Let's find out how you can grow bananas at home. What diseases can affect the plant? How to grow a banana at home: exotics within walking distance

Perhaps someone will think that this is completely not an easy task– grow a banana at home. Some will say that this is completely unrealistic. However, practice shows that growing a banana in an apartment is very possible, as is getting sweet fruits from it.

This option depends on the variety you choose to grow. But first things first.

Firstly, it is worth saying that a banana is not a palm tree, as many people think. It is a perennial herbaceous plant (giant grass) from the Banana family (Musaceae).

What many people mistake for a stem or trunk is the bases of the leaves tightly adjacent to each other (pseudostem). But the real stem is hidden underground - it is a kind of spherical rhizome (rhizome).

The inflorescence emerges from the middle of the pseudostem, which is monocarpic, i.e. after the end of fruiting it dies. The rhizome itself lives up to 40 years and continuously produces basal shoots, which replace each other after fruiting.

They reproduce by seeds, root shoots and division of the rhizome. By the way, those bananas that we all buy at markets do not have seeds. These are the fruits of varieties from the Cavendish group - they are sterile and reproduce only vegetatively.

But bananas, which reproduce by seeds, have fruits that are not entirely edible. That is, there are a lot of seeds inside and an insignificant mass of pulp, which, moreover, does not shine with taste. Such varieties are bred more for their decorative value.

We all know that bananas are very tall plants. Under natural conditions, they can reach 9-12 m. But there are also low-growing (dwarf forms) that can be grown at home, as indoor plants.

Which species are suitable for growing at home?

All types can be divided into 2 categories.

“Ornamental”, grown for landscaping and interior decoration. The fruits of most of them are inedible:

Velvety banana (Musa velutina) – 1.3-1.5 m, in photo 1;
Lavender banana (Musa ornata Roxb.) – 1.5 m;
Bright red banana (Musa coccinea Andrews) – 1 m;
Chinese dwarf banana (Musella lasiocarpa) – 1.5 m.

“Fruit”, which are grown for fruits with high taste:

Pointed banana (Musa acuminata) – 2 m;
Dwarf Cavendish banana (Musa Dwarf Cavendish) – 1.8-2.4 m;
Super dwarf Cavendish banana (Musa super Dwarf Cavendish) – 1-1.3 m;
Kyiv dwarf - 1.5-1.7 m;
Kiev superdwarf – 1 m, photo 3.

The last 2 varieties were developed in 1998 by Ukrainian breeder A.V. Patiy. He claims that even in room conditions with good care these varieties can produce up to 150 fruits that taste no different from store-bought ones.

And now about how to grow a banana at home

Substrate and transplant

The best soil composition is found under the following deciduous trees: linden, birch, hazel, acacia and others, except poplar, chestnut and oak. You need to dig upper layer soil 5-10 cm.

The presence of a drainage layer is very important - depending on the size of the pot, it can be from 3 to 10 cm. A layer of wet sand must be placed on top of the drainage, and then the soil itself.

Another thing to consider small feature– It is not advisable to place the pot directly on the tray. First, place 4 flat stones or a lattice in the tray, and place the pot on them. Thus, air will flow to the drainage holes, and accordingly to the roots.

Air is no less important for roots than water. Therefore, air access must be ensured from above - to do this, 2-3 days after watering, loosen the top 1 cm layer of soil.

With each transshipment, the plant must be buried deeper into the soil than the previous time. Therefore, you should choose deep pots.

Watering and humidity

A banana “drinks” a lot of water, because... its leaves are large and evaporate significant amount moisture. It should be watered rarely, but abundantly. Watering is required only when the top 1-2 cm of soil is completely dry (if you squeeze the soil with your fingers, it will crumble).

Always water with warm water (25-30°), generously - so that the water seeps through drainage holes.

If in winter time the temperature in the room will be about 18°, then you need to water even less often than usual to avoid rotting of the roots.

