Peculiarities of growing bananas at home

Bananas are a beloved southern fruit, adored by children from the cradle, and are also a highly versatile food. They're used as a filling in many desserts, can be used as an egg substitute in pancakes and muffins, and have a unique, pleasant flavor and aroma.

We'll tell you how to grow a banana at home, because every gardener probably dreams of having a banana tree growing under their window or at least in a flowerpot inside. Today, this dream is closer to reality than ever before, and growing bananas at home can be quite successful.

First of all, I'd like to emphasize to gardeners that if you have to choose between buying seeds or a potted plant, it's better to choose the latter. Seeds can be unpredictable, and even if they do sprout, there's no guarantee the fruit, which you'll have to wait years for, will be tasty and edible. Potted plants are usually adapted plants propagated vegetatively from known "ancestors," if you can call them that.

Dwarf banana varieties are ideal for growing bananas at home or in the garden. These trees grow relatively small and require less care. However, as you can imagine, even a dwarf banana will require plenty of effort and worry.

How to grow a sprout from a banana seed?

Banana seeds are large, dark kernels covered in a hard shell. Before planting, each seed must be scarified. There's no need to pierce or cut it. Simply rub each seed with a nail file to slightly break the hard shell. Scarification allows the sprout to emerge.
You can plant the seeds in a long pot, spacing them about 15 centimeters apart. Place the seeds almost on the soil surface and press them just slightly deeper, leaving a gap. You can cover the pot with plastic wrap, but remember to remove it every 3-4 days and mist the soil surface with water.

Waiting for the seedlings to emerge requires patience, as they won't appear for at least two months. However, the green petals will grow very quickly, and after just a week, they'll need to be transplanted into a separate, larger pot.

Peculiarities of growing bananas at home from sprouts

Basic requirements for a banana sprout:

• good drainage;
• weekly feeding;
• soil consisting of peat and sand;
• good lighting.
Of course, if you plan to plant a banana tree seedling in the ground, then a slightly different approach is needed.

Banana tree in the country

Let's start with the fact that some sources claim that banana rhizomes are so strong and resilient that they easily withstand frosts down to -20 degrees Celsius. However, much depends on the variety. After consulting with experts and ensuring the roots are resilient, the next step is planting the banana in the ground.

The technique is quite simple, not much different from planting any other tree. Choose a location that's warm and sunny from the first days of spring. During the first summer, the banana tree requires special care and attention. Just before the first frost, the trunk will need to be cut back, leaving only 10 centimeters above the ground. Cover the entire area with agrofibre or sawdust—whatever you prefer.

When the tree is planted in the ground for the second spring, remove the covering when the first warm weather arrives. You'll be able to see a new young shoot emerging from the trunk, which has softened over the winter. It's important to understand that the following winter, you'll need to trim the branches and some leaves, and wrap the trunk with insulation. Another option is to bring the tree into a cold basement for the winter.

Do you want kiwi growing in your home? Find out, How to grow kiwi from seeds at home.