If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Introduction To Growing Bananas 2:24 Banana Growing Tip #1 4:48 Banana Growing Tip #2 6:45 Banana Growing Tip #3 8:06 Banana Growing Tip #4 10:03 How To Fertilize Banana Plants 11:46 The Banana Varieties I'm Growing 13:47 Adventures With Dale
Oh my god I've been trying to grow banana plants and I had three growing two died and one is surviving with a pup. I have watched a zillion videos and resilient articles and your short video here was the most helpful yet thank you so much
Thank you! I'm really glad to hear that. If you're growing bananas in a cold climate, the key to overwintering the corm is to mulch is VERY WELL. Chop up the leaves and pseudostems after the first few light freezes kill them back and cover the corm to insulate it. Add more chopped leaves and grass to insulate if you need to. However, once spring rolls around, you then need to rake back the mulch. Otherwise, the soil won't heat up quickly enough, and the bananas could stall or fail. The mulch can work against you if you forget to remove it.
@@TheMillennialGardener I don't live in a cold climate matter of fact it's too hot and too dry. I live just outside of Phoenix Arizona and this July the sun was extremely scorching we're having a lot of monsoons right now but June and July was scorching. But it's good to know I can grow bananas in a colder climate because my plan is to move to Oregon in a couple of years
@@JoeandAngie I was deciding whether to ignore your comment or say something. But I think that's a very negative thing to say. I don't put any labels on anything or anyone and moving there I'm moving to be with family. Love of family never goes to s*** as you put it
@@charlessingletaryiii331 anything goes. I live in northern Arizona 7a Climate. I use old leaves and grass clippings. I just cut them back and cover them with burlap. Keeps them nice and insulated.
Here in South Florida I can grow 30 foot tall banana plants. They often have so many bananas I have to use the Bobcat to get the bunch down without dropping it. I compost my plants using a lawnmower. All my yard trimmings get dumped on the bananas and shredded after sitting a few days. I have collected urine in a pitcher and dump it out when it is full on the bananas. Have plenty of ducks that deposit their waste everywhere. One tip you may like is that magnesium sulfate (epsom salts) is important when starting your cluster. I did dump the ash and char left over from my woodgas truck for years. I grow orinioco, namwa, cavendish grand nain, gros michel, saba and plantain. had dwarf cavendish but after decades of having it the plants died. I am amazed you can get bananas in a time cycle of less than a year.
The bananas here have to be overwintered. If they die back, they won't have enough time to fruit. Building a cage around them and stuffing them full of straw usually saves a few pseudostems from the previous year, and I'll usually get a couple that will flower during the season.
Something to consider, is pruning leaves to promote faster vertical growth. Then chop those leaves and spread them around the trunks to help feed your trees.
I watched your video last year, protected and saved my banana plant in Switzerland. Now during the spring they are growing back. I will follow your tips for some fruits this year :). Thanks a lot.
Your banana tree are just outstanding, great job. Reminds me of those I had growing in my dad's house in Puerto Rico. I know they love composte. They grew best in hummus reach soil in PR.
Leave 4 leaves on plant. If you have 5, 6, 8 , 10 cut back to just 4. Thickens false stem and gets it growing. I'm in Norfolk. Have the "real" blue java. Have a rack that began August 9th. Takes the fruit time to mature. 115-150 days. Crossing my fingers. 1st frost usually 3rd week of November. But it's supposed to be a mild winter so. 🤞
Also a great banana tree fertilizer is dead fish. Throw fishing scraps into the hole before you plant them. No smell. If you have an aquarium, the detritus from gravel cleaning is very effective.
The day I have to wrap the bananas for winter is a bit of an ordeal, but aside from that one day a year, they're really easy to grow. They're one of the only things that are invincible here. Extreme humidity and rainfall don't bother them. Hurricanes bounce off them. They have no pests or diseases. They're just a delight.
I live in Iowa zone 5b,i grow about 60 banana trees outside from May to October, they get about 16 ft tall and look amazing. Theyve been out in the garden for about 3 weeks now and are recovering well from the long winter. Its a LOT of work,but its worth the effort if you love gardening!
Gals can peeee too, we just need a pot to pee in and then we pour it. However, I always advise to delute the urine 1 part urine to 10 parts water because urine can burn the roots , etc. great info..thanks
I’m inspired to start growing bananas plants again. I have tried for three years and I couldn’t get them to grow tall, fruit, or survive the winter. I’m in zone 7a so your video helps a lot since our winters are similar.
I love that you rise to the challenge of growing things that are not necessarily perfectly suited to your climate zone. I am on zone 9B... but zone isn't everything. My 9B is extreme. Blistering hot and dry in the summers, 105+ on a regular basis. But also frosts up in winter. So I'm scared to try certain things. Like Avocado trees... I recently bought an ice cream banana plant and a dwarf Cavendish... Wish me luck.
I'm zone Zone 9A, just north of Houston Texas. Last year I planted a Cavendish and Nam Wah ladyfinger and this year in April I transplanted them to a different location. And to my shocking surprise the Cavendish is producing bananas! Only two hands worth but I'm extremely happy with it. I protected them during the winter just like he showed us on his videos by putting a cage around them and stuffing it with hay and it worked great. I also just planted an ice cream banana tree and it's growing like crazy with four pups around it.
I am also in Zone 9A. Last my banana tree die down and it came back. I have it in a pot and want to take it inside this Winter. Right now it is beautiful and dont want to Lose it. Thanks for All the Info. Thanks Dale. Fantastic information
Hi.Great video you got here. Here's some other things if you'd like to experiment with. Fertilizer programme: Month 1 - 5: 16:16:16 (150g/plant/month) Month 6: MOP (100g/plant - one time application only on month 6 or when you see the last short leaf before flowering comes out) + 12:12:17:2(100g/plant/month) Month 7 till harvest: 12:12:17:2 (150g/plant/month) For the suckers. 2 ways to go around it. First: Only keep 1 at 3 months old and another at 8 months old. Second: Only keep one once the flower comes out. Choose only sword suckers as this is the one with vigorous growth rate. As for leaves. Maintain 8 leaves while growing, 6 once the flower comes out and 4(excluding the small leaves before flowering) once you cut the flower. Cut the flower around 2 inch after the last bunch. Just sharing. Happy gardening everyone.