It is also necessary to ensure high humidity, preferably up to 70%. In summer, spray every day, in winter - at least once a week. Wipe the leaves frequently to remove dust.

Temperature

Optimal temperature+25-30 °C. At +15 °C growth stops. But for the development and ripening of fruits, such a decrease in temperature is unacceptable.

If in summer the plant is in the garden or on the balcony, then with the onset of cold nights it should be brought into the house.

Lighting

Bright lighting is required, preferably kept close to the window. Southern, eastern and south-eastern windows are best suited, or at least western ones. On the north side it will be impossible to achieve good growth and fruiting without the use of lighting.

If in summer the banana is on fresh air, then it should be shaded with gauze (tulle) from direct sunlight, or the pot should be placed in the shade of trees.

There are 2 types of bananas - decorative and fruit. Decorative varieties include lavender, bright red and velvety varieties. They are grown for landscaping and interior decoration.

Fruit bananas are edible and the most delicious. Among them are Cavendish dwarf, Kiev dwarf and Kiev superdwarf. They grow well on plantations and at home.

Choose bananas based on their type, height, propagation method, care and fruiting.

The listed varieties of fruit bananas grow up to 2 m, when their other counterparts reach a height of 12 m. Due to their low growth, they are grown in residential premises.

Edible bananas are hybrids that reproduce vegetative way, because they have no seeds. Therefore, it is impossible to grow them yourself - you can buy a germinated young shoot or an adult plant.

For decoration, any varieties of low-growing bananas that are sold in the store are suitable. Some of them are eaten, but they have low taste compared to store-bought ones.

How to grow banana from seeds

The seeds of the decorative banana are covered with a strong shell - before planting, scratch it slightly so that the future shoot can receive water and nutrients. Just be careful not to damage the seed.

To grow a banana you will need a substrate, drainage and a 5-7 liter pot. How to plant a banana:

Remove the top layer of soil 5–10 cm thick from under the linden, birch or acacia tree.
Mix the soil with wood ash, river sand and vermicompost. Pour boiling water over the resulting mixture to disinfect.
For drainage, use small pebbles or expanded clay. The height of the first drainage layer is 1.5–2 cm.
Behind the drainage there is a layer of substrate - wet sand 4 cm high.
Fill the substrate with soil to the edges of the pot.
Press the seed into the soil without covering it on top.
Cover the pot transparent film and put it in a bright place where there is no direct sunlight.

Banana loves water, light and fertilizer. Water it deeply when the top layer of soil is completely dry and spray the leaves of the plant warm water. The optimal room temperature is 25–30°C.

Banana is a light-loving plant, but it gets sick and dies when exposed to direct sunlight. Therefore, keep an eye on the plant: in the summer, take it out to the balcony or street under the shade of trees, and in the winter, keep it on the windowsill.

2–3 months after planting, a green shoot of the plant will appear. Intensive development will begin: it will bloom, produce offspring, fruits and die. Separate the banana “babies” and transplant them into separate pots.

Feed the plant with herbal tinctures and vermicompost. Infusions of weeds, quinoa and lupine are beneficial for bananas, while chicken and pork humus are harmful. Important: add fertilizer to moist soil so as not to burn the plant.

Grow bananas from seeds at home, following the basic rules of planting and care. But do not forget that each variety has its own characteristics and requirements.

Amateur flower growers are always attracted by the opportunity to grow some exotic plant at home, unusual for the area. Surely every person had a dream to have fragrant citrus fruits or ripe bananas on hand. Today you will learn how to grow a banana at home from the seeds of a purchased fleshy fruit.

Description of banana plant for home cultivation

If you doubt whether you can grow a banana at home, then the answer is yes, you can, but be prepared for the fact that this is quite a troublesome task. To grow a banana at home, you need to familiarize yourself with the features of this plant:

Tropical varieties grow up to 10-12 meters, and homemade banana tree It is characterized by dwarfism, and its height does not exceed 2 meters.
The foliage is about 1.5 m long and 30 cm wide.
The bases of the leaves fit so tightly to each other that a pseudostem (plant trunk) is thus formed.
And the stem itself (rhizome) is hidden underground. It has the shape of a ball, and at the same time serves as the roots of a tree.
The main inflorescence grows from the middle of the pseudostem, which dries out after the fruiting process ends.

