Give Your Place that
Tropical look with
beautiful live growing
Banana plants and
Banana trees with
many kinds of fruit
flavored Bananas.
Tropical look with
beautiful live growing
Banana plants and
Banana trees with
many kinds of fruit
flavored Bananas.
Check out the ‘Basjoo’ its the
world’s cold hardiest banana. It
is hardy planted in ground to -3°
F and with protective mulching
it can survive temperatures
reaching down to -20°F. Its
inflorescence is one of the
most beautiful of all bananas. It
is a great landscape plant, it
lends a tropical appearance to
any situation.
This is a great addition for
gardeners living in cold
temperate areas. 'Basjoo' also
does very well in containers
and makes a good interior plant.
world’s cold hardiest banana. It
is hardy planted in ground to -3°
F and with protective mulching
it can survive temperatures
reaching down to -20°F. Its
inflorescence is one of the
most beautiful of all bananas. It
is a great landscape plant, it
lends a tropical appearance to
any situation.
This is a great addition for
gardeners living in cold
temperate areas. 'Basjoo' also
does very well in containers
and makes a good interior plant.
Order any of 15 types of Different Fruit Flavored Banana
Plants and Banana Trees and get free banana plant
fertilizer at Our Yahoo Store.
Plants and Banana Trees and get free banana plant
fertilizer at Our Yahoo Store.
ICE CREAM (Blue Java)
Banana tree - Banana plant A
very beautiful, cool tolerant
banana plant with texture and
flavor similar to vanilla ice
cream. This banana tree has
beatuiful large leaves and
produces medium bunches of
silvery blue bananas that are
very delicious fresh or cooked.
Mature banana tree height to
12'
Banana tree - Banana plant A
very beautiful, cool tolerant
banana plant with texture and
flavor similar to vanilla ice
cream. This banana tree has
beatuiful large leaves and
produces medium bunches of
silvery blue bananas that are
very delicious fresh or cooked.
Mature banana tree height to
12'
Growing Information
Broad, long, graceful leaves and rapid growth-commonly
reaching full size in just a few weeks-make banana a favorite
plant for providing a tropical look to pool and patio areas. The
development of bananas following a frost-free winter is a source
of both pride and amazement to those unfamiliar with banana
culture.
Banana is a tropical herbaceous plant consisting of an
underground corm and a trunk (pseudostem) comprised of
concentric layers of leaf sheaths. At 10 to 15 months after the
emergence of a new plant, its true stem rapidly grows up
through the center and emerges as a terminal inflorescence
which bears fruit.
The flowers appear in groups (hands) along the stem and are
covered by purplish bracts which roll back and shed as the fruit
stem develops. The first hands to appear contain female flowers
which will develop into bananas (usually seedless in edible
types). The number of hands of female flowers varies from a few
to more than 10, after which numerous hands of sterile flowers
appear and shed in succession, followed by numerous hands of
male flowers which also shed. Generally, a bract rolls up and
sheds to expose a new hand of flowers almost daily.
Climate
Banana is a tropical plant which grows best under warm
conditions. Frost will kill the leaves; temperatures in the high 20s
can kill the plant to the ground. The plant will regrow from below
ground buds. In colder areas where banana is used mostly as an
ornamental, new plants are obtained and planted each spring.
Soil and Site Selection
Banana grows in a wide variety of soils, as long as the soil is
deep and has good internal and surface drainage. The effect of
poorly drained soils can be partly overcome by planting in raised
beds, as the plant does not tolerate poor drainage or flooding.
The planting site should be chosen for protection from wind and
cold weather, if possible. The warmest location in the home
landscape is near the south or southeast side of the house.
Varieties
There are numerous named varieties and several unnamed
types. For purely ornamental use, both unnamed seedy types
and named varieties will suffice. Most are tall-growing and have
green leaves, but 'Dwarf Cavendish' only reaches about 6 feet in
height, and there is a mottled or splotchy red-leafed ornamental
which can sometimes be located in the nursery trade.
From the standpoint of fruit production, 'Dwarf Orinoco' or 'Horse'
banana has a coarse-looking fruit about 6 inches long by 2 inches
in diameter that is primarily used in cooking. 'Dwarf Cavendish'
is a short, compact variety that produces fruit typical of those in
the supermarket. Because of its size, wind damage is less
severe.
'Lady Finger' is a standard-size plant which bears thin-skinned
fruit about 1 inch in diameter and 4 inches in length. Its flavor is
superior to supermarket bananas.
'Apple' or 'Manzana' is very similar to 'Lady Finger' in all respects
except that its fruit imparts an aftertaste very much like the taste
of a fresh apple.
Plantains are cooking bananas. Other varieties which may be
found in the nursery trade include 'Cavendish', 'Ice Cream' and
others.