Wow!!!! I’m amaze at how you can grow bananas in zone 8a. You really inspire me and I’m so glad I found you and subscribed to your channel. I’ve seen so many videos on RUclips regarding how to take care citrus and avocados and now bananas, your channel is the BEST. ❤️❤️❤️ you’re very knowledgeable.
Thank you! I really enjoy challenging myself and growing some interesting things that turn heads. People are confused when they see all the citrus, the avocado tree and bananas growing, but it's doable if you're willing to help them along a little.
Ty, I get told all the time by others that I’m really intelligent & inspire them to want to achieve greatness, but still nice to hear every now & then lol
Amazing video :) Truly is soothing, relaxing, and educating. I have learnt a lot from giving this a chance, and I am so glad. Thank you so much for taking the time to create this video with us, :) It really is special and inspiring to get into my own gardening as a way to battle and get better at handling the stressful life I got myself into. Finding the way to the roots of ourselves. Thank you again and wishing you the best :)
I appreciate all of your videos because even though I have had vegetable gardens for 40+ years, I have learned so much from you. With that being said, I now live near Charlotte NC in zone 7a and wanted to know if you think I would actually be able to grow bananas on a tree and if so which variety of dwarf would be best for where I live? Again, thanks for sharing your gardening experiences and for your amazing videos, 🙏 poppy
You're welcome! If you're in a cold climate, make sure to mulch the corm very well. After the first couple light freezes knock it down, chop down the pseudostems, cut them into pieces and mulch the area with the cut up pseudostems and shredded banana leaves. If you need more insulation, toss on a couple inches of shredded leaves, etc. Then, when it warms back up in the spring, rake the mulch back to soil level so the ground can heat up and the corm will grow back. It's fairly important to pull the mulch back, because while the thick mulch layer will insulate the corm from cold damage, it'll prevent the ground from heating up in spring and could prevent it from regenerating.
We are in our second year with the Musa Basjoo in zone 7b/8a upstate South Carolina. What fun. I keep all the pups off so the energy can go to the main stem. This year it is flowering and fruiting, although I know these are non-edible. On this variety, in our zone, no protection is needed. I will fertilize more next year.
I live in a sub tropical climate and give them manure in straw of the chicken coop and put 3 large pots with kitchen scraps (covered with cardboard) around the plot of bananas. They do super well and I have bananas red and yellow bananas every year
I watched from brings to end. I'm soooo glad you didn't do one of those quick moving videos that change every 2 seconds. The video is paced perfect, great information and you are for questions. Thanks and great video...
Very informative video! My banana tree fruited this year and I'm in Zone 8a too. I mulch heavily and also chop and drop. This year I fed them kitchen scraps and covered it with the mulch. However when it fruited the flower only produced a few bananas. The rest didn't get pollinated or we're sterile. How do you avoid that?
You avoid it by giving it proper care & nutrition. Let’s say it’s 2 years in the future, and you’re a banana tree. You sprout as a seed & into the sun as the season turns warm to spring. Now, would you like it if someone came along, dumped garbage all over you, and covered you in prickly wood chips? No, you wouldn’t. Do you get some kind of enjoyment out of suffocating plants? Mulch is for trees, genius… not smaller plants or shrubs
A couple of my neighbors have these and they come back every year with little maintenance! I’ve never seen any bananas on them lol but I want to grow them to use the leaves in cooking and for food plates and more!
Dale gets a walk every day, no matter what. He's a hound and he's very nose-driven, so he can't settle down until he gets it out of his system. He will not be content without it, but once he gets his walk, he's docile for the rest of the day. If I lived in Zone 10b, I would have a field of bananas 😄
Absolutely right...gotta 'pull my finger out' Thanks for the push. Paws gets a v early morning walk too,,calms her down. And I;m happy too.. PS: having great success withsunflower microgreens (from a 1kg birdseed packet) @@TheMillennialGardener
Any tips on transplanting from pot to soil? Mine was stretching the pot so much with 3 big stems and a baby one. When i cut apart the plastic pot, i had thicks roots that hit the bottom and started curling up. Should I take the tree back out of the ground and separate all the bottom roots so they grow out instead of up?
I almost choked when you said to pee on them, lol! The potash really makes sense. Bananas are high in potassium and I guess they have to get it somewhere. Does your bananas have large seeds? Or do they look like the ones you buy at the grocery store? Thanks for such great content!
It's funny, but it's true! Bananas LOVE being peed on. If you're willing to do it, they'll greatly appreciate you for it. All my bananas are edible and of high quality. They are all seedless.
I have been gardening most of my life and worked on a farm my entire childhood, so it has always been an interest. I am an engineer by trade, so if I determine something is feasible, I design ways to make it work. I like a challenge. Bananas, however, are surprisingly easy.
You can grow faster if you maintain a 4 leaf stem, cut off the older leaves so you’re left with 4 leaves. The banana knows how many leaves it needs to produce before it sends a blossom.
I'm not sure what you mean. My thinking is that more leaves = more solar energy gathered, so that would help the banana complete the cycle more quickly and flower. Wouldn't removing leaves slow the banana down, because it wouldn't be able to absorb as much energy?
@@TheMillennialGardenerno actually it will rob energy from the plant to support all those leaves. Keeping fewer leaves gives it more energy to focus on fruiting. Definitely needs some for photosynthesis so 4 is a good number.
Great nitrogen tip... no need to apply "straight from the hose"... just keep a 2 liter bottle in the bathroom under the sink. Fill it up, use a needed 👍
We use an empty laundry detergent jug and pop out the pour spout. I pee in a paper cup and pour in the jug and screw the lid on. It’s stored in the built in “hamper”. It doesn’t smell at all. I rinse the paper cup and put it in the cabinet. I ask other family members to contribute but I’m not sure they are. 😆
I cannot believe this you can plant bananas 🍌 in USA. I am from a banana republic and dont know how to plant bananas 😅 This is why I like greengoes. You try and try and get the impossible done ... unbelievable. This video gonna inspire me to start planting bananas.....Just one observation in tropical weather there are not winter or summer there are wet season and dry season.....at least in my country that us locate in the tropic of ecuator...