Important! Remember that a banana is not actually a tree. Theoretically it is perennial herbaceous plant.

The life span of a banana is about 40 years. New pseudostems grow in place of the ones that dry out. If growth occurs on an industrial scale, then reproduction occurs by dividing the rhizome, in other words, basal shoots are planted. When a shoot is removed from the rhizome, it retains everything varietal characteristics plants. But specimens grown from seeds are used for decorative purposes.

Varieties of banana for home

Modern gardeners grow with equal success both decorative “trees” for the purpose of decorating a room and plants with tasty, juicy fruits. On average, such specimens grow from 2 to 2.5, and mini bananas only reach 1-1.5 meters.

TO fruit varieties, popular for growing at home, include the following bananas:

pointed;
Cavendish is a super-dwarf;
dwarf Kyiv;
superdwarf Kyiv.

TO decorative varieties exotic plants include:

lavender;
velvety;
Chinese dwarf;
bright red.

These varieties bloom brightly and beautifully, but the fruits of the banana tree of these varieties are inedible and small.

Germinating seeds from a store-bought banana

If you are interested in how to grow a banana from seeds, then first you need to buy wild fruits in the store. They are extremely rare, but ordinary fruits are not suitable, since they are harvested for export while their seeds are in an embryonic state. Wild fruits are small in size and contain dark seeds in the pulp.

If you manage to find the desired fruit, make sure that there is no damage to the skin. To extract seeds from a purchased banana with your own hands, you need to follow these steps:

Fetus yellow color put in plastic bag, after which they wait until the peel completely darkens.
After this, the fruit is removed, the pulp is peeled, and a cut is made along the middle. Using a sharp object, remove the seeds from the inside and place them one at a time on a paper napkin.

Important! You should carefully sort through the seeds, since only round-shaped grains are suitable for planting, and flat specimens should be selected and thrown away.

After the seeds are separated from the pulp, they are thoroughly washed.
Pour the resulting seeds with warm water, then leave them alone for 3 days.
At the end of the three-day period, rinse and dry the seeds.
After completing the preparation process, an inert substrate will be required. For these purposes, coconut or sphagnum moss are suitable, which can be easily purchased in gardening stores. Before use, the substrate is sterilized with steam, then wait for it to cool, mix with perlite and pour over a solution of potassium permanganate.

If you do not have the opportunity to purchase coconut or sphagnum, you can use a mixture of peat and coarse sand in proportions of 1:3. To do this, cover the bottom of the container with drainage material (gravel, broken brick, polystyrene foam), on top of which place a layer of substrate 5-6 cm thick. Press the seeds thoroughly into the bedding mixture, then water the plant.

The shell of banana seeds is very dense, so before immersing them in the soil, its integrity should be mechanically disrupted. This can be done by rubbing the surface sandpaper, scratching or making superficial cuts with a manicure file. It is important not to overdo it and damage the core.

The process of appearance of the first shoots takes from 2 to 3 months.

Important! Seed extraction- labor-intensive process, so we recommend purchasing ready-made seeds at a gardening store.

Replanting a germinated plant

Before you grow a banana tree, you need to take care of replanting it from a germinated seed. The action plan is as follows:

Take the topmost layer of soil (5-7 cm) from under a hazel, linden, birch or acacia tree.
Add sand, humus and ash to the collected substance in proportions 10:2:1:0.5. Mix the resulting composition and place in the oven to bake for 5-10 minutes.

Cover the bottom with drainage material, and pour moistened sand on top of it. After the sand, place the prepared warm ground, baked in the oven.

