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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Anyone grown banana trees?

Posted: 5/22/2015 1:58:20 PM EDT

Finally going to have my own place with enough land for a nice garden and a few fruit trees. Specifically thinking of getting a couple Cavendish and/or Cream/Ice Cream tree's. Open to alternatives if they're easier/better they'd be outside year round(grow zone 9 on most growing maps(near Houston))

So anyone done them before? Suggestions or tips? Don't do it?

Posted: 5/22/2015 2:23:44 PM EDT

[#1]

I recently read a really good book called "The Fish that Swallowed a Whale". It's about banana mogul Sam Zemurray. Great book! Sorry that's not the advice you are looking for, I'm sure.

Posted: 5/22/2015 2:50:03 PM EDT

[#2]

Tried growing one in central La. Even put it in a big pot so i could haul it
inside during a freeze. Hauled the damn thing in and out for two years.
Left for a couple of days on a hunting trip and a frost killed it.
So, maybe in Houston but not CenLa.

Posted: 5/22/2015 2:54:01 PM EDT

[#3]

Only input I can provide is that calling it a 'tree' is a misconception. It's actually the world's largest herb

Posted: 5/22/2015 3:34:59 PM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:
Tried growing one in central La. Even put it in a big pot so i could haul it
inside during a freeze. Hauled the damn thing in and out for two years.
Left for a couple of days on a hunting trip and a frost killed it.
So, maybe in Houston but not CenLa.

View Quote

The climate in the Continental United States is not very hospitable to banana trees.

Posted: 5/22/2015 5:40:42 PM EDT

[#5]

I grew up in Zone 7 (N. GA) and remember several yards with banana trees in them. They always melted in winter, but came back in the summer in a thicker stand. I don't think they got big enough to make bananas.

I live in Zone 6 now and I know of one house that has banana trees in the back yard. They come and go, also.

Posted: 5/22/2015 10:08:13 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
Tried growing one in central La. Even put it in a big pot so i could haul it
inside during a freeze. Hauled the damn thing in and out for two years.
Left for a couple of days on a hunting trip and a frost killed it.
So, maybe in Houston but not CenLa.

View Quote

I might give the cavendish a try first since they are small enough to be kept potted and hauled in if needed. Did your ever produce any fruit?

Posted: 5/22/2015 11:51:19 PM EDT

[#7]

I keep banana trees here for the leaves in cooking. I've used them to steam foods. I got my plants from a guy who grew bananas but it was in a heated greenhouse. You need something like 16+ feet trees to get bananas.

Posted: 5/23/2015 12:07:07 AM EDT

[#8]

I have grown them in Hawaii. I just planted a three tree bulb in the front yard, two years later it gave me my first fruit.

I have a friend with on in Missouri, she lets hers die off over the winter but it comes back strong every year. It will never have fruit, since they take 2-3 years to bear it, and if they are having to regenerate every year it isn't happening. We have one now in Japan, in a big pot, it will get lugged inside and out until it's big enough to give us 'nanas. The climate where we are is about the same as most of the continental US.

Every species is different, some only need to be chest high to have fruit, some have to be 12'.

Posted: 5/23/2015 1:51:38 AM EDT

[#9]

When I was kid my dad planted one in our backyard. In the 10yrs we lived in that house that one plant grew into many more and we got bananas after a few years. Just make sure where you plant them is where you want them because those things are like bamboo, you need to root them out to get rid of them.
ETA: We lived in the Valley(Harlingen, Tx.)

Posted: 5/23/2015 12:01:45 PM EDT

[#10]

Ive seen nana plants inground here in Va and Murderlad and my uncle has a couple in pots he hauls in and outdoors depending on season.

Havent seen it bear fruit yet in 3plus years hes had it.

Posted: 5/23/2015 10:41:27 PM EDT

[#11]

Did your ever produce any fruit?

View Quote

Nope, If i remember it was supposed to be three or four years
to harvest. The tree/herb was only about 5 feet tall when it froze.

Posted: 5/25/2015 12:12:34 PM EDT

[#12]

Going Bananas

Check out this website. They are located in Homestead, Florida and do ship.

ETA: It is my understanding that bananas are heavy feeders. So you might want to find a formula for a banana fertilizer. Going Bananas has one but they do not ship the fertilizer.

Posted: 5/25/2015 6:48:17 PM EDT

[#13]

The more water you give them, the better they will do. You CANNOT overfertilize them, try as you might. Put in a couple of different varieties, and be prepared to support the plants when they are tall and heavy with fruit...because most will fall over.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Anyone grown banana trees?

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