Propagation and Planting
Suckers are used for propagation, being taken when they have a
stem diameter of 2 to 6 inches. The leaves are commonly cut off
in nursery trade, but decapitation at 2 to 3 feet is satisfactory.
The sucker should be dug carefully, using a sharpshooter or
spade to cut the underground base of the sucker from the side of
its mother rhizome. Large suckers can be decapitated at ground
level and halved or quartered (vertically) to increase planting
material.
Nurserymen transplant from the field into containers for retail
use, so planting these bananas is much the same as planting any
container-grown plant. Sucker transplanting should be at the
same depth as the sucker was growing originally.
For ornamental purposes, bananas may be planted as close as 2
to 3 feet apart, but those planted for fruit production should be
spaced about 8 to 10 feet apart.
Culture
Weed and grass competition should be eliminated prior to
planting. Mulching is useful to prevent weed regrowth, but turf
grass may need to be controlled by hoeing or with herbicides.
Irrigation should be applied periodically to thoroughly wet the
soil. Avoid standing water, as bananas do not tolerate overly wet
conditions.
Fertilization requirements For new plants, one quarter cup
of ammonium sulfate (21-0-0), watered in, after the plant
commences regrowth should be applied monthly for the first
three to four months. The rate can be increased over time to two
cups per month when fruiting begins.
Established plantings of several plants together should receive
about two cups of ammonium sulfate every couple of months
throughout the year.
Cold protection of the top is possible by use of coverings and
heat sources, but such is not often practical. However, in colder
locations, soil can be banked around the trunk just before a
projected cold spell to better protect the underground buds,
which will allow the plant to regenerate in the coming spring.
Unprotected but well-established bananas with some
exceptions, regenerated after the last twp freezes.
Some people dig the entire plant,
rhizome and all, remove the leaves and store the plant, dry, in a
heated area over winter. To assure survival, it is easier to dig
small suckers, severed very close to the parent rhizome, and pot
them for overwintering indoors.
Pruning is normally practiced only to provide suckers for
propagation, as most banana plantings are allowed to grow freely
in mats of several plants of varying age and size. For fruit
production, some pruning would be desirable to limit the number
of plants per mat to 5 or 6. Suckers can be quickly dispatched
with a sharpshooter or machete when they are only a few inches
tall; however, the sucker must be severed from its mother plant
underground. Brown leaves are trimmed when seen.
After fruiting, the mother plant which bore should be cut off near
ground level, as it can never produce again. The old trunk will
quickly decompose if cut into three or four pieces, with each
piece then being split lengthwise. Use the remains in a mulch
bed or compost heap.
After a major cold period in which there is no doubt that bananas
were killed to the ground, cut the plants off at ground level within
a couple of weeks of the freeze. Dead bananas are not very
attractive and they are much easier to cut off before
decomposition starts.
Tattered older leaves can be removed after they break and hang
down along the trunk.
Production, Maturity and Use
Most bananas will produce the flower bud within 10 to 15 months
of emergence as a new sucker, depending mostly on variety and
extent of cool/cold weather. Most production north of the lower
Rio Grande Valley occurs in the spring and summer following a
particularly mild winter.
The reddish purple bracts of the flower roll back and split to
expose a hand of bananas, usually at the rate of one per day.
After all hands with viable fruit are exposed, the bracts continue
to roll back and split for several weeks, leaving a bare stem
between the fruit and the bud. There is no advantage to leaving
the bud longer then necessary; it may be broken off a few inches
below the last viable hand of fruit.
Well-tended bananas in commerce produce fruit stems
approaching 100 pounds, but such yields are rare under Texas
conditions. The more delicately flavored, small-fruited varieties
may attain stem weights of 35 to 40 pounds. Most producers
readily accept production of stems having only two or three
hands, although six to eight hands per stem is common for
well-tended plants.
Bananas do not always attain best eating quality on the tree. The
entire stem (bunch) should be cut off when the individual
bananas are plump (full) and rounded. Although green in color,
the fruit is mature and will ripen to good eating quality. The stem
of fruit should be hung in a cool, shaded place to ripen. Ripening
will proceed naturally in a few days (if properly harvested), but
can be hastened by enclosing the bunch in a plastic bag with a
sliced apple for about a day. Once ripening starts on the oldest
hand, the entire bunch will ripen within a couple of days.
Ripe bananas are consumed fresh out-offhand, in salads,
compotes, ice-cream dishes and pudding. Overripe fruit can be
pureed in the blender for use in ice cream and baking. Both
dessert and cooking bananas may be fried or baked, but the
cooking bananas are generally more starchy until nearly spoiled
ripe, and their fresh flavor is not so good. Green (mature but not
ripe) bananas and plantains can also be sliced thinly and fried for
a starchy treat.
