There are many plants in which at first glance you can unmistakably identify a guest from the hot tropics. Banana is definitely one of these plants.
Many of us have seen bananas that grow in open ground: some are on TV, and some are in southern resorts. This is perennial herbaceous plant, which is sometimes called banana, which is incorrect. The banana has nothing to do with the palm family, but forms its own family - Bananaceae.
Representatives of the family can grow up to 12 meters and have a stem (or rather, a pseudostem) with a diameter of tens of centimeters. The real stem of a banana is hidden underground, it is a kind of rhizome, or rhizome.
Dwarf banana varieties
It's quite hard to imagine this big plant and houses. However, among the representatives of the family there are also dwarf varieties of bananas. They grow no higher than 1.5 meters and are quite suitable for home use.
Some dwarf varieties - Musa velutina(Velvet banana), Musa violacea(Banana purple) Musa coccinea(Banana is bright red), Musa ornata(Banana lavender) and others - can only be performed. Even if they bloom, they will produce inedible fruits containing more seeds than pulp. But there are varieties such as Musa Cavendish Dwarf(up to 2.4 m tall) and Musa Super Cavendish Dwarf(up to 1.3 m tall), which produce edible, delicious fruits. One of distinctive features fruit bananas are large dark burgundy spots appearing on the leaves of young plants.
In 2000, I was lucky enough to purchase Musa Super Cavendish Dwarf. It bloomed for the first time in my apartment in the 7th year, and a dozen fruits of first-class taste ripened on it. But its basal offspring (or baby) bloomed already in the 5th year.
There is information in the literature that it is possible to achieve banana flowering at two or three years of age. But this rather refers to the plants contained in winter gardens and greenhouses. In apartment conditions, it is difficult to achieve flowering from a banana of this age.
Planting material
Decorative dwarf bananas: Musa velutina(velvet banana), Musa violacea(banana purple) Musa coccinea(banana is bright red), Musa ornata(banana lavender) are propagated by seeds, which are sold in flower shops, including Russian and foreign online stores. True, according to reviews from exotic lovers, the germination rate of seeds is not very high, but success is becoming more common. With fruit dwarf varieties bananas such as MUSA Cavendish Dwarf And Musa Super Cavendish Dwarf, the situation is more complicated. They reproduce by basal suckers. Therefore, such bananas can only be purchased from amateurs. exotic plants on flower forums or in specialized flower shops. Musa Cavendish Dwarf in some flower shops it is sold under the name Kyiv dwarf. Sometimes you can find Dutch bananas in stores called Tropicana. I think this is one of the varieties Musa Cavendish Dwarf.
Some exotic lovers bring banana sprouts from tropical countries, such as Thailand, Vietnam, etc. When purchasing, you must specify exactly what you need. dwarf banana. You can ask for a phytocertificate. If they give you a phytocertificate, good. If not, no big deal. I have brought plants from Thailand several times without such certificates. The Thais do not pay attention to this, but to cross our border you must remember that only the transportation of soil is prohibited. Therefore, just before flying home, you need to shake off the roots of the plant from the soil (this is possible without much fanaticism, since no one will make claims for a small amount), wrap the roots in wet wipe(or toilet paper) and put in plastic bag or cut in half plastic bottle. Immediately upon arrival home, plant it in the ground.
Growing banana: care rules
Banana - unpretentious plant, so caring for it is not difficult. To grow bananas, you can use any purchased banana, without special preferences. Although experts often recommend well-drained nutritional mixtures made from leafy soil, A and sand (2:2:1). Expanded clay or charcoal. When planting, you can deepen the plant a little. This will not harm the banana.
It is preferable to keep the banana in the brightest possible place: . In dimly lit places, the banana will develop worse and flowering may not occur.
Try to fertilize every 10-14 days. Preferably. However, banana is responsive to any feeding.
The plant loves abundant watering, because... its leaves are large and evaporate significant amount moisture. Watering time can be determined as follows: upper layer the soil should dry to a depth of 2 cm. Water until water appears in the pan, from which there is no need to drain the water. However, pouring and drying a banana is quite difficult. Therefore, you don’t have to worry if you watered too actively in your absence.
