Post #783600 by Prikli Pear on Fri, Feb 2, 2018 6:31 PM

On 2018-02-02 13:24, Cap'n_Crafty_McGrim_II wrote:

On 2018-02-01 18:57, Prikli Pear wrote:
Yes, they only fruit once. But the parent plant suckers pups, and these will fruit in turn. Under the right conditions, you can get a grove of banana plants after starting with just one.

Nice! I have to try that!

Bananas like three things: Lots of sunshine, water and fertilizer (composted manure is great, and better for them than chemical alternatives). Give them that and you'll have more plants than you know what to do with. Basjoo is a super-cold-hardy Japanese cultivar that has inedible fruit but is used for its fiber. If you're not worried about fruit, it's a great low-care choice. And there are super-dwarf varieties that can be grown in pots for the space/climate impaired. The edible types generally take a year of uninterrupted growth before they fruit (that is, if they freeze to the ground, the clock resets) and another 4-5 months or so after that for the fruit to mature and ripen. Going Bananas has a great variety of banana cultivars and descriptions. Their plants are grown from tissue culture, which ensures they're true to type and disease free. I've bought from them in the past and have been impressed with the quality of the plants I've received in the mail.

[ Edited by: Prikli Pear 2018-02-02 18:31 ]