Many of us love all kinds of exotic fruits. Among the favorite treats, bananas occupy a leading position. The very idea of growing fruits in our latitudes seems fantastic. And yet in our article we want to talk about how to grow a banana at home. In good conditions, a tropical plant is able to delight hosts with fruits and herbs.
What is a banana?
A banana is a grass, not a palm, as many believe. Externally, the herbaceous plant, although it resembles a palm tree, however, has nothing to do with it. Its root is deep in the earth and has a spherical shape. But on the surface of the soil we see foliage tightly adjacent to each other. The leaves form a pseudostem, on which later an inflorescence appears. The stem dies after fruiting, but a new one quickly appears in its place. The roots of the plant live in the ground up to 40 years, constantly giving new shoots. During all this time, bananas bear fruit.
Plants propagate by seeds, as well as amniotic shoots and division of rhizomes. The bananas we purchase at the supermarket have no seeds. They reproduce vegetatively. Plants growing from seeds, as a rule, are not used as food, since there is very little pulp inside the fruit and it is tasteless. Such plants are bred exclusively for decorative purposes. Some varieties of culture reach a height of 12 meters. Others are so small that they can be grown at home. Bananas are demanding on the conditions of detention.
Plant history
Experts say that the history of the plant has more than 10,000 years. In Southeast Asia, an exotic culture emerged as a valuable food product long before rice and sugarcane appeared. Presumably, the plant is home to Ceylon. Images of bananas are found in frescoes of Ancient Egypt and Assyria. Also, references to it are present in Greek manuscripts, chronicles of the Romans and other peoples. In the Middle Ages, banana trees took root on the African continent. Very imperceptibly, culture has become an important food item for local residents. In the following centuries, the plant successfully spread to the Canary Islands, as well as to South America. And at the beginning of the twentieth century, a decorative banana became a favorite exotic for Europeans, due to its unusual appearance.
Cultivars
Despite the fact that a banana is a grass, it reaches a considerable height in the open ground. Conventionally, all varieties of plants can be divided into two types: fruit and decorative. It is the latter that are grown at home for landscaping and decoration. The fruits of such plants can not be eaten. As an indoor banana, you can grow lavender and velvety. They reach a height of 1.5 meters. The bright red banana reaches meter height.
Of the fruit varieties, the most popular is the dwarf Cavendish variety. Mini bananas are grown at home for delicious fruits. The plant is able to reach two meters in height. In 1998, the variety "Kiev dwarf" (1.7 meters) and "Kiev super dwarf" (1 meter) were introduced. Breeders claim that all of these varieties can be grown at home. And to the taste, the fruits will not be inferior to the store ones.
Banana seeds
If you plan to grow a banana at home, then there are two options to get the desired plant - purchase in a store or grow from seeds yourself. The first option is simpler, and the second will require more effort and attention from you. "Where to buy banana seeds?" - you ask. It is worth visiting any specialized store in which exotic plants are presented. Also, seeds are widely represented in online stores. Having acquired them, you can begin to land. But first you need to figure out how to plant banana seeds. Even outwardly it is noticeable that they have a fairly dense shell, so when landing on it you need to make notches. To do this, just rub the seeds on sandpaper. This will be quite enough for them to sprout.
Next, you need to choose the right pot or drawer for planting. Too much capacity is not suitable, because the soil in it can sour. Seeds must be planted at a distance of 15 centimeters from each other. To obtain nutritious soil, peat and sand are combined in a ratio of 1: 4. Seeds are laid on the surface of moist soil by slightly pressing them. Sprinkle with earth above. But spraying with water from a spray gun is worth it. Next, the containers are covered with a film on top. Pots should be in a bright and warm place, but direct rays should not fall on them. The soil must be moistened as needed. But this should be done carefully so as not to provoke decay and mold.
If you did everything right, then the shoots will certainly appear. True, they will have to wait two to three months. But after their appearance, rapid growth will begin. In a couple of weeks it will be possible to remove the film and plant the plants in a permanent place.