Periodically it is necessary to loosen the surface layer of soil (to a depth of 2 cm), this will allow air access to the roots. I usually do this once a month.
If white roots appear from the drainage holes, the plant requires replanting (or rather transferring) into another pot, about 5 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. Sometimes young white roots appear on the surface. In this case, you also need to add a little soil on top.
It is believed that to begin bearing fruit, a banana must master a pot with a volume of 30-50 liters and have a large leaf mass. My bananas bloomed and fruited in 35 liter pots. After flowering and fruiting, the pseudostem from which the peduncle grew dies. And from the rhizome, a new offspring (baby) begins to actively grow, which in a few years should produce the same peduncle. Typically, a rhizome lives for about 40 years and constantly produces basal suckers, which replace each other after fruiting.
Banana propagation
Bananas are propagated by separating offspring, because These bananas do not have seeds in their fruits.
I usually separate the offspring when they reach a height of 10-15 cm. I do it as follows:
- Using a sharp knife, I cut off a piece of the rhizome along with the shoot, 5-8 cm wide. Usually this part of the rhizome already has several roots and the shoot endures separation from the mother plant less painfully.
- I sprinkle the cut areas on the rhizome with ash.
- After this, I plant the offspring with part of the rhizome in new pot, which is 2-4 cm wider than the cut rhizome.
- I place the pot with the offspring in a bright, warm place (temperature +20...30°C), shading it from direct sun rays.
A banana can withstand a temperature drop to 0°C for a short time (for several days). I conducted such experiments. But it is preferable for him to have a warm winter with temperatures not lower than +10...15 °C, the same favorable temperature all year round+20...+30°С.
What problems might arise?
Of the pests at home, the only pests that usually live on bananas are: spider mite. But he's not the biggest problem.
A banana in an apartment suffers much more from dry air. Because of this, the edges of the leaves begin to dry out prematurely, which is why the plant looks untidy. Drying edges can be safely trimmed without touching living tissue. And when the leaf begins to turn yellow, cut it off completely. An actively growing banana usually shoots out leaves in 1-2 weeks, and they form a pseudostem. The dying off of leaves also happens quite quickly - there is no need to be afraid of this, just remove dried and yellowing leaves as necessary.
It is quite obvious that it is impossible to provide humidity in an apartment, which is maintained in greenhouses (above 70-80%) and is most suitable for people from the humid jungle. To increase the likelihood of flowering, you can use a humidifier or spray regularly. In such conditions, a banana will look more attractive and delight you for many years with its exotic appearance and delicious fruits.
Experienced gardeners always have crystalline iron sulfate, or ferrous sulfate, in their garden medicine cabinet. Like many others chemicals, it has properties that protect garden and berry crops from numerous diseases and insect pests. In this article we will talk about the features of use iron sulfate for treating garden plants from diseases and pests and about other options for its use on the site.
There were times when the concepts of “garden tree”, “family tree”, “collection tree”, “multi tree” simply did not exist. And it was possible to see such a miracle only on the farm of the “Michurintsy” - people who were amazed by their neighbors, looking at their gardens. There, not just varieties ripened on one apple, pear or plum tree different terms ripening, but also in a variety of colors and sizes. Not many people despaired of such experiments, but only those who were not afraid of numerous trials and errors.
The climatic conditions of our country, unfortunately, are not suitable for growing many crops without seedlings. Healthy and strong seedlings are the key to a high-quality harvest, in turn, the quality of seedlings depends on several factors: Even healthy-looking seeds can be infected with pathogens that long time remain on the surface of the seed, and after sowing, getting into favorable conditions, are activated and affect young and immature plants
Our family loves tomatoes very much, so most of the garden beds are devoted to this particular crop. Every year we try to try new ones interesting varieties, and some of them take root and become loved. At the same time, over many years of gardening, we have already developed a set of favorite varieties that are required to be planted every season. We jokingly call such tomatoes varieties “ special purpose» - for fresh salads, juice, pickling and storage.