Current Facts
Popular Asian cuisine has introduced an increased variety of
edible banana products to the marketplace. The banana heart,
the tender core of the trunk, is a delicious addition to dishes
when peeled and sliced, but does require a saltwater soak for a
few hours before use. A note of caution, however, as the sap
from the banana trunk seriously stains clothes and hands and
resists removal. Gloves and coveralls are recommended when
cutting into the trunk. The banana shoot is also an edible morsel.
Sprouting near the base of the plant and treated much like white
asparagus, thick long white spikes result when allowed to grow
without sunlight. However, the sprouts are covered with a pot,
not dirt. Indonesia cuisine roasts banana shoots in hot ashes.
Exotic banana leaves, although inedible, make ideal wraps for
boiled, grilled, steamed or baked foods. Festive banana leaves
deliciously give a delicate flavor to foods.
Description/Taste
The beautiful and stately banana "tree" grows about one
hundred pounds of bananas. Bananas are cut and left in large
clusters just as they grew. Cut while still green and unripe, the
flesh of the banana is very dense and starchy. As the banana
ripens, the flesh becomes somewhat sticky and deliciously
sweet. A very popular fruit, a ripe banana offers a satisfying
soothing flavor and a wonderful creamy texture.
Applications
The banana tree, rather banana plant, adds a festive touch and
dresses up a tropical party or a special occasion. The fruit of the
banana plant is easy to peel and is delicious simply eaten out of
hand. Not only superb fresh, bananas can be broiled, fried,
baked, sautéed, grilled or pureed. Slices make an attractive
edible garnish. Overripe bananas make yummy cakes, muffins,
cookies and quick breads. Make luscious pies, desserts, sauces,
custards, puddings and curries. To delay ripening, bananas may
be refrigerated. The flesh will stay firm but the skin will darken.
To speed ripening, place in paper bag; keep at room
temperature. Conveniently packaged, the banana comes in its
very own biodegradable container.
Broad, long, graceful leaves and rapid growth-commonly
reaching full size in just a few weeks-make banana a favorite
plant for providing a tropical look to pool and patio areas. The
development of bananas following a frost-free winter is a source
of both pride and amazement to those unfamiliar with banana
culture.
Banana is a tropical herbaceous plant consisting of an
underground corm and a trunk (pseudostem) comprised of
concentric layers of leaf sheaths. At 10 to 15 months after the
emergence of a new plant, its true stem rapidly grows up
through the center and emerges as a terminal inflorescence
which bears fruit.
The flowers appear in groups (hands) along the stem and are
covered by purplish bracts which roll back and shed as the fruit
stem develops. The first hands to appear contain female flowers
which will develop into bananas (usually seedless in edible
types). The number of hands of female flowers varies from a few
to more than 10, after which numerous hands of sterile flowers
appear and shed in succession, followed by numerous hands of
male flowers which also shed. Generally, a bract rolls up and
sheds to expose a new hand of flowers almost daily.
Climate
Banana is a tropical plant which grows best under warm
conditions. Frost will kill the leaves; temperatures in the high 20s
can kill the plant to the ground. The plant will regrow from below
ground buds. In colder areas where banana is used mostly as an
ornamental, new plants are obtained and planted each spring.
Soil and Site Selection
Banana grows in a wide variety of soils, as long as the soil is
deep and has good internal and surface drainage. The effect of
poorly drained soils can be partly overcome by planting in raised
beds, as the plant does not tolerate poor drainage or flooding.
The planting site should be chosen for protection from wind and
cold weather, if possible. The warmest location in the home
landscape is near the south or southeast side of the house.
Varieties
There are numerous named varieties and several unnamed
types. For purely ornamental use, both unnamed seedy types
and named varieties will suffice. Most are tall-growing and have
green leaves, but 'Dwarf Cavendish' only reaches about 6 feet in
height, and there is a mottled or splotchy red-leafed ornamental
which can sometimes be located in the nursery trade.
From the standpoint of fruit production, 'Dwarf Orinoco' or 'Horse'
banana has a coarse-looking fruit about 6 inches long by 2 inches
in diameter that is primarily used in cooking. 'Dwarf Cavendish'
is a short, compact variety that produces fruit typical of those in
the supermarket. Because of its size, wind damage is less
severe.
'Lady Finger' is a standard-size plant which bears thin-skinned
fruit about 1 inch in diameter and 4 inches in length. Its flavor is
superior to supermarket bananas.
'Apple' or 'Manzana' is very similar to 'Lady Finger' in all respects
except that its fruit imparts an aftertaste very much like the taste
of a fresh apple.
Plantains are cooking bananas. Other varieties which may be
found in the nursery trade include 'Cavendish', 'Ice Cream' and
others.
