Banana appeared in our country for a long time, and today this inexpensive, tasty and healthy tropical fruit of a herbal plant is incredibly popular. By the way, most people to the question: "How do bananas grow?" immediately answer: "On the palm trees." But no - in fact it is grass, albeit peculiar. The height of the plant can reach nine meters, and a 10-centimeter diameter of "blades of grass" is quite common. Fruits grow in inflorescences of 200-400 bananas, and those “clusters” that we buy in stores are a small brush of a real bunch. It is worth saying a few words about the collection of this fruit.
As soon as the bunch begins to form, the plant is immediately covered with a plastic wrap and left for 2-3 weeks until ready to harvest. Whole threats are cut off, of course, immature. Fifty-kilogram “happiness” falls on the shoulders of an adroit worker and is taken on foot to the workshop. Next - cutting, soaking, drying and packaging. After this collection, the plant dies. The process is incredibly cyclical. Plants on plantations grow continuously. While bananas of the “young” generation grow, new grass appears from the rhizomes of dying plants.
But I wonder how to grow a banana from seeds at home? An exotic plant is a wonderful addition to any interior, and pride in successful cultivation simply knows no bounds. So we know how bananas grow: this is grass. Based on the knowledge of the terrain in which this plant develops best, we can conclude that we need a temperature of about 25-28 ° C and a large amount of sunlight. The conditions are, of course, greenhouse, but not fantastic. Everything is real, everything is possible!
Now about the seeds. Buying seeds is easy enough at a flower shop or ordering online. They cost about 45 rubles for 3 pieces. There are about fifteen species, only four show the most successful survival rates:
- Indoor Banana "Abyssinian" / "Musa ensete";
- Banana decorative "Pygmy";
- Velvet Banana
- Velvet Banana "Musa Velutina".
If you purchased a non-decorative plant (seeds), then after 12 months you will see the first fruits of an exotic fruit. After you have purchased seeds and want to plant a banana, the question arises: “How to grow a seed?”, It’s unlikely that it’s enough to simply cover it with moist ground.
Unlike most seeds, bananas need scarification. Let's start in order. Or rather, we’ll analyze how bananas grow in indoor conditions and how to grow banana and seeds. For successful sowing, we need a moist substrate, which consists of peat, sheet soil, as well as charcoal and sand.
Now, about the process of scarification. This is a mechanical treatment of the seed: you need to partially remove the hard top layer from them. Then the seed is soaked in water for 2 days. Water needs to be changed periodically.
We place the seeds to a depth that is equal to their size, cover with a glass cap or a transparent bag. Now you have to come up and check several times a day how your banana is doing there. How to grow it in our climate? Everything is simple. If the temperature is below 20 ° C, then it would be better to think about an additional heat source.
In general, knowing how to plant and how bananas grow is not a guarantee of a successful planting. Despite the illusory simplicity of the process, it is extremely difficult to grow this exotic plant from scratch. Consider only the time factor. Germination of the seed requires a minimum of three months. Do not worry if after a month you do not see any results.
Growing bananas is a process for patient people and not everyone can do it. If you feel that you are ready to grow them, feel free to start! And if it’s still difficult for you to imagine bananas growing in the kitchen, then it means that you are still ahead! In the meantime, we wish you only success and patience!