The snow has not yet completely melted, and the restless owners suburban areas They are already in a hurry to evaluate the scope of work in the garden. And there really is something to do here. And perhaps the most important thing to think about is in early spring– how to protect your garden from diseases and pests. Experienced gardeners they know that these processes cannot be left to chance, and delays and delays in processing can significantly reduce the yield and quality of the fruit.
If you cook yourself soil mixtures for growing indoor plants, then it’s worth taking a closer look at a relatively new, interesting and, in my opinion, necessary component - coconut substrate. Everyone has probably seen at least once in their life a coconut and its “shaggy” shell covered with long fibers. Many delicious products are made from coconuts (actually a drupe), but the shells and fibers used to be just industrial waste.
Fish and cheese pie is a simple lunch or dinner idea for your daily or Sunday menu. The pie is designed for small family of 4-5 people with a moderate appetite. This pastry has everything at once - fish, potatoes, cheese, and a crispy dough crust, in general, almost like a closed pizza calzone, only tastier and simpler. Canned fish can be anything - mackerel, saury, pink salmon or sardines, choose according to your taste. This pie is also prepared with boiled fish.
Fig, fig, fig tree - these are all names of the same plant, which we strongly associate with Mediterranean life. Anyone who has ever tasted fig fruits knows how delicious they are. But, in addition to their delicate sweet taste, they are also very beneficial for health. And this is what interesting detail: It turns out that figs are a completely unpretentious plant. In addition, it can be successfully grown on a plot in middle lane or in the house - in a container.
This delicious creamy seafood soup takes just under an hour to prepare and turns out tender and creamy. Choose seafood according to your taste and budget, it can be Seafood Cocktail, and king prawns, and squid. I made soup with large shrimp and mussels in their shells. Firstly, it is very tasty, and secondly, it is beautiful. If you are preparing it for a holiday dinner or lunch, then mussels in their shells and large unpeeled shrimp look appetizing and pretty on the plate.
Quite often, difficulties in growing tomato seedlings arise even among experienced summer residents. For some, all the seedlings turn out to be elongated and weak, for others, they suddenly begin to fall and die. The thing is that it is difficult to maintain in an apartment ideal conditions for growing seedlings. Seedlings of any plants need to be provided with plenty of light, sufficient humidity and optimal temperature. What else do you need to know and observe when growing tomato seedlings in an apartment?
Tomato varieties of the “Altai” series are very popular among gardeners due to their sweet, delicate taste, more reminiscent of the taste of a fruit than a vegetable. These are large tomatoes, the weight of each fruit is on average 300 grams. But this is not the limit, there are larger tomatoes. The pulp of these tomatoes is characterized by juiciness and fleshiness with a slight pleasant oiliness. You can grow excellent tomatoes from the “Altai” series from “Agrosuccess” seeds.
Long years Aloe remained the most underrated houseplant. And this is not surprising, because the widespread distribution of aloe vera in the last century led to the fact that everyone forgot about other types of this amazing succulent. Aloe is a plant, primarily an ornamental one. And when making the right choice type and variety can outshine any competitor. In fashionable florariums and in ordinary pots, aloe is a hardy, beautiful and surprisingly durable plant.
Delicious vinaigrette with apple and sauerkraut- vegetarian salad from cooked and chilled, raw, pickled, salted, pickled vegetables and fruits. The name comes from the French vinegar sauce, olive oil and mustard (vinaigrette). Vinaigrette appeared in Russian cuisine not so long ago, around the beginning of the 19th century; perhaps the recipe was borrowed from Austrian or German cuisine, since the ingredients for Austrian herring salad are very similar.
When we dreamily sort through bright packets of seeds in our hands, we are sometimes subconsciously convinced that we have a prototype of a future plant. We mentally allocate a place for it in the flower garden and look forward to the cherished day of the appearance of the first bud. However, buying seeds does not always guarantee that you will eventually get the desired flower. I would like to draw attention to the reasons why seeds may not sprout or die at the very beginning of germination.
Do you know how bananas grow? Most of us, when eating another banana, probably thought about the journey this very fruit made from distant warm countries, how it grew on a huge banana palm tree with huge leaves, ripened for a long time under the scorching African rays, surrounded by its many fellows, and miraculously survived from raids by the ubiquitous monkeys and elephants... No matter how!