Propagation and Planting
Suckers are used for propagation, being taken when they have a
stem diameter of 2 to 6 inches. The leaves are commonly cut off
in nursery trade, but decapitation at 2 to 3 feet is satisfactory.
The sucker should be dug carefully, using a sharpshooter or
spade to cut the underground base of the sucker from the side of
its mother rhizome. Large suckers can be decapitated at ground
level and halved or quartered (vertically) to increase planting
material.
Nurserymen transplant from the field into containers for retail
use, so planting these bananas is much the same as planting any
container-grown plant. Sucker transplanting should be at the
same depth as the sucker was growing originally.
For ornamental purposes, bananas may be planted as close as 2
to 3 feet apart, but those planted for fruit production should be
spaced about 8 to 10 feet apart.
Culture
Weed and grass competition should be eliminated prior to
planting. Mulching is useful to prevent weed regrowth, but turf
grass may need to be controlled by hoeing or with herbicides.
Irrigation should be applied periodically to thoroughly wet the
soil. Avoid standing water, as bananas do not tolerate overly wet
conditions.
Fertilization requirements For new plants, one quarter cup
of ammonium sulfate (21-0-0), watered in, after the plant
commences regrowth should be applied monthly for the first
three to four months. The rate can be increased over time to two
cups per month when fruiting begins.
Established plantings of several plants together should receive
about two cups of ammonium sulfate every couple of months
throughout the year.
Cold protection of the top is possible by use of coverings and
heat sources, but such is not often practical. However, in colder
locations, soil can be banked around the trunk just before a
projected cold spell to better protect the underground buds,
which will allow the plant to regenerate in the coming spring.
Unprotected but well-established bananas with some
exceptions, regenerated after the last twp freezes.
Some people dig the entire plant,
rhizome and all, remove the leaves and store the plant, dry, in a
heated area over winter. To assure survival, it is easier to dig
small suckers, severed very close to the parent rhizome, and pot
them for overwintering indoors.
Pruning is normally practiced only to provide suckers for
propagation, as most banana plantings are allowed to grow freely
in mats of several plants of varying age and size. For fruit
production, some pruning would be desirable to limit the number
of plants per mat to 5 or 6. Suckers can be quickly dispatched
with a sharpshooter or machete when they are only a few inches
tall; however, the sucker must be severed from its mother plant
underground. Brown leaves are trimmed when seen.
After fruiting, the mother plant which bore should be cut off near
ground level, as it can never produce again. The old trunk will
quickly decompose if cut into three or four pieces, with each
piece then being split lengthwise. Use the remains in a mulch
bed or compost heap.
After a major cold period in which there is no doubt that bananas
were killed to the ground, cut the plants off at ground level within
a couple of weeks of the freeze. Dead bananas are not very
attractive and they are much easier to cut off before
decomposition starts.
Tattered older leaves can be removed after they break and hang
down along the trunk.
Production, Maturity and Use
Most bananas will produce the flower bud within 10 to 15 months
of emergence as a new sucker, depending mostly on variety and
extent of cool/cold weather. Most production north of the lower
Rio Grande Valley occurs in the spring and summer following a
particularly mild winter.
The reddish purple bracts of the flower roll back and split to
expose a hand of bananas, usually at the rate of one per day.
After all hands with viable fruit are exposed, the bracts continue
to roll back and split for several weeks, leaving a bare stem
between the fruit and the bud. There is no advantage to leaving
the bud longer then necessary; it may be broken off a few inches
below the last viable hand of fruit.
Well-tended bananas in commerce produce fruit stems
approaching 100 pounds, but such yields are rare under Texas
conditions. The more delicately flavored, small-fruited varieties
may attain stem weights of 35 to 40 pounds. Most producers
readily accept production of stems having only two or three
hands, although six to eight hands per stem is common for
well-tended plants.
Bananas do not always attain best eating quality on the tree. The
entire stem (bunch) should be cut off when the individual
bananas are plump (full) and rounded. Although green in color,
the fruit is mature and will ripen to good eating quality. The stem
of fruit should be hung in a cool, shaded place to ripen. Ripening
will proceed naturally in a few days (if properly harvested), but
can be hastened by enclosing the bunch in a plastic bag with a
sliced apple for about a day. Once ripening starts on the oldest
hand, the entire bunch will ripen within a couple of days.
Ripe bananas are consumed fresh out-offhand, in salads,
compotes, ice-cream dishes and pudding. Overripe fruit can be
pureed in the blender for use in ice cream and baking. Both
dessert and cooking bananas may be fried or baked, but the
cooking bananas are generally more starchy until nearly spoiled
ripe, and their fresh flavor is not so good. Green (mature but not
ripe) bananas and plantains can also be sliced thinly and fried for
a starchy treat.