Great video as usual! Thanks for posting. 3rd year with bananas. I live in zone 7A and have always cut back my plants to about 12" and covered with yard leaves, NOT Banana cuttings. I will try the banana cutting process this year on your recommendation. My bananas are getting too thick and are spreading because the old dead trunks are no longer sprouting. What is the best practice to thin them out and should I dig out the old hard and dry trunk bases?
You can grow Musa Basjoo in ground as an ornamental. Just make sure to mulch the corm with a few inches of thick mulch of some kind to insulate it to get it through the winter. Then, rake the mulch back in the spring to heat up the ground and re-sprout it. If you want to grow bananas for fruit, the dwarf varieties grow well in a container and can overwinter in low light in front of a window.
Thanks for info! I am also in 8a NC zone, so your videos are very helpful to me. From where did you buy these varieties? Would love to get hold of one of them.
I recommend checking out Banana Man Larry at bountifulgardennursery.com. He always has a few things in stock. I've purchased several things from him. Super common bananas like Dwarf Namwah and Dwarf Orinoco can usually be purchased off eBay for dirt cheap. I wouldn't buy any "rare" banana off eBay. They're usually a scam.
idk you, but i love you for this, i bought a 4 foot winterized plant and im really hoping it starts back up. already ordered everything you suggested. and am getting ready to pee!
I’m in a 6b-7a though our winters usually low average around 20-25 degrees F. I’m in Boise area Idaho which is very dry here with sweltering summers and don’t think they can do full sun but I do have a location in the front. Never tried growing these but my plan was to cut them down to 2 ft. once they die down and fill with dry leaves and the dead musa basjoo leaves inside chicken wire with a tarp over it. Hoping that’ll be good enough.
Excellent! You may want to watch the banana protection video I have linked in the video. It works well enough to get them to fruit here on mild winters. Last winter was particularly bad, though, so this may be my first year without fruit in 4 years.
Also, I was thinking about planting mine in a large pot that I could potentially drag inside during winter. Have you had any success doing that with your banana plants to keep them going through winter?
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks! I have watched that one in the past. My poor plant right now is in a pot that's way to small for it and I need to decide if I'm going to plant it in the yard or get a bigger pot and try and drag it inside when it starts getting chilly.
That is not a variety I would consider growing, because that is what they sell in grocery stores. You can get a Cavendish banana any time you want in any store. I would recommend growing something unique if you're going to put in the effort. The most reliable fruiter has been Dwarf Orinoco for me. The other varieties have not worked well.
OHMYGOODNESS! Hi neighbor! I live in Maple Hill, NC about 45 minutes from you. I just bought a lady finger corm. Do you think I can grow her in the ground. Or do you think I should keep her in a pot and move her in & out? Thank you for the video. It was awesome!
I'm lucky to live in an area in Australia which has a similar climate to Charleston in South Carolina which is north of Sydney in Australia in New South Wales (Newcastle) which has a 10a-b USDA plant hardiness zone. They do go semi dormant at winter time & our areas climate isn't much different to where my grandfather on my dads side used to grow them commercially 600 kilometres (360 miles) north near the Queensland border where he grew the same lady finger variety that I grow. They're grown in a subtropical climate & I am experimenting with growing the Cavendish variety which is commercially grown in the more tropical parts of Queensland in the Tully & Atherton Tablelands areas !
I live about 2.5 hours north of Charleston. They get around 5-6 hard freezes, and about 8-12 freezes total, a year there, so bananas still struggle. They're a *very* weak Zone 9a, so bananas often die back there and require some protection, though they perform better there than where I live in 8a. I've been to Sydney in May, and while it got cold there at night, it stays frost-free, so bananas perform a lot better. The stuff at the botanical gardens looks absolutely magnificent. Things were definitely in dormancy, but everything looked beautiful and held their form. I would actually advise against Cavendish, solely because they're found in grocery stores. You can get them anywhere. Most people say the best tasting bananas are Mysore and Namwah. Growers "go bananas" for Mysore. If you can find that, maybe give that a shot? I would grow it, but it is a tall banana that can grow 15-20ft (5-6 meters), so I can't protect it in my 8a climate.
Bananas grow very well in Zone 7 as long as you mulch the corms to insulate them during the winter. Then, once spring comes around, rake the mulch back so the soil heats up faster and the bananas should re-sprout.
Kerrie Gruber I also live in Zone 7 and purchased a small Banana plant this year that's now about 10 feet or more tall! I'm trying to figure out how to get it to live through the 🥶 winter!
@@TheMillennialGardener 🙋🏾♀️Hi! Great advice! My Question is that I'm in zone 7 and have mine in a Huge Pot. Should I put it in the ground, leave it in the pot...or move it to my Basement for the winter 🥶?
Thank you! They're a lot of fun to grow. Just looking at them makes me happy. It feels like you're on vacation. Bananas are a must-add to the garden, even if you're just growing them as ornamentals. They're an excellent source of mulch, too!
I have my first flower in my banana! This is from my ice cream banana. Growing it in Sacramento area. I feed it with fish emulsions every week and then more bloom.
Will your fertilize process work with the Musa basjoo banana tree? I live in Connecticut and I started growing the Musa indoor and looking forward to transplanting them outside in the spring. Any recommendations on indoor growing? Thx for the help
Thanks for the great information. What kind of soil, drainage, watering do they need. You have me convinced to try several types in 8a zone near Dallas. I have nasty sand (really light and dusty?) over clay (about 6" down). I lose almost all plants I plant. May be watering them too much. OH, and when to plant tiny starters?
Bananas aren't picky. They grow in rainforests, so they tolerate extreme rain and heat. They are salt-tolerant, too. As long as they don't sit in standing water, they should be fine. Just keep them irrigated in summer, because they have a high water demand. I plant them at last chance of frost in spring so they have maximum time to acclimate so the corm can build strength to endure the winter die-back.