For starters, a banana is a herbaceous plant, a grass with a huge trunk and giant leaves, and not a palm tree at all. Such sizes of grass suggest unusual and rather interesting processes of development and reproduction of bananas. Let's find out in more detail how bananas grow?
Banana (Musa-lat.) is a genus of herbaceous fast-growing perennials, numbering about 40 species. We are more interested in the same bananas that we eat every day. 
In nature, oddly enough, there are such bananas in growing wild does not exist. What we see on store shelves are the fruits of plants bred by breeders. Real bananas usually have inedible fruits oval shape filled with seeds.
Visible trunk banana tree is formed from massive stems of leaves that grow quickly and die off as they grow. In warm weather, one leaf grows in a week, reaching a width of 60 cm and a length of up to 2.5 m. After approximately 45 leaves appear, after 8-10 months, the banana produces one single peduncle.
Typically blooming at night or in the morning, industrial bananas reveal a variety of flowers. white tubular in shape, and filled with a lot of sweet nectar. Banana flowers grow in tiers: at the bottom there are several rows of female flowers, they are larger; higher up are bisexual flowers, and even higher are the tiers of the smallest male flowers. After pollination, the upper flowers fall off, and fruits are obtained only from female banana flowers.
Banana fruits also develop in tiers called arms. During the ripening process, the banana fruit (technically a berry) undergoes a transformation from light green to yellow or red, depending on the variety. The flesh is white, cream or orange. Bananas are cut while still green, so they can be stored longer, protected from rodents and transported for export.
After fruiting ends, all visible above-ground parts of the banana tree die. On next year The banana repeats its growth cycle. 
In nature, some types of bananas live for about a hundred years. Artificial plantations need to be updated every 10-15 years. The fruits of selection bananas are sterile, so propagation is carried out vegetatively, by shoots or by dividing rhizomes. Don't look for seeds in bananas, they aren't there.
Features of care after purchase
After purchasing a germinated houseplant, keep it at rest several days in exactly the place where the banana will grow. The plant then follows transplant into a pot of appropriate size.
IMPORTANT! When buying a plant, find out whether the variety you choose produces edible fruits. Unfortunately, not all home and garden bananas are edible.
Trimming
Home and garden banana does not need in trimming. It is pruned only in case of rejuvenation of the plant or to cut off the damaged above-ground part.
Bloom
A well-developed banana that has produced up to 18 large leaves, blooms. Rosettes appear in which red-violet flower buds bloom. They last from 3 months to 1 year, eventually starting to sink to the ground.
How a banana blooms - photo:
Lighting
A tropical plant needs good diffused lighting - then it will develop safely and bear fruit. Therefore, it is better to place a homemade banana on the south, eastern or southeast windowsill. Or next to the corresponding windows, if the plant has already reached a large size.
If there is no such possibility, and the only affordable option - north window, it is necessary to resort to additional lighting.
However, even such a light-loving plant as a banana needs protect from direct sunlight so that they do not burn its leaves.
Therefore, home and garden (as well as balcony) bananas are needed shade from direct rays of the sun using gauze.
Temperature
The indoor heat-loving southerner grows poorly if the temperature becomes below 16 degrees Celsius.
Therefore, in summer it must be surrounded by warmth. at 24-26 degrees. It is also important to protect the banana from drafts.
Air humidity
Another one necessary for successful cultivation factor - high humidity . In summer, indoor banana should be sprayed at least once a day.
It would also be important to place a container with wet expanded clay next to it. In winter, the issue of humidity becomes less important: spraying can be done only once every 7 days.
For a garden banana, you can shower it with a hose once a week.
Watering
Banana needs much water, but the main rule of watering remains unchanged: moisture should not stagnate in the soil. Therefore, you need to water the plant when the 2-centimeter top soil layer has dried out (this can be easily checked by touch).
In winter, even less frequent watering is required. Tap water It’s quite suitable for watering, but it should sit for at least a day and the temperature should be close to room temperature (or even slightly exceed it by a couple of degrees).