Current Facts
Popular Asian cuisine has introduced an increased variety of
edible banana products to the marketplace. The banana heart,
the tender core of the trunk, is a delicious addition to dishes
when peeled and sliced, but does require a saltwater soak for a
few hours before use. A note of caution, however, as the sap
from the banana trunk seriously stains clothes and hands and
resists removal. Gloves and coveralls are recommended when
cutting into the trunk. The banana shoot is also an edible morsel.
Sprouting near the base of the plant and treated much like white
asparagus, thick long white spikes result when allowed to grow
without sunlight. However, the sprouts are covered with a pot,
not dirt. Indonesia cuisine roasts banana shoots in hot ashes.
Exotic banana leaves, although inedible, make ideal wraps for
boiled, grilled, steamed or baked foods. Festive banana leaves
deliciously give a delicate flavor to foods.
Description/Taste
The beautiful and stately banana "tree" grows about one
hundred pounds of bananas. Bananas are cut and left in large
clusters just as they grew. Cut while still green and unripe, the
flesh of the banana is very dense and starchy. As the banana
ripens, the flesh becomes somewhat sticky and deliciously
sweet. A very popular fruit, a ripe banana offers a satisfying
soothing flavor and a wonderful creamy texture.
Applications
The banana tree, rather banana plant, adds a festive touch and
dresses up a tropical party or a special occasion. The fruit of the
banana plant is easy to peel and is delicious simply eaten out of
hand. Not only superb fresh, bananas can be broiled, fried,
baked, sautéed, grilled or pureed. Slices make an attractive
edible garnish. Overripe bananas make yummy cakes, muffins,
cookies and quick breads. Make luscious pies, desserts, sauces,
custards, puddings and curries. To delay ripening, bananas may
be refrigerated. The flesh will stay firm but the skin will darken.
To speed ripening, place in paper bag; keep at room
temperature. Conveniently packaged, the banana comes in its
very own biodegradable container.
Order Banana Plants and Banana Trees with free
fertilizer, for limited time, at our secure Yahoo store.
fertilizer, for limited time, at our secure Yahoo store.
The Banana
Jonathan H. Crane and Carlos F. Balerdi
Scientific name: Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana
Common names for banana: English - banana, plantain; Spanish - banano, platano,
guineo, cambur
Common names for plantain : English - plantain, horse banana; Spanish - platano
Family: Musaceae
Relatives of banana within the Order Zingiberales : Numerous ornamental plants
including traveler's tree, bird-of-paradise, heliconia, and ginger.
Introduction
Bananas are vigorously growing, monocotyledonous herbaceous plants. There are
two species of banana, Musa acuminata and M. balbisiana , and most banana
cultivars are hybrids of these species. Banana cultivars vary greatly in plant and
fruit size, plant morphology, fruit quality, and disease and insect resistance. Most
bananas have a sweet flavor when ripe; exceptions to this are cooking bananas
and plantains.
Plantains are hybrid bananas in which the male flowering axis is either
degenerated, lacking, or possesses relicts of male flowers. Plantains are always
cooked before consumption and are higher in starch than bananas. The two
groups of plantains, French and Horn, produce fewer fruit per plant than sweet
bananas. The groups differ in whether the male parts of the inflorescence are
persistent or absent.
History and Distribution
The banana and plantain are native to southeast Asia, where they have been
cultivated for thousands of years. Bananas are believed to have been introduced
to Africa in prehistoric times. Recent evidence suggests bananas were introduced
into the New World (Ecuador) by southeast Asians around 200 B.C., and more
recently by Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the early 16th century. The
Portuguese introduced bananas into the Canary Islands and the Spanish to the
Island of Hispaniola during the 1500s.
Susceptibility to frost keeps the banana from spreading beyond the tropics and
the warm subtropics. However, bananas are grown commercially in a number of
subtropical areas such as Australia, Morocco, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, the
Canary Islands, and south Florida. In some areas, bananas are grown inside plastic
or glass covered structures.
Plantains are an important food source in parts of Africa, southern India, and
throughout tropical America. This is because of the ease and stability of
production and the highly nutritious nature of the fruit.
Bananas have been grown in scattered locations throughout Florida since their
introduction during the 16th century. Limited commercial production has occurred
since the late 1800s. Florida is considered a climatically marginal area for
commercial banana production due to our subtropical climate and occasional
freezes. However, small scale commercial production does occur in southern
Florida and producers supply local and regional markets.
Uses
Bananas are eaten fresh and used in salads, desserts, breads, and candy. Bananas
are a good source of ascorbic acid (Vit. C), Vitamin B 6 , and potassium. Plantains
are cooked before use and may be baked, fried, or grilled. Plantains have similar
nutritive value as fresh eating bananas plus Vitamin A, and are an excellent
source of carbohydrate (starch).