Loved learning from your experience. I have a large plant that has been growing super nice for last couple seasons in zone 8a here in NC but it has not fruited. I got the corm from a friend who doesn’t know the variety either. Even though foliage of banana plant I wonder if it could be something related to banana but inedible. Any thoughts? Any way to determine the variety?
Not at the end in tip 4. Organic fertilizers aren’t strong enough to reliably fruit bananas in my zone. If you want to grow bananas for fruit in zone 8, you’ll need to push them hard.
That would depend on the variety. I am growing all dwarf varieties, so I planted them only 4-5 feet apart. If you grow something like Mekong Giant that can grow to be 40 feet tall, that corm would need more space.
What size do you get for your dwarf Bananas and where from... so they are delivered to you at what height before you plant them ??? The first time you plant them. I understand once planted they continue to throw up shoots as one fruits and dies etc
Thank you very much for answering my question that I ask a few videos ago. Your banana trees luck awesome. Great advise. Definite will do the pee and mulching down here in central Florida. As always a fantastic video.
You should consider the 3 generation method for plants and remove the extras..(give them away or sell, plant in another section of your yard or discard. ) 3 generations being grandmother..daughter...grand daughter.
@dinyardalal The idea is to just keep 3 generations of bananas in ur mat. Remove the extras. Keep the grandparent - the oldest then the child several months old then a baby. All other pups should be removed. After the oldest gives its cut down. Then the child pup becomes the oldest the small pup is now the child and now u can keep any new pup that comes out.
Since you live in the south do you have any Butia palms with fruit on them? Would love to see your palm collection. Lastly is it possible to make a Butia flower faster by using fertilizers in a spesific way like with the Bananas?
I just got two musa banana 6" trees. We're in zone 7b. I'm planting them near my chicken coop (lots of nitrogen!). Do woodchips make good mulch for banana trees? Or does it have to be straw?
Awesome video! I'm in Utah zone 6b and am just starting growing Dwarf Cavendish and Mahoi bananas for food. I built a heated greenhouse that will have a winter low temp of about 50 deg and a high of 75-80 so they will never die back. Do you think Dward Cavendish will fruit in my setup with low temps of 50? We get a lot of sun out here even in winter. I also want to get some Of the cultivars you have in this video!
They need to be spaced out more in single rows. Just like they do it in banana plantations. Try to chop off the sprouts and just leave the main banana plant. If you grow them in groups, all crowded they have a hard time fruiting.
If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Introduction To Growing Bananas
2:24 Banana Growing Tip #1
4:48 Banana Growing Tip #2
6:45 Banana Growing Tip #3
8:06 Banana Growing Tip #4
10:03 How To Fertilize Banana Plants
11:46 The Banana Varieties I'm Growing
13:47 Adventures With Dale
What about using the barrels to warm up the bananas?
I need one just like this one please!! Where can I get one? I live in Iowa.
7:30 ... they're in overdrive... but they're likely very stinky. I can imagine that area smells like a gas station bathroom on overdrive.
Oh my god I've been trying to grow banana plants and I had three growing two died and one is surviving with a pup. I have watched a zillion videos and resilient articles and your short video here was the most helpful yet thank you so much
Thank you! I'm really glad to hear that. If you're growing bananas in a cold climate, the key to overwintering the corm is to mulch is VERY WELL. Chop up the leaves and pseudostems after the first few light freezes kill them back and cover the corm to insulate it. Add more chopped leaves and grass to insulate if you need to. However, once spring rolls around, you then need to rake back the mulch. Otherwise, the soil won't heat up quickly enough, and the bananas could stall or fail. The mulch can work against you if you forget to remove it.
@@TheMillennialGardener I don't live in a cold climate matter of fact it's too hot and too dry. I live just outside of Phoenix Arizona and this July the sun was extremely scorching we're having a lot of monsoons right now but June and July was scorching. But it's good to know I can grow bananas in a colder climate because my plan is to move to Oregon in a couple of years
@@JoeandAngie I was deciding whether to ignore your comment or say something. But I think that's a very negative thing to say. I don't put any labels on anything or anyone and moving there I'm moving to be with family. Love of family never goes to s*** as you put it
@The Millennial Gardener do you recommend using grass clipping along with mulch for bananas
@@charlessingletaryiii331 anything goes. I live in northern Arizona 7a Climate. I use old leaves and grass clippings. I just cut them back and cover them with burlap. Keeps them nice and insulated.
Here in South Florida I can grow 30 foot tall banana plants. They often have so many bananas I have to use the Bobcat to get the bunch down without dropping it. I compost my plants using a lawnmower. All my yard trimmings get dumped on the bananas and shredded after sitting a few days. I have collected urine in a pitcher and dump it out when it is full on the bananas. Have plenty of ducks that deposit their waste everywhere. One tip you may like is that magnesium sulfate (epsom salts) is important when starting your cluster. I did dump the ash and char left over from my woodgas truck for years. I grow orinioco, namwa, cavendish grand nain, gros michel, saba and plantain. had dwarf cavendish but after decades of having it the plants died. I am amazed you can get bananas in a time cycle of less than a year.
The bananas here have to be overwintered. If they die back, they won't have enough time to fruit. Building a cage around them and stuffing them full of straw usually saves a few pseudostems from the previous year, and I'll usually get a couple that will flower during the season.
Something to consider, is pruning leaves to promote faster vertical growth. Then chop those leaves and spread them around the trunks to help feed your trees.
Now that's chop ans drop
I would just eat the leafs
Dale, you've quickly become my favorite to watch.
I learn so much from you.
Plus your happy, enthusiastic personality is so attractive and catching!
I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! I'm happy to hear they're helpful.
I watched your video last year, protected and saved my banana plant in Switzerland. Now during the spring they are growing back. I will follow your tips for some fruits this year :). Thanks a lot.
Your banana tree are just outstanding, great job. Reminds me of those I had growing in my dad's house in Puerto Rico. I know they love composte. They grew best in hummus reach soil in PR.