Interesting! To prevent the pot from touching the tray, place a lattice or a few pebbles between them. This way, air can penetrate to the roots without obstruction.

The sprouted seed is deepened into the soil to a depth of about 2 cm, lightly sprinkled and watered.
The indoor plant must grow, and the roots will eventually “take over” the entire area of the pot. In this case, the banana must be transplanted into a larger container.

Rules for caring for an indoor banana tree

look after exotic plant quite simple:

Loosen the soil regularly.
Water abundantly, but infrequently. The drying of the top layer of soil in a pot 1-2 cm deep will serve as an indicator.
Spraying in summer period is done daily, and in winter it needs to be done once a week.
It is necessary to strictly monitor compliance temperature regime so that the tree does not dry out. The optimal temperature for growth is +25+30. Less is possible, but already at +15 the development and growth of the plant slows down significantly.

At proper care The banana grows and develops at an accelerated pace, and after 11-15 leaves appear, the tree begins to bloom.
Lighting for indoor tree extremly necessary. Place the pot on the south and east side home, and in the winter season provide additional lighting.
Fertilizing should be done systematically. It occurs once a week in the summer using humus and wood ash. Take 200 grams of humus, dilute it in a liter of water and leave for a day for the solution to infuse. Introduce into the soil during watering.

Once every six months, water the tree with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
It is better to exclude inorganic fertilizers.
Under natural conditions, a tree can be affected by root nematodes: black weevil, roundworms, and fungus. At home, pests practically do not bother the tree; sometimes it turns out to be a problem spider mite, appearing at low humidity.

You can skip the period of preparing seeds and rooting sprouts, and just buy a banana tree at a gardening store, but growing exotic plants with your own hands is exciting, and the result is much more valuable. After all the effort, you can enjoy the result and surprise your guests with an exotic plant that can become the main decoration of your home.

Video: How to germinate a banana from a seed

It is a herbaceous plant that is characterized by demanding care. For this plant it is necessary to provide tropical and humid air, as it is. If appropriate conditions are provided, every gardener will be able to grow a full-fledged plant at home.

. They can be purchased at any specialized store. The seeds of this plant are characterized by the presence of a fairly strong shell. In order for the seeds to germinate as quickly as possible, it is necessary to slightly damage the shell. A needle or nail file can be used for this purpose. Using these tools you need to make a few scratches.
Small diameter pots are used for planting seeds.

To plant one banana seed, a pot with a diameter of 10 millimeters will be sufficient. If you want to plant several seeds at the same time, then it is best to use long boxes. In this case, the distance between the seeds should be at least 15 centimeters.

To plant banana seeds, a special substrate is used, which includes:

river sand

Before planting this plant, you should not use any fertilizers. For the full growth and development of a banana, it will be enough to provide high-quality drainage. Initially, the substrate must be moistened. After this, the seeds are placed on its surface. The seeds must be lightly pressed into the substrate. There is no need to cover them with soil on top.

The pots must be covered with film or glass on top. Boxes and pots with seeds are placed in a warm, bright place, protected from drafts. At the same time, straight lines should not fall on them. Sun rays. The pots are ventilated every few days. If the substrate dries out, it must be sprayed with a spray bottle. At the same time, you should not over-moisten the soil, as this can lead to the death of the plant. If mold appears on the substrate, this area must be removed immediately. The substrate in the entire pot is treated with potassium permanganate.

Shoots of this plant will appear only after a few months.

After the first banana sprouts appear, the plant will begin to grow quite intensively. After a week, you can transplant the banana into the ground. If you want to have a banana harvest when growing it in home conditions, then it would be best to purchase it already in its grown form. If this plant is provided optimal conditions and appropriate care, then you can achieve not only flowering, but also fruiting.