Plant Description
Whole plant : The banana is a fast-growing plant consisting of one or more
pseudostems (upright, trunk-like structures) formed by tightly packed concentric
layers of leaf sheaths, an underground rhizome, and a fibrous root system. The
entire plant is called a mat. The pseudostem constitutes the functional trunk which
supports the leaves and the flower and fruit bearing stalk.
Rhizome : A rhizome is an underground stem with numerous meristems (growing
points) from which the pseudostems, flowering and fruiting stalks, and fibrous
roots arise.
Sheath and leaves : The banana leaf consists of a long, tube-like structure called a
sheath, a stout petiole (leaf stalk), and a lamina or leaf blade. The tight packing of
numerous sheaths form the pseudostem. One pseudostem may have over 40
leaves during its lifetime.
Roots : Numerous (200-500) fibrous roots arise from the rhizome. In well drained,
deep, fertile soils, roots may extend 5 ft (1.5 m) deep and 16 ft (4.9 m) laterally.
Flowers and fruit : The banana inflorescence (flowering stalk) emerges from the
center of the pseudostem 10 to 15 months after planting; by this time 26 to 32
leaves have been produced. The process of banana flowering is called shooting.
The flowers appear spirally along the axis of the inflorescence in groups of 10 to
20, covered by purplish-to-greenish fleshy bracts which shed as flowering
development progresses. The first flowers to emerge are functionally female. In
the edible cultivars, the rapidly growing ovaries develop parthenocarpically
(without pollination) into clusters of fruits, called "hands." Although most banana
cultivars produce seedless fruit, some are fertile and can set seed. The last
flowers to emerge are functionally male. In plantains, the male part of the
inflorescence and/or male flowers may be absent or greatly reduced. The time
from shooting to fruit harvest depends upon temperature, cultivar, soil moisture,
and cultural practices and ranges from 80 to 180 days.
Drought and flooding: Temperature and
soil moisture are the most important factors in banana production. Lack of water at
anytime may cause a reduction in fruit number and size and ultimate crop yield.
Banana cultivars with Musa balbisiana genes tend to be more drought tolerant
than cultivars of Musa acuminata . Symptoms of drought stress include folding of
the leaves, pale green to yellow leaf color development, and premature leaf death.
Severe drought stress may cause choking and pseudostem collapse.
Banana plants are not flood tolerant. In general, plants may survive 24 to 48 hours
of flooding caused by moving water. Stagnant water kills plants quickly. Bananas
should not be planted in flood-prone areas. In areas where the water table is high
and/or frequent soil saturation or very brief flooding occurs, planting on beds is
recommended. Symptoms of continuously wet but not flooded soil conditions
include plant stunting, leaf yellowing, and reduced yields.
Shade: Banana plants are reported to be moderately shade tolerant (up to 50%).
However, shading delays plant and fruit growth and development. In more
subtropical areas like Florida, full or near-full sun is recommended for best
production. Excessively shaded plants are stunted and produce small, poor
quality fruit.
Altitude: Depending upon the local climate, bananas may be grown from sea level
to 6,562 ft (2,000 m).
Soils
Bananas do best on flat (slope 0-1%), well drained, deep soils high in organic
matter with a pH of 5.5-7.0. However, many cultivars perform satisfactorily on the
sandy, loamy, muck, and calcareous marl and rocky soils found in south Florida.
The most important factor is soil drainage. In those areas susceptible to wet or
flooded soil conditions, sufficiently high beds should be constructed and proper
engineering (sloping) of the land for water drainage should be done. The beds will
place most of the root system above the saturated soil layer and proper sloping of
the ditches between beds should allow for drainage of excessive water off the
land.
Propagation
The most common propagation material is suckers, or pieces of the rhizome.
There are 3 types of suckers: maidenhead, a large non-fruiting pseudostem (plus
roots and some rhizome); sword sucker, a sucker attached to the original (mother)
rhizome with narrow sword-like leaves, and; a water sucker, a sucker next to but
only superficially attached to the mother rhizome with broad leaves. Water
suckers produce inferior fruit and are therefore not recommended. Large sword
suckers and maidenheads are the preferred planting material. Sword suckers
should be removed from vigorous clumps with a spade when they are 4-5 ft
(1.2-1.5m) tall. The largest leaves are cut off, leaving only the youngest or none at
all. Suckers should have many healthy roots, without symptoms, such as
nodulations and internal lesions, of nematode or borer damage. The pseudostems
of maidenhead suckers are cut down to 8 inches (20 cm) high and the remaining
rhizome is cut into "seed" pieces for planting. In the event that healthy
propagating material is not available, the sucker is cut off and its rhizome is pared
of all damaged roots and dark tissue, or is cut into pieces containing only white,
healthy tissue and a few buds. If nematodes are a problem in the area, it is
strongly recommended that nematode-free or hot water treated (described under
nematodes) propagating material be used.