Im impressed of all the leaves looking fresh and green
i'm amazed, i'm growing bananas in grow bags indoors for the winter and outdoors during summer and hope to get fruit off them
Just bought one of these today, can't wait. I'm in zone 6 in Nova Scotia.
21 plants last year MA.100 fruits,watch your videos for long time you are one of the 3 that i watch
You are in Massachusetts? What part? I'm interested in giving it a try.
What other two do you watch
Incredible video!! I can’t thank you enough for posting this - loaded with great info👍
Leave 4 leaves on plant. If you have 5, 6, 8 , 10 cut back to just 4. Thickens false stem and gets it growing. I'm in Norfolk. Have the "real" blue java. Have a rack that began August 9th. Takes the fruit time to mature. 115-150 days. Crossing my fingers. 1st frost usually 3rd week of November. But it's supposed to be a mild winter so. 🤞
Why only four leaves you'll actually get produce on them
Would that be 4 leaves starting from the bottom up?
@@sunshinedayz2172 leave the top 4
I'm in Richmond! Hello, fellow Virgin! Lol 😆
I like the explanations that's really get to the point without a lot of blabbing
Also a great banana tree fertilizer is dead fish. Throw fishing scraps into the hole before you plant them. No smell. If you have an aquarium, the detritus from gravel cleaning is very effective.
It is so neat to see you pushing zones and having success.
The day I have to wrap the bananas for winter is a bit of an ordeal, but aside from that one day a year, they're really easy to grow. They're one of the only things that are invincible here. Extreme humidity and rainfall don't bother them. Hurricanes bounce off them. They have no pests or diseases. They're just a delight.
@@TheMillennialGardener now we just gotta get you to grow that giant pumpkin down in NC for 2023!
I live in Iowa zone 5b,i grow about 60 banana trees outside from May to October, they get about 16 ft tall and look amazing. Theyve been out in the garden for about 3 weeks now and are recovering well from the long winter. Its a LOT of work,but its worth the effort if you love gardening!
Wow!
We are in uk. Have about six banana plants never take them inside ,leave them out all weather but cut them down in November..ours grow very tall too.
Do they fruit?
Gals can peeee too, we just need a pot to pee in and then we pour it. However, I always advise to delute the urine 1 part urine to 10 parts water because urine can burn the roots , etc. great info..thanks
If you're up for it, definitely go for it! The bananas will greatly appreciate it. I just can't suggest it or the crowd will turn on me 😂
@@TheMillennialGardener oh you poor guy...I hear you. Its okkkay, I spoke up for ya! lol
Wow what’s a Great Millennial Farmer!! Awesome Video with great detail. I will be using the Potash.
How Beautiful !! Thank you for your Tips iam gönne try that
I’m inspired to start growing bananas plants again. I have tried for three years and I couldn’t get them to grow tall, fruit, or survive the winter. I’m in zone 7a so your video helps a lot since our winters are similar.
I love that you rise to the challenge of growing things that are not necessarily perfectly suited to your climate zone. I am on zone 9B... but zone isn't everything. My 9B is extreme. Blistering hot and dry in the summers, 105+ on a regular basis. But also frosts up in winter. So I'm scared to try certain things. Like Avocado trees... I recently bought an ice cream banana plant and a dwarf Cavendish... Wish me luck.
Me too. Same. But zone 9A
I'm zone Zone 9A, just north of Houston Texas. Last year I planted a Cavendish and Nam Wah ladyfinger and this year in April I transplanted them to a different location. And to my shocking surprise the Cavendish is producing bananas! Only two hands worth but I'm extremely happy with it. I protected them during the winter just like he showed us on his videos by putting a cage around them and stuffing it with hay and it worked great. I also just planted an ice cream banana tree and it's growing like crazy with four pups around it.
I am also in Zone 9A. Last my banana tree die down and it came back. I have it in a pot and want to take it inside this Winter. Right now it is beautiful and dont want to Lose it. Thanks for All the Info. Thanks Dale. Fantastic information
Pee in a bucket, empty the pee pot onto the bananas. And if you have a wood fire, use the cold wood ash as a fertilizer.
Hi.Great video you got here. Here's some other things if you'd like to experiment with.
Fertilizer programme:
Month 1 - 5: 16:16:16 (150g/plant/month)
Month 6: MOP (100g/plant - one time application only on month 6 or when you see the last short leaf before flowering comes out) + 12:12:17:2(100g/plant/month)
Month 7 till harvest: 12:12:17:2 (150g/plant/month)
For the suckers. 2 ways to go around it.
First: Only keep 1 at 3 months old and another at 8 months old.
Second: Only keep one once the flower comes out.
Choose only sword suckers as this is the one with vigorous growth rate.
As for leaves. Maintain 8 leaves while growing, 6 once the flower comes out and 4(excluding the small leaves before flowering) once you cut the flower. Cut the flower around 2 inch after the last bunch.
Just sharing. Happy gardening everyone.
Who are you calling a sucker..
Wow!!!! I’m amaze at how you can grow bananas in zone 8a. You really inspire me and I’m so glad I found you and subscribed to your channel. I’ve seen so many videos on RUclips regarding how to take care citrus and avocados and now bananas, your channel is the BEST. ❤️❤️❤️ you’re very knowledgeable.
Thank you! I really enjoy challenging myself and growing some interesting things that turn heads. People are confused when they see all the citrus, the avocado tree and bananas growing, but it's doable if you're willing to help them along a little.
Ty, I get told all the time by others that I’m really intelligent & inspire them to want to achieve greatness, but still nice to hear every now & then lol
Amazing video :) Truly is soothing, relaxing, and educating. I have learnt a lot from giving this a chance, and I am so glad. Thank you so much for taking the time to create this video with us, :) It really is special and inspiring to get into my own gardening as a way to battle and get better at handling the stressful life I got myself into. Finding the way to the roots of ourselves. Thank you again and wishing you the best :)
I'm glad you're finding the content beneficial! I appreciate you watching, and I'm glad to hear it's helping.