To ensure the full growth and development of a banana, it is best to purchase a sprouted plant. After purchasing it, he needs to be provided with several days of rest. The banana must be placed immediately in the place where it will be located in the future. After a few days, the purchased plant must be replanted. To do this you need:

Choose the right pot, the volume of which is from 5 to 7 liters.
Initially, drainage is done. For this purpose, it is necessary to use expanded clay, which is covered with sand in a small amount.
To grow this plant, it is best to choose ordinary soil, which is taken from a deciduous forest.
Humus is added to the substrate in a ratio of 1:10. If you do not have the opportunity to get deciduous soil, then you can purchase an ordinary flower mixture at a specialized store.

Watering and feeding indoor banana:

When growing a banana at home, it is necessary to spray its leaves as often as possible.
Bananas also need plenty of watering. At the same time, you should not over-moisten the soil, as this can lead to rotting of the substrate.
For this purpose, when replanting a banana, drainage holes are made through which excess water can freely flow out.
In order to accelerate the growth of banana and improve its flowering, it is used in the form organic fertilizers. Fertilizers are applied once every 7-10 days.

This plant needs to provide a temperature of 25-30 degrees. The lighting for the banana must be good. In this case, it is necessary to avoid direct sunlight.

In summer, this plant can be kept on the balcony, hiding it from direct sunlight.

This plant must be protected from the influence of drafts. When providing a banana comfortable conditions it will grow quite quickly. After 15-18 leaves are formed on the plant, its flowering and fruiting will begin.

Banana is characterized by the absence of pests. Despite this, it is necessary to inspect the leaves daily for their presence. In order to prevent the appearance of pests and diseases of bananas, the soil is loosened. You can also sprinkle the soil with tobacco dust. This procedure should be performed no more than once a month. In some cases, potassium permanganate can be used for prevention. This substance is used to water the soil.

For full growth and development of the plant, it is necessary to carefully monitor the amount and frequency of its watering.

After the formation of 13 to 17 fully developed leaves on a given plant, it can be called full-fledged. At proper cultivation banana during this period, a large bud will appear on its top, which will have a red-violet color. The flowering of this plant lasts almost a year. During this period, it is necessary to carefully monitor the growing temperature and watering of the banana.

When buying a banana, you need to find out what variety it is and under what conditions it needs to be grown.

This is explained by the fact that some varieties of bananas can reach a height of 12 meters. For such a plant room conditions won't fit. In order to provide the banana with the most comfortable growing conditions, it is necessary to produce it with water, the temperature of which is 25-30 degrees. Otherwise, the plant's roots may get severe stress, which will cause the banana to stop growing. Watering bananas is done only after the top layer of soil becomes dry to a depth of 1-2 centimeters. Banana leaves must be dusted daily.

Banana is absolutely unpretentious plant. If you provide it with comfortable conditions, it will not only bloom, but also bear fruit.

More information can be found in the video.

Do you like bananas? Most people will answer yes. These fruits are highly nutritious and are often used as snacks. It's much healthier than eating a bun. Surely everyone, having heard about a banana tree, imagines paradise in the ocean, where clusters of ripe fruits hang from tall palm trees, and monkeys feast on them to their heart's content. Did you know that a tree can easily be grown at home? Interested? Then read on.

Short description

If you are looking for a plant that can decorate a room and enliven the interior, be interesting and unusual, then a banana tree is just what you need. A nice bonus is that the plant will also bloom and give you a whole bunch of magnificent fruits. Of course, this is not exactly the palm tree that we have seen so often in the movies. Dimensions indoor plant much more modest, so you can easily grow it at home if you study the basic requirements.

What is the correct name?

Indeed, the banana tree is, rather, its nickname, which it received for the external similarity of the fruits. In fact, the plant is called differently - pawpaw three-lobed. Despite its exotic nature, it is not tropical. It is a deciduous tree that reaches 4-5 meters in height if not pruned. At home, it usually does not exceed two meters. Belongs to the Anon family. The plant has very interesting leaves - they are very similar to those that grow on real banana palm. Large, up to 30 cm in length, shiny and bright green, they will delight you with their appearance until autumn. With the onset of cold weather, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, so it is better to move the plant to a cooler place to rest.

