Musa "Banana"
Some people refer to bananas as trees
or palms, but they are neither a tree nor a palm, but a giant
clumping tropical herb. Bananas are fast growing and most sucker
freely once the plant is established, which doesn't take long
after planting.. The pseudostem blooms once and dies after fruiting,
and the trunk should be cut down after fruit have been harvested.
Most banana plants can grow at the rate of a foot or more a day
if conditions are right (warm weather, lots of water, fertilizer
and a good rich soil). Bananas, because of their shallow root
system, likes a mulch of leaf mold and other organic matter,
added to the top of the soil throughout the growing season.
Ideal temperatures are between 89°F to 96°F
day time and 72°F to 84°F at night
, Most bananas stop growing when temperatures drop below 60°F.
Musa ssp. can be grown from the corm (The swollen, solid,
ususally subterranean base or stem). The banana produces smaller
corms known as cormels or cormlets that are attached to the mother plant. These
cormlets can be cut from the adult plant and potted up and a
new baby banana well grow, mature and produce bananas in the
next season. Musa acuminata "Dwarf Cavendish"
is one of the best tub plants for indoor (green house, sun room)
growing, small sized plant that produces fresh great tasting
bananas.
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