I'm in Rocky Point (originally from Hawaii) and have been trying to fruit my bananas for years. Thank you for the tips!!!
You're welcome!
I appreciate all of your videos because even though I have had vegetable gardens for 40+ years, I have learned so much from you. With that being said, I now live near Charlotte NC in zone 7a and wanted to know if you think I would actually be able to grow bananas on a tree and if so which variety of dwarf would be best for where I live? Again, thanks for sharing your gardening experiences and for your amazing videos, 🙏 poppy
Same Q
Man thank you so much! I been trying to grow a banana plant for three years now.
You're welcome! If you're in a cold climate, make sure to mulch the corm very well. After the first couple light freezes knock it down, chop down the pseudostems, cut them into pieces and mulch the area with the cut up pseudostems and shredded banana leaves. If you need more insulation, toss on a couple inches of shredded leaves, etc. Then, when it warms back up in the spring, rake the mulch back to soil level so the ground can heat up and the corm will grow back. It's fairly important to pull the mulch back, because while the thick mulch layer will insulate the corm from cold damage, it'll prevent the ground from heating up in spring and could prevent it from regenerating.
I'm in Springfield IL zone 5b/6a and have been growing Musa basjoo outdoors year round for about 12 years.
Oh my isn’t it very cold in Illinois 🌱🌱🌱
@@emsstew5143 yes it's very cold. Usually gets down to around -10 F at least once every winter.
We are in our second year with the Musa Basjoo in zone 7b/8a upstate South Carolina. What fun. I keep all the pups off so the energy can go to the main stem.
This year it is flowering and fruiting, although I know these are non-edible. On this variety, in our zone, no protection is needed. I will fertilize more next year.
I live in a sub tropical climate and give them manure in straw of the chicken coop and put 3 large pots with kitchen scraps (covered with cardboard) around the plot of bananas. They do super well and I have bananas red and yellow bananas every year
Excellent content, style & delivery. Thanks man.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
I watched from brings to end. I'm soooo glad you didn't do one of those quick moving videos that change every 2 seconds. The video is paced perfect, great information and you are for questions. Thanks and great video...
Nice bananas! We grow them here in Arizona too. People think they won’t grow here cause if the extreme dry heat. But we make it work!
Very informative video! My banana tree fruited this year and I'm in Zone 8a too. I mulch heavily and also chop and drop. This year I fed them kitchen scraps and covered it with the mulch. However when it fruited the flower only produced a few bananas. The rest didn't get pollinated or we're sterile. How do you avoid that?
The first crop is usually pretty bad. The next one should be better
You avoid it by giving it proper care & nutrition. Let’s say it’s 2 years in the future, and you’re a banana tree. You sprout as a seed & into the sun as the season turns warm to spring. Now, would you like it if someone came along, dumped garbage all over you, and covered you in prickly wood chips? No, you wouldn’t. Do you get some kind of enjoyment out of suffocating plants? Mulch is for trees, genius… not smaller plants or shrubs
A couple of my neighbors have these and they come back every year with little maintenance! I’ve never seen any bananas on them lol but I want to grow them to use the leaves in cooking and for food plates and more!
Just subscribed....I wanted to know more about banana plants and your channel appeared.😁
nice to see you tske your fur buddy for a walk....my pooch loves them too.
Great info on bananas im in a zone 10b, so fantastic.
Dale gets a walk every day, no matter what. He's a hound and he's very nose-driven, so he can't settle down until he gets it out of his system. He will not be content without it, but once he gets his walk, he's docile for the rest of the day. If I lived in Zone 10b, I would have a field of bananas 😄
Absolutely right...gotta 'pull my finger out' Thanks for the push. Paws gets a v early morning walk too,,calms her down. And I;m happy too..
PS: having great success withsunflower microgreens (from a 1kg birdseed packet)
@@TheMillennialGardener
Any tips on transplanting from pot to soil? Mine was stretching the pot so much with 3 big stems and a baby one. When i cut apart the plastic pot, i had thicks roots that hit the bottom and started curling up. Should I take the tree back out of the ground and separate all the bottom roots so they grow out instead of up?
I almost choked when you said to pee on them, lol! The potash really makes sense. Bananas are high in potassium and I guess they have to get it somewhere. Does your bananas have large seeds? Or do they look like the ones you buy at the grocery store? Thanks for such great content!
It's funny, but it's true! Bananas LOVE being peed on. If you're willing to do it, they'll greatly appreciate you for it. All my bananas are edible and of high quality. They are all seedless.
How did you learn all this very useful horticultural information, for all of the edibles you grow?
I have been gardening most of my life and worked on a farm my entire childhood, so it has always been an interest. I am an engineer by trade, so if I determine something is feasible, I design ways to make it work. I like a challenge. Bananas, however, are surprisingly easy.
8:04 I’ve just purchased a Blue Java. It’s gonna love me. 😊
Wow! Love how your banana plants look! 😊👍
Thank you! I'm really happy how they're coming along. They look awesome from above. I need to get a drone shot.
That would be cool!
You can grow faster if you maintain a 4 leaf stem, cut off the older leaves so you’re left with 4 leaves. The banana knows how many leaves it needs to produce before it sends a blossom.
I'm not sure what you mean. My thinking is that more leaves = more solar energy gathered, so that would help the banana complete the cycle more quickly and flower. Wouldn't removing leaves slow the banana down, because it wouldn't be able to absorb as much energy?
@@TheMillennialGardenerno actually it will rob energy from the plant to support all those leaves. Keeping fewer leaves gives it more energy to focus on fruiting. Definitely needs some for photosynthesis so 4 is a good number.
Really Great video! You unlocked the missing info I needed.
Thank you! I'm glad you found the video helpful!
How will I know what is the pseudo stem? I will have a yard for the 1st time in years. This is one of the plants I am looking forward to growing.
Great nitrogen tip... no need to apply "straight from the hose"... just keep a 2 liter bottle in the bathroom under the sink. Fill it up, use a needed 👍
Personally I’ll pass on the storage, but if you have the space, go for it. Just don’t store it near the Gatorade 😂
Would the urine change at all from storing it?