Growing a plant

If you want to grow your own banana tree, first consider how many years you are willing to wait for it to mature. If you can’t wait to surprise your friends and family, then it’s better to buy ready-made shoots in the store. But even in this case, you will have to wait a very long time for home-grown fruits. It must be remembered that the seeds present in the fruits may not sprout, since the plant reproduces best by lateral shoots. First of all, the banana tree (we provide a photo in the article) decorates the room with its spectacular leaves, and therefore care must be taken to ensure that the crown is healthy and strong. To do this, it is important to maintain conditions suitable for a green pet. When purchasing a ready-made seedling, do not forget to ask whether you can expect fruit from this particular specimen: the fact is that not all plant varieties bear fruit; there are exclusively decorative species.

Soil preparation

Whatever propagation method you choose, you need to prepare the soil that is most suitable for your “guest”. True, in this regard the plant is not too whimsical. You can buy ready-made soil mixture or even prepare regular garden soil. It is advisable to use the top layer of soil, as it is more nutritious. The soil should be additionally enriched with humus, sand or wood ash. This is another one important nuance, which must be taken into account, because this is the only way to grow a beautiful banana tree. Photos displayed on the pages of magazines and on portals of relevant topics will inspire anyone to take up garden tools and grow the same miracle for yourself.

The thoroughly mixed substrate must be steamed to protect the plant from pests. To do this, you can pour the soil onto an iron baking sheet and heat it in the oven, or pour boiling water over it (or a weak solution of potassium permanganate). It is very important to take a pot large enough for a large plant. Provide a high drainage layer so that the roots do not lack oxygen. These could be stones, broken bricks or expanded clay. You need to put a layer of sand on top, and only then fill it with soil.

Planting pawpaw

A homemade banana tree can also be grown from seeds; the most important thing is to buy high-quality seed material. The plant has fairly large seeds, they look like persimmon seeds. Before sowing, we should remember where this plant came from. The banana tree is a child of the subtropical zone, which means that the seeds must be stratified. To do this, it is best to place them in cups with soil and dig them in the garden. Sprouts should appear in April. If you live in an apartment, you can use a refrigerator instead of outside.

Seedling care

When the April sun begins to warm up well, it’s time to plant your plants or plant purchased ones. A banana tree grows very readily at home; the most important thing is to provide it suitable conditions. This is light, fertile soil; wood humus is also perfect. Remember to choose a well-lit, sunny place. Azimina loves the sun very much and does not grow in the shade.

Growing and care

In the first year of life, the plant requires virtually no care. It only needs to be watered and periodically very carefully loosened. In October, pawpaw sheds its leaves and prepares for a period of dormancy. Now until spring you need to provide your pet with moderate watering, you can move the plant to a cooler place. In April, sap flow begins, which means it’s time to fertilize. The best option The fertilizer will be nitrodiammophos. Approximately 20 g should be diluted per bucket of water.

Watching a banana tree grow is very interesting, although the process is not fast. Every year the plant grows by about 20-30 cm. However, it should not be replanted unless absolutely necessary, since the roots are very fragile. When your handsome little one turns 2 years old, he will begin to develop lateral shoots. Now we must not forget to feed the plant to ensure its optimal growth and development. Nitrogen-phosphorus compounds are the most favorite fertilizers for this crop.

Flowering and fruiting

It will be six long years before your plant begins to form fruit buds. They are usually laid in the fall, and next year open up into very interesting flowers. They have six petals and a large number of stamens Pollination must be done using a thin brush.

After pollination, the fruits begin to grow quickly and after about a month and a half reach 5-6 cm. They ripen by September, at which time the peel turns yellow. Ripe fruits crumble and deteriorate very quickly. Therefore, check them every day - ripe fruits fall off easily. As we already said, growing this interesting plant is not complicated and is accessible even to beginners. If you do everything correctly, you will definitely enjoy delicious fruits.