Manure or plants good soil and BANANAS IN compost is moisture and to keep excellent for the bananas heavily CENTRAL improving the mulched. soil. They also Bananas are hardy FLORIDA prefer a moist plants in Central soil. Bananas are Florida but tempera- ananas are a commonly grown not very drought tures below 34˚F will plant in Central Florida. They are tolerant and need damage the foliage. usually grown for the edible fruit supplemental Following a freeze, B watering during bananas can look and tropical look, but some are grown for their colorful inflorescences or dry periods. They pathetic with the ornamental foliage. Bananas are members are also heavy brown, lifeless foliage of the Musaceae Family. This family feeders and hanging from the includes plants found in the genera should be fed stem, but don’t let this Ensete, Musa, and Musella. Members of several times a fool or discourage you. year for optimum Once the weather this family are native mainly to south- Musa mannii eastern Asia, but some are also found growth. A good warms, new growth wild in tropical Africa and northeastern balanced fertilizer, such as 6-6-6 or quickly begins and green leaves arise. Australia. They are cultivated throughout 10-10-10 with micronutrients is best. After a couple of months, the plants are the tropics and subtropics and are an Also an application of extra potassium lush and healthy. The stems will not be important staple in many diets. Bananas (potash) is beneficial to the plants. Most damaged unless temperatures drop are not true trees but rather are large, bananas are susceptible to nematodes, so below 24˚F. If this happens, new growth herbaceous perennials. The trunk is those that are grown in rich soil and will quickly arise from the roots once fibrous but contains no woody tissue given adequate moisture are able to the weather warms but fruiting will be and grows from an resist this pest. delayed a year or so. Bananas are usually underground rhizome. Nematodes are a reliable fruiters in Central and South The trunk produces an microscopic, Florida but areas north of Ocala usually inflorescence after a worm-like grow bananas as an ornamental. period from 12-16 creature that Types of Bananas months. This stem only feed on the Basically, there are two types of flowers once in its life roots of bananas bananas: fruiting and ornamental. The and then dies. Once the and other fruiting bananas are also divided into process is completed, plants. Our two groups: ones that bear the sweet, new suckers arise to loose, sandy soil dessert-type fruit and the cooking type replace the fruiting stem is preferred by also known as plantains. These are a so the entire clump is nematodes. Soils type of banana that are very starchy with not lost. that have good little or no sweetness to them and need Growing Tips amounts of to be cooked in order to eat them. Bananas are very easy organic material There are hundreds of cultivars of edible to grow in Central and are moist bananas. These belong to two different Florida given the right are not to their species. Musa acuminata, are usually care. They are fast Musa ornata liking. shorter plants (5 to 8 feet tall) with a growing and respond well to water and Nematodes can heavier trunk. The cultivar ‘Dwarf nutrients. Most bananas prefer a sunny cause weak growing bananas or weak- Cavendish’ is popular in Central Florida or part shade location. They like fertile rooted bananas that will topple easily in and bears short sweet bananas. ‘Mahoi’, soil so it is a good idea to enrich the our sandy soil. Severe cases can cause the Double Banana, is unusual as it area where the banana is to be planted. death, so it is important to give the often bears two stalks of fruit per trunk. ‘Novak’, also known as the Super Dwarf silvery-green skin and a vanilla taste. maroon blotches and is a solid maroon Cavendish, is the shortest of all the ‘Pitogo’ bears bananas that resemble a on the undersides. Musa basjoo, Japanese bananas. It will only grow 2 to 3 feet tall tennis ball in size and shape. ‘Praying Banana, is probably the most cold hardy before it bears fruit. It is excellent for a Hands’ bears fruit that is fused together species. Well-mulched plants will survive small location or for containers. ‘Golden in pairs. ‘Rajapuri’ is an excellent variety. into USDA zone 7 and in the warmest Aromatic’ bears golden fruit that have a It is a strong grower, very resistant to parts of zone 6. It is grown for its lush, strong aroma. nematodes, and fruits tropical The other species of edible banana that dependably with sweet look, is usually grown is Musa x paradisiaca. bananas. It also only grows especially This plant is a hybrid between Musa 6 to 8 feet tall. ‘Saba’ is the in more acuminata and Musa balbisiana. These giant; it grows 20-30 feet northern, are usually taller (8 to 30 feet) plants tall with thick trunks. It temperate with more slender stems. The tall bears fruit that is excellent climates bananas that are very commonly seen in for cooking or when eaten where many yards