We use an empty laundry detergent jug and pop out the pour spout. I pee in a paper cup and pour in the jug and screw the lid on. It’s stored in the built in “hamper”. It doesn’t smell at all. I rinse the paper cup and put it in the cabinet. I ask other family members to contribute but I’m not sure they are. 😆
Thank you! Now I have some excellent tools for success🍌
Looks great. I tried your pizza dough recipe Friday and Saturday, turned out great. Thank you for the info
Awesome! I’m really happy to hear that! The more you make it, the better it gets. It is a dangerous addiction 😆
Awesome! I’m really happy to hear that! The more you make it, the better it gets. It is a dangerous addiction 😆
Where do you find your pizza dough recipe?
@@SAllen-lf7ft it’s on the millennial gardener’s channel. 7 months back, pull it up. It is a very crispy dough.
I'm definitely subscribing. I am going to try to grow them this year
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your support and generosity!! I appreciate it ♥️
Thanks again for sharing this good to know information.
You're welcome! Thank you for watching!
I cannot believe this you can plant bananas 🍌 in USA. I am from a banana republic and dont know how to plant bananas 😅 This is why
I like greengoes. You try and try and get the impossible done ... unbelievable. This video gonna inspire me to start planting bananas.....Just one observation in tropical weather there are not winter or summer there are wet season and dry season.....at least in my country that us locate in the tropic of ecuator...
Great video !! Question.. can the fertilizer mixture you outline be used for potted banana as well?
No.
Great video as usual! Thanks for posting. 3rd year with bananas. I live in zone 7A and have always cut back my plants to about 12" and covered with yard leaves, NOT Banana cuttings. I will try the banana cutting process this year on your recommendation. My bananas are getting too thick and are spreading because the old dead trunks are no longer sprouting. What is the best practice to thin them out and should I dig out the old hard and dry trunk bases?
Wow! Those are so beautiful!
Thank you! I really appreciate that!
Thank you for these tips.
You're welcome!
Thank you. This was interesting. I would want a fruiting banana tree. I am in zone 5B & we get some pretty cold temperatures.
You can grow Musa Basjoo in ground as an ornamental. Just make sure to mulch the corm with a few inches of thick mulch of some kind to insulate it to get it through the winter. Then, rake the mulch back in the spring to heat up the ground and re-sprout it. If you want to grow bananas for fruit, the dwarf varieties grow well in a container and can overwinter in low light in front of a window.
Why would anyone want an ornamental banana? I want to EAT
@@sr2340 they are just smaller bananas. That’s why they call them ornamental.
Thanks for the info I ordered all 4 varieties today! Which will make 7 varieties in my food Forest!
Outstanding! I hope you like them!
I don't care about aesthetics much, but I really would love to get fruit from these trees!
Thanks for info! I am also in 8a NC zone, so your videos are very helpful to me. From where did you buy these varieties? Would love to get hold of one of them.
I recommend checking out Banana Man Larry at bountifulgardennursery.com. He always has a few things in stock. I've purchased several things from him. Super common bananas like Dwarf Namwah and Dwarf Orinoco can usually be purchased off eBay for dirt cheap. I wouldn't buy any "rare" banana off eBay. They're usually a scam.
@@TheMillennialGardener thanks for the prompt response
Great video and tips, thanks!
Great advice, i might try and grow some for shade for my hardy Kiwi. Might not go well as ill be pushing the plant zone at 4b
idk you, but i love you for this, i bought a 4 foot winterized plant and im really hoping it starts back up. already ordered everything you suggested. and am getting ready to pee!
I’m in a 6b-7a though our winters usually low average around 20-25 degrees F. I’m in Boise area Idaho which is very dry here with sweltering summers and don’t think they can do full sun but I do have a location in the front. Never tried growing these but my plan was to cut them down to 2 ft. once they die down and fill with dry leaves and the dead musa basjoo leaves inside chicken wire with a tarp over it. Hoping that’ll be good enough.
Also located outside of Wilmy and so inspired by your gardening videos! Hoping to get my little banana plant to bear some fruit!
Excellent! You may want to watch the banana protection video I have linked in the video. It works well enough to get them to fruit here on mild winters. Last winter was particularly bad, though, so this may be my first year without fruit in 4 years.
Also, I was thinking about planting mine in a large pot that I could potentially drag inside during winter. Have you had any success doing that with your banana plants to keep them going through winter?
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks! I have watched that one in the past. My poor plant right now is in a pot that's way to small for it and I need to decide if I'm going to plant it in the yard or get a bigger pot and try and drag it inside when it starts getting chilly.
I am from Canada. I use a greenhouse to grow them as we are a very cold.
How about the Musa Acuminata in 7b? "Dwarf Cavendish"
That is not a variety I would consider growing, because that is what they sell in grocery stores. You can get a Cavendish banana any time you want in any store. I would recommend growing something unique if you're going to put in the effort. The most reliable fruiter has been Dwarf Orinoco for me. The other varieties have not worked well.
Thank you. Very useful
You're welcome!
OHMYGOODNESS! Hi neighbor! I live in Maple Hill, NC about 45 minutes from you. I just bought a lady finger corm. Do you think I can grow her in the ground. Or do you think I should keep her in a pot and move her in & out? Thank you for the video. It was awesome!
I'm lucky to live in an area in Australia which has a similar climate to Charleston in South Carolina which is north of Sydney in Australia in New South Wales (Newcastle) which has a 10a-b USDA plant hardiness zone.
They do go semi dormant at winter time & our areas climate isn't much different to where my grandfather on my dads side used to grow them commercially 600 kilometres (360 miles) north near the Queensland border where he grew the same lady finger variety that I grow.
They're grown in a subtropical climate & I am experimenting with growing the Cavendish variety which is commercially grown in the more tropical parts of Queensland in the Tully & Atherton Tablelands areas !