IMPORTANT! For better flow of water and air to the roots, the soil must be carefully loosened periodically. In the case of an indoor representative, you can use a stick with a blunt end for these purposes.
The soil
Banana prefers neutral or slightly acidic soil. For a home specimen, it is prepared from the following components:
- 1 bucket of soil from under a linden tree, walnut or acacia;
- 0.5 liters of ash;
- 1 liter of humus;
- 2 liters of coarse sand.
The resulting mixture must be poured with boiling water to get rid of possible pests.
Concerning garden banana, then, if the soil on the site is unsuitable, you should add a couple of buckets of rotted manure, a handful of complex fertilizer and half a bucket of sand to the planting hole.
Fertilizers
Banana boasts good growth and a corresponding good appetite. It requires feeding once a week in summer and once a month in winter.
How to feed him at home? For this purpose alternate:
- Humus(cow only): dilute 200 g of manure with 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 24 hours.
- Ash: 1 tablespoon diluted with 1 liter of water.
- Green manure fertilizers: Pour 1 tablespoon of chopped herbs into 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 24 hours.
IMPORTANT! Chemical fertilizers are contraindicated for bananas - they can damage its root system.
Fertilizers for bananas are applied immediately after watering.
Plant growth
banana growing extremely fast. Every two weeks the plant produces new leaf. In less than a year, it can overcome the height two meters(if provided for by this type and variety). Therefore, in the first stages of plant care you may need more frequent transplantation.
Winter care
Before the onset of cold weather, you need to insulate the banana for the winter: the roots of the garden banana should be sprinkled dry sawdust, and cover the ground part cardboard box, wrap the film outside and secure the shelter well so that it not blown away by the wind.
The main thing that the roots are not frozen: everything else related to the above-ground part of the plant is fixable and restoreable.
If the winter is warm, it can continue to grow - in this case, young tender shoots should also be protected from the cold.
Homemade banana in winter time does not need in no way special conditions. The only difference from summer care- significantly reduced watering. Protect the plant from the cold.
Transfer
For low specimens homemade banana (from 10 to 20 cm) a pot with a capacity of 1 or 2 liters is suitable, respectively. Large plants 60-70 cm high are planted in a container with a volume of 10-15 liters.
These recommendations are better don't neglect because it's too big pot For small plant- this is an excess of excess soil and stagnant water in them, which will lead to acidification of the earth and, as a result, to rotting of the roots.
At the bottom of any pot, a 7-centimeter drainage layer of expanded clay or red brick fragments is laid out, which must be sprinkled with sand. Place the pot on a stand to through drainage holes received to the root system more air.
IMPORTANT! The banana is transferred into a new container without destroying the old soil lump. Plant it a couple of centimeters deeper than in the old pot.
If made for banana optimal conditions, it will grow very, quickly and will have to be replanted every year. As a rule, replanting is carried out in the spring, if there are no urgent reasons to do it earlier.
Planting and growing from seeds
At home, only wild bananas with inedible fruits can be sprouted from seeds. It bears little resemblance to the fruit we are used to and is generously filled with seeds, from which they grow a houseplant that serves only a decorative function.
Seeds - photo: 
For better germination, the hard shell of the seeds can be slightly damage using a nail file. Banana seeds are kept in warm water a couple of days to germinate, and only after that they are sown in the soil. Its composition may include 4 parts river sand , mixed with 1 part peat. A good drainage layer.
Seeds are sown on the surface of the ground, slightly pressing them, but not sprinkling them on top. Then the container must be covered with glass or transparent film. You need to keep the container with seeds in a well-lit place, but they should be protected from direct sun.
Periodically "greenhouse" should be ventilated, and as the soil dries, moisten the soil with a spray bottle. Do not overdo it: moisture should not stagnate. If traces of decay appear, the damaged area of soil is removed, and the remaining surface is treated with a manganese solution. Shoots should be expected after 3 or 4 months.