in Central Florida are usually raw when fully ripened. It other the cultivars ‘Apple’ or ‘Orinoco’ and are makes a dramatic tropical bananas often called Horse or Ladyfinger Bananas. specimen in the landscape. would not There are many others that will grow ‘Thousand Finger’ bears an survive. well here, some with unusual fruit. ‘Ae inflorescence that can reach Musa Ae’ is probably the most ornamental of over 8 feet long and bears beccarii all the bananas. The leaves are variegated hundreds of inch-long grows 4-6 with white and it bears white-striped bananas. This is one of the feet tall fruit. It is very rare and can be difficult only bananas that can have with to cultivate. It needs a shaded location ripening and newly develop- slender and an acidic soil (pH of 5.5-6.5 is ing fruit on the same stalk. Musa velutina stems and best). ‘African Rhinohorn’ bears bananas Most often this banana falls over before bears an orangish-red inflorescence. that are 1-2 feet long. ‘Burmese Blue’ is it has finished the fruiting cycle, as it Musa laterita, often sold as Musa ornata becomes top ‘Bronze’, forms a large clump in a short heavy. time and bears a bronzish-orange The third inflorescence. Musa ornata, Purple groups of Banana, grows 5-10 feet tall with purple bananas are the inflorescence. It also comes in several ornamental varieties with red, white, pink, or rose species and colored inflorescences. Musa uranoscopus varieties. These is the Red-Flowering Banana and was are grown for formerly known as Musa coccinea. The their foliage or inflorescences are a brilliant reddish-orange. their colored This banana grows 5-10 feet tall and inflorescences prefers an acidic soil. The Chinese Yellow and bear small, Banana, Musella lasiocarpa, only grows inedible fruit full 3-5 feet tall. It will bear a bright yellow, of seeds. Besides upright inflorescence that resembles an Musella lasiocarpa members of the artichoke. This banana relative is hardy genus Musa, the into zone 7. Ensete ventricosum, a new cultivar that bears blue-skinned members of Ensete and Musella are also Abyssinian Banana, is a large, dramatic fruit. ‘Giant Plantain’ is a tall variety, grown. Musa acuminata ssp. sumatrana plant. It grows 10-15 feet tall. The 10-20 feet tall, and bears a cooking is the Blood Banana. It grows 6-8 feet trunk is usually very thick and stocky. plantain. ‘Ice Cream’ has bananas with a tall. The foliage is marked with reddish- – continued it matures. This Ensete has a cultivar, ready to be eaten. As a warning, all the Sources of Bananas ‘Maurelii’, that has spectacular foliage fruit ripens within several days of each Going Bananas with reddish-tinged foliage. other so be prepared to eat lots of bananas. Don & Katie Chafin The edible bananas produce fruit, The fruit will also ripen if left on the 24401 SW 197 Ave. which usually take 2-4 months to ripen. plant, but then it becomes attractive to Homestead, Florida 33031 When an inflorescence emerges, it squirrels, birds, rats, raccoons, and other (305) 247-0397 produces a purple “bud” at the end. The wildlife that can reach them, and you Fax: (305) 247-7877 bracts of this “bud” open to reveal the will have a reduced harvest. http://www.going-bananas.com/ flowers. The first flowers produced are Bananas at Leu Gardens the females. These will eventually form Here at Harry P. Leu Gardens, we are Stokes Tropicals the fruits. After this, male flowers are growing over 70 species and cultivars of P. O. Box 9868 produced. Modern bananas are sterile bananas. We have the largest collection New Iberia, Louisiana 70562 hybrids and will not produce seed. For of bananas of any public botanical 1-800-624-9706 home production, the “bud” may be garden in the United States. Most of the http://www.stokestropicals.com/ removed once all the female flowers bananas are located in the Tropical have emerged and fruit is forming. This Stream Garden. Bananas are easy to find This banana relative does not sucker prevents the plant from diverting energy locally at nurseries, garden centers and and is single trunked. It will grow for to produce the male flowers, which are farmers markets. Some of the rare and several years before it flowers. It will die not needed. More energy then can be more unusual ones will take some once it completes the flowering process, utilized by the plant for fruit production searching to find. One good source is but it will produce small, inedible bananas and better quality bananas are the result. the Spring Plant Sale here at Leu filled with seeds. This way new plants Once the bananas reach maturity the Gardens. Another source are mail-order can be grown to replace the deceased stalk of fruit can be harvested. When nurseries with Internet sites. parent. Some young specimens will have the stalk is cut, hang the fruit upside — Eric Schmidt a red stripe on the underside of the leaves down in a cool, shaded spot. In a week along the midrib but usually loses this as or so the bananas will turn color and are

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