Preparing to plant a banana
How to grow a banana at home if you purchased it in a store? At first, the plant must be kept in partial shade, because it needs to get used to changing places. After two weeks, an indoor banana can be transplanted. The culture is growing rapidly, so the transplant will have to be done every two months. The pot must be selected based on the size of the plant (from 3 to 10 centimeters in diameter). Each new container should be two centimeters in diameter wider than the previous one. Spacious pots cannot be used initially. In addition, the plant needs good drainage.
For planting, you need to prepare the soil. It can be obtained by mixing humus (150 g), wood ash (100 g) and river sand (250 g). You can also use the finished soil purchased in the store.
How to plant a banana at home?
Planting a plant is not difficult. An expanded clay layer is poured into the container. First, holes should be made in the pot through which excess moisture will leave. Their presence is a prerequisite for growing banana at home. Otherwise, the water will stagnate, which will lead to decay of the plant
A layer of soil is poured onto the drainage. The plant is planted in the center of the pot and filled with soil. After planting, you need to water the banana. For culture, you should choose a sunny place, protected from direct rays. For growing banana at home, the optimum temperature is +25 ... + 30 ° C. In winter, the plant can withstand +20 ° C.
Watering organization
For the plant, proper care is very important, which consists in observing the humidity of the air, the irrigation regime and the introduction of regular dressings. Since the banana is a resident of the tropics, he loves moisture. Therefore, it must be watered abundantly, but not too often. If you notice that the topsoil has dried up a few centimeters, then it's time to moisten the soil. At the same time, you need to remember that the plant does not tolerate excessive moisture. Stagnation of water leads to rotting of the roots and death of the banana.
A crop tolerates drought much better than waterlogging. Bananas love a humid environment, so at home you need to spray the plant often. Especially humidity should be monitored in the summer. Experienced flower growers in order to avoid stagnation of water recommend putting pots on expanded clay or sand.
Feeding
In conditions of home cultivation, the culture needs regular feeding. To do this, you can use organic fertilizers (manure, droppings, humus) and inorganic substances (nitroammophoskos, superphosphate).
The use of bird droppings is very effective. However, a slightly increased concentration of fertilizer can lead to the death of the plant. Feeding with yeast water, nettle tinctures and weeds is equally useful. Under comfortable conditions, after the appearance of 15-18 leaves, the plant begins to bloom.
Disease
All plant ailments are associated with improper conditions. They lead to the appearance of undesirable consequences. If you notice any changes in the color of the leaves, you need to take a closer look at the plant. It is necessary to distinguish diseases from physical problems. So, for example, drilling the edges of leaves and drying them out is not an ailment. Similar signs suggest that the banana lacks potassium and moisture in the air. If the plant lowered the foliage, this indicates that it is cold. When waterlogging the soil from the plant, an unpleasant putrefactive odor begins to emit, and the lower part of the trunk begins to soften. Subsequently, brown stains appear on it. If you do not take action, the plant may die.
If we talk about pests, then the most dangerous for a room banana are spider mites and thrips. In summer, the plant can also be affected by leaf aphids and meadow moths. If you live in a city apartment, then the likelihood of danger is low. Experts recommend Fitoverm as a means of combating ticks. You can use garlic infusion (for 0.5 l of water 6 cloves of garlic). Agravertin and Fitoverm saves from thrips, as well as a decoction of onions (70 g of husk per 350 g of water).
Flowering plants
Flowering of the culture begins from the moment the sprout with bud bud is ejected. After falling of its petals, beige inflorescences will appear. It is from them that the fruits will appear in the future. Mini banana blooms all year long. During this time, its clusters will fall lower and lower. After ripening bananas, the ground shoot dies. And from the roots new shoots will grow.
Instead of an afterword
According to experts, growing mini bananas at home is quite possible. With good care, you can achieve their flowering. An exotic plant is appreciated by amateurs primarily for its unusual appearance. A tropical resident loves the heat and humidity that are characteristic of his homeland. Therefore, in an apartment culture, it is necessary to provide suitable conditions for successful cultivation.