I live about 2.5 hours north of Charleston. They get around 5-6 hard freezes, and about 8-12 freezes total, a year there, so bananas still struggle. They're a *very* weak Zone 9a, so bananas often die back there and require some protection, though they perform better there than where I live in 8a. I've been to Sydney in May, and while it got cold there at night, it stays frost-free, so bananas perform a lot better. The stuff at the botanical gardens looks absolutely magnificent. Things were definitely in dormancy, but everything looked beautiful and held their form.
I would actually advise against Cavendish, solely because they're found in grocery stores. You can get them anywhere. Most people say the best tasting bananas are Mysore and Namwah. Growers "go bananas" for Mysore. If you can find that, maybe give that a shot? I would grow it, but it is a tall banana that can grow 15-20ft (5-6 meters), so I can't protect it in my 8a climate.
I live in zone 7 I’m going to try growing bananas thank you
Bananas grow very well in Zone 7 as long as you mulch the corms to insulate them during the winter. Then, once spring comes around, rake the mulch back so the soil heats up faster and the bananas should re-sprout.
Kerrie Gruber
I also live in Zone 7 and purchased a small Banana plant this year that's now about 10 feet or more tall! I'm trying to figure out how to get it to live through the 🥶 winter!
@@TheMillennialGardener 🙋🏾♀️Hi! Great advice! My Question is that I'm in zone 7 and have mine in a Huge Pot. Should I put it in the ground, leave it in the pot...or move it to my Basement for the winter 🥶?
pertunial garden green 🌸🌼🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳bananas groove
The Bananas are AMAZING just like the Gardener is!
Thank you! They're a lot of fun to grow. Just looking at them makes me happy. It feels like you're on vacation. Bananas are a must-add to the garden, even if you're just growing them as ornamentals. They're an excellent source of mulch, too!
Love it! My banana flowered. Unfortunately late in the season. The dwarf Orinoco
I have my first flower in my banana! This is from my ice cream banana. Growing it in Sacramento area. I feed it with fish emulsions every week and then more bloom.
Plant lupins next to them they produce high nitrogen for other plants
i am addicted to your videos.
Thank you! I'm glad you hear you're enjoying them.
Will your fertilize process work with the Musa basjoo banana tree? I live in Connecticut and I started growing the Musa indoor and looking forward to transplanting them outside in the spring. Any recommendations on indoor growing? Thx for the help
Can't get mad at my son for peeing outside anymore 😂😂
Thanks for the great information. What kind of soil, drainage, watering do they need. You have me convinced to try several types in 8a zone near Dallas. I have nasty sand (really light and dusty?) over clay (about 6" down). I lose almost all plants I plant. May be watering them too much. OH, and when to plant tiny starters?
Bananas aren't picky. They grow in rainforests, so they tolerate extreme rain and heat. They are salt-tolerant, too. As long as they don't sit in standing water, they should be fine. Just keep them irrigated in summer, because they have a high water demand. I plant them at last chance of frost in spring so they have maximum time to acclimate so the corm can build strength to endure the winter die-back.
Very useful video.. Really ❤🌹👍🇮🇳
Loved learning from your experience. I have a large plant that has been growing super nice for last couple seasons in zone 8a here in NC but it has not fruited. I got the corm from a friend who doesn’t know the variety either. Even though foliage of banana plant I wonder if it could be something related to banana but inedible.
Any thoughts? Any way to determine the variety?
Can you make a demonstration video uncensored of the “self fertilizing “ of the trees.
If you were just using compost as your main fertilizer and want to throw your potash fertilize in the mix how often would you use the potash?
Are all those fertilizers that you use Organic?
Not at the end in tip 4. Organic fertilizers aren’t strong enough to reliably fruit bananas in my zone. If you want to grow bananas for fruit in zone 8, you’ll need to push them hard.
When he said pee on them... I said: Hold my beer.
Hahaha
😂😂😂
😂😂😂
😊❤
Cool!😊🎉❤🎉😊
How much space does the corm usually cover when planted in ground?
That would depend on the variety. I am growing all dwarf varieties, so I planted them only 4-5 feet apart. If you grow something like Mekong Giant that can grow to be 40 feet tall, that corm would need more space.
What size do you get for your dwarf Bananas and where from... so they are delivered to you at what height before you plant them ??? The first time you plant them. I understand once planted they continue to throw up shoots as one fruits and dies etc
Thank you very much for answering my question that I ask a few videos ago. Your banana trees luck awesome. Great advise. Definite will do the pee and mulching down here in central Florida. As always a fantastic video.
Thank you! I'm glad you found the video helpful!
You should consider the 3 generation method for plants and remove the extras..(give them away or sell, plant in another section of your yard or discard. ) 3 generations being grandmother..daughter...grand daughter.
Can you please elaborate? i did not understand what you recommend. Thank you.
@dinyardalal The idea is to just keep 3 generations of bananas in ur mat. Remove the extras. Keep the grandparent - the oldest then the child several months old then a baby. All other pups should be removed. After the oldest gives its cut down. Then the child pup becomes the oldest the small pup is now the child and now u can keep any new pup that comes out.
Awesome video. Very informative. Do they require full sun?
Since you live in the south do you have any Butia palms with fruit on them? Would love to see your palm collection. Lastly is it possible to make a Butia flower faster by using fertilizers in a spesific way like with the Bananas?
I just got two musa banana 6" trees. We're in zone 7b. I'm planting them near my chicken coop (lots of nitrogen!). Do woodchips make good mulch for banana trees? Or does it have to be straw?
Awesome video! I'm in Utah zone 6b and am just starting growing Dwarf Cavendish and Mahoi bananas for food. I built a heated greenhouse that will have a winter low temp of about 50 deg and a high of 75-80 so they will never die back. Do you think Dward Cavendish will fruit in my setup with low temps of 50? We get a lot of sun out here even in winter. I also want to get some Of the cultivars you have in this video!
They need to be spaced out more in single rows. Just like they do it in banana plantations. Try to chop off the sprouts and just leave the main banana plant. If you grow them in groups, all crowded they have a hard time fruiting.
Beautiful
Picturing you peeing on these bananas just made me laugh ridiculously. Thanks for the tips man! 🙏🏽🙏🏽
It happens every day during the growing season. No use paying for the city water 😂