I’m Going Bananas!

Yes, that’s right.  I am going bananas!  Well, actually, I’m growing bananas.  And I have been for several years now.  Am I an expert? Maybe.  But, it really doesn’t take much to be one at all!  See how you can become an expert banana grower below!

(Picture below from my exhibition garden at Longwood Gardens).

For the past three years, I have been raising a few difference banana cultivars in my garden at Longwood and at home.  The one I am going to tell you about isn’t actually a true banana, but it looks like one and is related!  It’s a false banana, or the Abyssinian banana, Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’.  Ensete is the ‘genus’ for false bananas and E. ventricosum is the ‘specific epithet’ of that species.  The scientific, Latin name for true bananas is Musa sp. (ie. Musa acuminata) which is an edible banana that actually produces edible fruit, unlike the Abyssinian banana, which does not produce edible fruit.  The Abyssinian banana is a relative of the true, edible banana and is in the same Musaceae family (see the ‘musa’ in the beginning of the family name?).  In a tropical climate, Ensete ventricosum will produce flowers and fruit one time.  It is a monocarpic plant, which means it will flower and form fruit one time, then die!  ‘Mono‘ means ‘one’ and ‘carpic‘ is Latin for ‘fruit’.  So, in this region, we need to grow it as an annual plant, strictly for it’s foliage qualities.  Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’ is a reddish-purple variety of that species that is very attractive!

Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’ is a cold hardiness zone 10-11 plant.  The higher the number, typically, the more mild, or warmer the climate.  In Northern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, we are a zone 7a.  Sunset National Garden Book gives more specific, detailed zone descriptions to particular regions.  A cold hardiness zone is helpful, but other information is helpful when growing unique, unusual plants.

An English, informal-style planting in my Longwood Garden.

Now.  If we can grow these bananas as annuals in our climate (during the frost-free period, May 15-October 15), how do we take care of them over the winter, when they can’t grow outdoors in the freezing, wet conditions?

The solution is very, very simple.  Much more simple than you can imagine.  Here it is…

1.) Dig it out in October after the first frost.  2.) Put it in any type of pot, no need for extra soil.  3.) Chop the whole plant down to 6-12″.  4.) Put it in your basement.  5.) Come back in early May and plant it back outdoors!

Yes.  It’s that easy.  I have done this for three years in a row, same plant (and with other species and varieties).  No need to water, fertilizer, OR add supplemental light for the plant during the winter.

Step #1.  Dig out the plant after the first frost in October, or just expect it to snow unexpectedly in mid-October.  Not!  Try and wait for it to frost so that the plant will send it’s energy down to the roots.

(this plant turned to mush after this snow!)

Step #2 AND #3. Put it in a pot, chop it down to 6-12″ high.  The whole thing.

Step #4. Put it in your basement.  Somewhere it won’t get wet.  No need to put it near a window or anything.  Just take it down there and leave it down there!

This is after the banana was in the basement for one month.  It will actually sprout up, using the stored energy in the roots!  Even in complete darkness!

See how banana plants have one, central shoot?  This originated from the central, apical meristem.  Bananas and other Monocots only have one meristem, or, place where growth originates.  There are no branches, like Dicots (woody trees, shrubs, many perennials, etc.).  This means that if the apical meristem (at base of plant, above the root zone) is damaged or cut too low, the plant most likely won’t survive.  Unless it produces ‘pups’ at the base of the plant, originating from the main, apical meristem.  Does that make sense?

Below is my hardy banana, Musa basjoo.  I only purchased this plant in August, and it was in a one-gallon pot.  So, it didn’t store up as much energy or form a large root system.  The shoot it’s producing is much smaller and slower than the Ensete.

Step #5. Come back in early May to prepare it for the outdoors!  It would probably be best to move it to the garage, near a window.  This will acclimate it to having more sunlight.  Give it a sip of water.

By around May 15, after the frost-free date, you may move it outdoors for it’s summer location.  The plant should be in full sunlight.  Fertilizing is optional, I haven’t fertilized mine at all this year and you can see how large it got.  Actually, I returned from Washington State in July and found it still in the basement!  It was in rough shape by then, but I took it outside to enjoy the heat and humidity in our Lancaster County summer.

A picture of my Longwood Garden, again.  With a few other tropicals, including; Musa acuminata ‘Dwarf Red’ (true banana), Hedychium (ginger), and the same Ensete I have had for three years now.

That’s it!  The cool thing about growing tropical like these is that the winter care for each of them is pretty similar.  Most that have good root storage structures are able to hang out in your basement for the winter.  Now that I am renovating the garden around my house, I will plan to incorporate more tropical and sub-tropical plants!

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