Banana

Musa acuminata

Piesang (Afr.)

1/3

Banana is really not a "tree" but a fast growing herbaceous perennial arising from an underground rhizome. Most commercial bananas are classified as Cavendish bananas and are sweet with yellow skins. The Williams variety is tall growing and produces large cylindrical bunches of fruit. The uses range from culinary to medicinal applications, & can even be planted as ornamental in a tropical or sub-tropical garden. 'Lady little finger' is a variety often grown outside tropical areas with bunches of small fruit.

Planning

Difficulty

Easy

Flowering time

Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring

Fruiting time

Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring

Harvesting

Bananas are picked throughout the year with the main production season from early to mid summer. The fruit can be harvested by cutting the stalk when the bananas are plump but green. For tree-ripened fruit, cut one hand at a time as it ripens.

Propagation

Suckers

Propagated by suckers in the wild. Large suckers should be removed from vigorous clumps with a spade when at least three feet tall, during warm months and replanted same depth as it was growing next to motherplant.they will produce fruit in 3 years.

Seed

Sow seeds in Winter.

Special features

Crop rotation

Medium Feeder

Pot plant

Bananas make good container specimens if given careful attention. The plant will also need periodic re-potting as the old plant dies back and new plants develop.

Attracts birds

Attrects nectarivorous nectariniid birds.