🍌 GROWING GUIDE – Banana Trees

Banana plants are among the easiest and most spectacular tropical plants to grow. They grow quickly, give a lush effect, and can even produce in greenhouses or pots when they receive enough warmth.

Repotting

Use a wide, stable pot, as banana plants produce several offshoots. The ideal potting mix is light, such as Promix HP with a little perlite. Repot only when the roots are growing out of the pot. Avoid overly large pots that retain too much water.

Light

Banana plants love intense light and heat. Full, direct sunlight is perfect. Indoors, choose the brightest window possible or use grow lights. Outdoors, they grow large and vigorous.

Watering

Keep the soil consistently slightly moist, but not waterlogged. In summer, water daily. In winter, water much less frequently, depending on the amount of sunlight. Use lukewarm water.

Fertilizer

Banana plants are heavy feeders. Apply a 20-20-20 fertilizer or a nitrogen fertilizer once or twice a week during the summer. Actisol works very well to boost growth. Stop fertilizing in the winter.

Temperature

Banana trees love the heat: 22 to 35°C is ideal. They stop growing below 12°C and quickly suffer below 8°C.

Flowering and fruit

Dwarf varieties produce most easily in pots. With warmth, light, and fertilizer, fruit sets can appear after 12 to 24 months.

Wintering

Keep them above 12°C and reduce watering. Banana plants may lose some leaves in winter, which is normal.

Tropico-Québec Advice

Remove any excess suckers to concentrate energy on the main plant. In a greenhouse, banana plants literally explode with growth.