Bananas have recently begun to be commercially propagated from meristems by
tissue culture. The advantage of this system is that plants are uniform and free of
nematodes and most diseases. The disadvantage is the time it takes for small
plants to be grown to a sufficient size for field planting and their lack of availability.
Another tissue culture technique which uses somatic embryos has not been
entirely successful because of the production of off-type plants.
Planting holes should be large (3 ft wide by 2 ft deep; 0.9 m x 0.6 m) if possible.
Addition and mixing with the native soil of completely composted organic matter
or a sand-peat moss mixture may be desirable. Plants should be watered-in
thoroughly, and a heavy layer of mulch placed around the suckers immediately
after planting will assist in keeping the soil moist and will suppress weeds.
Jonathan H. Crane and Carlos F. Balerdi
Scientific name: Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana
Common names for banana: English - banana, plantain; Spanish - banano, platano,
guineo, cambur
Common names for plantain : English - plantain, horse banana; Spanish - platano
Family: Musaceae
Relatives of banana within the Order Zingiberales : Numerous ornamental plants
including traveler's tree, bird-of-paradise, heliconia, and ginger.
Introduction
Bananas are vigorously growing, monocotyledonous herbaceous plants. There are
two species of banana, Musa acuminata and M. balbisiana , and most banana
cultivars are hybrids of these species. Banana cultivars vary greatly in plant and
fruit size, plant morphology, fruit quality, and disease and insect resistance. Most
bananas have a sweet flavor when ripe; exceptions to this are cooking bananas
and plantains.
Plantains are hybrid bananas in which the male flowering axis is either
degenerated, lacking, or possesses relicts of male flowers. Plantains are always
cooked before consumption and are higher in starch than bananas. The two
groups of plantains, French and Horn, produce fewer fruit per plant than sweet
bananas. The groups differ in whether the male parts of the inflorescence are
persistent or absent.
History and Distribution
The banana and plantain are native to southeast Asia, where they have been
cultivated for thousands of years. Bananas are believed to have been introduced
to Africa in prehistoric times. Recent evidence suggests bananas were introduced
into the New World (Ecuador) by southeast Asians around 200 B.C., and more
recently by Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the early 16th century. The
Portuguese introduced bananas into the Canary Islands and the Spanish to the
Island of Hispaniola during the 1500s.
Susceptibility to frost keeps the banana from spreading beyond the tropics and
the warm subtropics. However, bananas are grown commercially in a number of
subtropical areas such as Australia, Morocco, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, the
Canary Islands, and south Florida. In some areas, bananas are grown inside plastic
or glass covered structures.
Plantains are an important food source in parts of Africa, southern India, and
throughout tropical America. This is because of the ease and stability of
production and the highly nutritious nature of the fruit.
Bananas have been grown in scattered locations throughout Florida since their
introduction during the 16th century. Limited commercial production has occurred
since the late 1800s. Florida is considered a climatically marginal area for
commercial banana production due to our subtropical climate and occasional
freezes. However, small scale commercial production does occur in southern
Florida and producers supply local and regional markets.
Uses
Bananas are eaten fresh and used in salads, desserts, breads, and candy. Bananas
are a good source of ascorbic acid (Vit. C), Vitamin B 6 , and potassium. Plantains
are cooked before use and may be baked, fried, or grilled. Plantains have similar
nutritive value as fresh eating bananas plus Vitamin A, and are an excellent
source of carbohydrate (starch).
Plant Description
Whole plant : The banana is a fast-growing plant consisting of one or more
pseudostems (upright, trunk-like structures) formed by tightly packed concentric
layers of leaf sheaths, an underground rhizome, and a fibrous root system. The
entire plant is called a mat. The pseudostem constitutes the functional trunk which
supports the leaves and the flower and fruit bearing stalk.
Rhizome : A rhizome is an underground stem with numerous meristems (growing
points) from which the pseudostems, flowering and fruiting stalks, and fibrous
roots arise.
Sheath and leaves : The banana leaf consists of a long, tube-like structure called a
sheath, a stout petiole (leaf stalk), and a lamina or leaf blade. The tight packing of
numerous sheaths form the pseudostem. One pseudostem may have over 40
leaves during its lifetime.
Roots : Numerous (200-500) fibrous roots arise from the rhizome. In well drained,
deep, fertile soils, roots may extend 5 ft (1.5 m) deep and 16 ft (4.9 m) laterally.