If you are wondering where the seeds of a banana are, then take a look at next photo:
You can learn how to grow indoor banana from seeds by watching this interesting video:
Maturation
The banana bunch begins to ripen at the top. Don’t be surprised that the taste of your bananas will be different from store-bought ones: your fruits ripen on the plant, but for stores, bananas are picked still unripe and they “arrive” after transportation - in gas chambers.
How are bananas processed to ripen? A mixture of nitrogen and ethylene.
At home a peculiar one is also possible "carbonation" bananas that for some reason did not have time to ripen in the garden or indoor plant. These bananas are placed in a plastic bag together with ripe apples . It is these fruits that will start the process of fruit ripening. The success of this procedure not guaranteed, but quite is real.
Diseases
Bananas rarely get sick and are susceptible to insect attacks.
Due to dry air, spider mites may appear on the leaves; for the same reason, the leaf blades may dry out at the edges. But all this can be easily fixed.
Dry areas are carefully cut off, and the yellowing leaf is cut off completely.
Reproduction
They reproduce by root shoots (also called “babies”). They are separated in the spring, when they grow 10-15 centimeters in height and have fairly strong roots.
Cut off offspring with a piece of rhizome, the cut is sprinkled with ash, and "baby" immediately planted in the ground. Its composition is the same as for adult plants. Pot with a young plant put in a bright and warm place and care for it like an adult specimen.
Benefit
The fruits are rich:
- potassium;
- fiber;
- serotonin and tryptophan;
- vitamins and other useful substances.
They also provide the body with a boost of energy and promote effective mental and physical work. They are especially relevant for diabetes, atherosclerosis, kidney disease, liver disease, and hypertension.
Conclusion
Create a corner of tropical exoticism in your home or garden not difficult: Just buy a banana plant. The cultivated view will also delight you not only with its impressive appearance, but also edible and tasty fruits.
Watch a video of how bananas are grown in a greenhouse:
The banana palm is a very beautiful indoor perennial. The false trunk (stem) of this plant is formed from the so-called leaf petioles. During growth, the leaves curl together, forming such an unusual trunk. The banana palm is unique in that when proper care one flower of this plant can remain in bloom for up to three to four months. A blooming palm tree will add exotic notes to any interior, reminiscent of hot countries and summer holidays.
Growing this plant at home is not as difficult as it might seem to a novice gardener. The main thing is to know some of the subtleties of caring for a banana tree.
For those who decide to purchase young plant banana palm, first of all, you need to find a warm and well-lit place for it. If the gardener’s plans include obtaining fruits from a banana palm tree, then care must be taken about additional lighting, without which fruiting is unlikely to be possible. The plant must be illuminated at least twelve hours a day. The air temperature should not fall below twenty-five degrees Celsius. A slight drop in temperature at night is acceptable, but not more than five degrees.
If you plan to grow a banana tree solely for decoration, it will perfectly withstand the average room temperature, while it will not require additional lighting, and the banana palm will bloom for quite a long time. With proper care, the plant pleases its owners with a new beautiful leaf every seven to eight days. This rapid development makes the banana tree truly unique.
Banana palms are heat-loving plants, and if the air temperature in the room where they are kept drops below sixteen degrees, this will have a very negative impact on the growth and development of green pets.
Watering a banana palm requires a special approach: in summer the plant needs frequent and abundant watering, and in winter period- as the soil in the pot dries out. Watering should be carried out only with settled water, and such water should settle for at least ten to twelve hours. You also need to ensure that the water for irrigation is not cold. The best option- water that is three to five degrees warmer than room temperature.
If the air in the room is too dry, then the banana palm sharply slows down its development, while the foliage on the plant may fade and begin to dry out at the edges. Therefore, you should carefully monitor the air humidity in the room where the plant is located.
The banana palm is very fond of various water treatments, such as spraying, wiping leaves with a damp cloth, and even a real shower. If you regularly give the palm tree a bath, it will delight its owners with lush green leaves and a beautiful appearance.
There is another method that can make caring for a palm tree much easier. The method is to place a pot with a plant on a large tray and cover it with expanded clay, pebbles or wet moss - that is, any material that retains moisture. This approach will create almost ideal conditions for the palm tree to grow and develop.