Flowers and fruit : The banana inflorescence (flowering stalk) emerges from the
center of the pseudostem 10 to 15 months after planting; by this time 26 to 32
leaves have been produced. The process of banana flowering is called shooting.
The flowers appear spirally along the axis of the inflorescence in groups of 10 to
20, covered by purplish-to-greenish fleshy bracts which shed as flowering
development progresses. The first flowers to emerge are functionally female. In
the edible cultivars, the rapidly growing ovaries develop parthenocarpically
(without pollination) into clusters of fruits, called "hands." Although most banana
cultivars produce seedless fruit, some are fertile and can set seed. The last
flowers to emerge are functionally male. In plantains, the male part of the
inflorescence and/or male flowers may be absent or greatly reduced. The time
from shooting to fruit harvest depends upon temperature, cultivar, soil moisture,
and cultural practices and ranges from 80 to 180 days.
Drought and flooding: Temperature and
soil moisture are the most important factors in banana production. Lack of water at
anytime may cause a reduction in fruit number and size and ultimate crop yield.
Banana cultivars with Musa balbisiana genes tend to be more drought tolerant
than cultivars of Musa acuminata . Symptoms of drought stress include folding of
the leaves, pale green to yellow leaf color development, and premature leaf death.
Severe drought stress may cause choking and pseudostem collapse.
Banana plants are not flood tolerant. In general, plants may survive 24 to 48 hours
of flooding caused by moving water. Stagnant water kills plants quickly. Bananas
should not be planted in flood-prone areas. In areas where the water table is high
and/or frequent soil saturation or very brief flooding occurs, planting on beds is
recommended. Symptoms of continuously wet but not flooded soil conditions
include plant stunting, leaf yellowing, and reduced yields.
Shade: Banana plants are reported to be moderately shade tolerant (up to 50%).
However, shading delays plant and fruit growth and development. In more
subtropical areas like Florida, full or near-full sun is recommended for best
production. Excessively shaded plants are stunted and produce small, poor
quality fruit.
Altitude: Depending upon the local climate, bananas may be grown from sea level
to 6,562 ft (2,000 m).
Soils
Bananas do best on flat (slope 0-1%), well drained, deep soils high in organic
matter with a pH of 5.5-7.0. However, many cultivars perform satisfactorily on the
sandy, loamy, muck, and calcareous marl and rocky soils found in south Florida.
The most important factor is soil drainage. In those areas susceptible to wet or
flooded soil conditions, sufficiently high beds should be constructed and proper
engineering (sloping) of the land for water drainage should be done. The beds will
place most of the root system above the saturated soil layer and proper sloping of
the ditches between beds should allow for drainage of excessive water off the
land.
Propagation
The most common propagation material is suckers, or pieces of the rhizome.
There are 3 types of suckers: maidenhead, a large non-fruiting pseudostem (plus
roots and some rhizome); sword sucker, a sucker attached to the original (mother)
rhizome with narrow sword-like leaves, and; a water sucker, a sucker next to but
only superficially attached to the mother rhizome with broad leaves. Water
suckers produce inferior fruit and are therefore not recommended. Large sword
suckers and maidenheads are the preferred planting material. Sword suckers
should be removed from vigorous clumps with a spade when they are 4-5 ft
(1.2-1.5m) tall. The largest leaves are cut off, leaving only the youngest or none at
all. Suckers should have many healthy roots, without symptoms, such as
nodulations and internal lesions, of nematode or borer damage. The pseudostems
of maidenhead suckers are cut down to 8 inches (20 cm) high and the remaining
rhizome is cut into "seed" pieces for planting. In the event that healthy
propagating material is not available, the sucker is cut off and its rhizome is pared
of all damaged roots and dark tissue, or is cut into pieces containing only white,
healthy tissue and a few buds. If nematodes are a problem in the area, it is
strongly recommended that nematode-free or hot water treated (described under
nematodes) propagating material be used.
Bananas have recently begun to be commercially propagated from meristems by
tissue culture. The advantage of this system is that plants are uniform and free of
nematodes and most diseases. The disadvantage is the time it takes for small
plants to be grown to a sufficient size for field planting and their lack of availability.
Another tissue culture technique which uses somatic embryos has not been
entirely successful because of the production of off-type plants.
Planting holes should be large (3 ft wide by 2 ft deep; 0.9 m x 0.6 m) if possible.
Addition and mixing with the native soil of completely composted organic matter
or a sand-peat moss mixture may be desirable. Plants should be watered-in
thoroughly, and a heavy layer of mulch placed around the suckers immediately
after planting will assist in keeping the soil moist and will suppress weeds.
Banana Plants Banana Trees Greenearth Inc. 321 - 242 - 8815 Melbourne, Florida
