Banana trees are always known to be grown on plantations but have someone ever asked you how to grow bananas in your backyard?
The thought of growing a banana tree close in your home can sound a little unusual but, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be done.
In fact, people nowadays, having acknowledged the significance and benefits provided by bananas, are growing bananas in their homes.
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How to Grow Bananas at Home
So can you grow a banana tree in your backyard?
Lucky for you, we will answer that question here in this article.
Read the whole thing to the finish to learn everything about growing a banana tree in your backyard.
Top Important Facts About Banana Trees
Before I answer the question, let me offer you some top important facts about the banana tree first.
It’s important to know the tree/plant thoroughly before growing it.
Fact 1- The Best Banana Breed to Grow is the Ice Cream Banana Tree.
The Blue Java banana also called as ice cream banana grows with a strong root and stem construct.
Thus, people prefer it over other banana breeds because it can resist cold, strong winds and parasite infestation.
Unlike the normal banana, it requires least to no maintenance actions at all. But the main banana breed is like an ice cream banana tree in terms of its preference to tropical climates.
Fact 2- A Banana is not Really a Tree! Surprise!
This may not come as a surprise, though! But it doesn’t take an agriculturist to notice that a banana is not really a tree.
It’s trunk-looking build is nothing close to an actual stem, but simply a pseudo-stem. In that case, experts refer to it more as an herb.
But even in the actual standards of an herb, a banana tends to deviate.
It really is a strange fruit, isn’t it?
Fact 3- There are Three Main Banana Varieties.
The main banana varieties are:
Lady Finger Bananas
As suggested by its name, this variety of banana is not really grown for its fruits, but for the aesthetic pleasure it offers.
Although it actually bears fruit, it only does it less than twice year-round. And its sweet fruits only grow in very small sizes.
This banana variant alone is extremely tall and lanky.
Plantains
This banana variety champions as the most commonly-grown banana in the world.
Why?
That is simply because of the quality of the fruits it bears. Sweet, round, quick-ripening, and starchy, you can even it its fruit raw.
Most of the banana fruits you see being consumed all over the world are borne by this variant.
Cavendish
This banana variant is plump, short and commonly grows (or grows) in a plantation. If the plantain is the commercial banana, this one is the supermarket banana.
Its fruits grow in round and big sizes. And they grow as a crowd of fruits.
Fact 4- Banana is Easy to Grow.
Fortunately, growing banana trees is easy. In fact, it benefits more from carefree growers.
Sometimes, it even grows on its own. And if you over-man it, it gets stunted. Most banana growers don’t overwhelm it.
The least thing they can do is to ensure that it’s in a conducive environment and that it’s surrounded by the right factors.
Read on about the good and bad factors for growing bananas…
Can I Grow a Banana Tree in My Backyard?
Yes! You definitely can grow a banana tree in your backyard.
All you have to ensure is that it’s growing in a conducive environment. Also, you might have to look out for some factors that can potentially hinder your banana tree growth.
Here are good factors to growing your banana tree:
- Neutral warmth, humidity and moist
- Chicken droppings on soil
- Fertile, dark and dense soil
- In the company with other bananas (bananas provide shelter to each other)
- Dense presence of humus in soil
Here are bad factors to growing your banana tree:
- Lack of water or moist
- Lack of humidity
- Prolonged squalls
- Lack of organic matters in the soil
- Isolated growth
These top facts about the banana tree importantly influence your method in growing it.
But these aren’t simply enough because you still have to learn about how to actually grow a banana tree.
Dig deeper below to learn this stuff.
How to Grow Banana Trees at Home
Here are the basic steps on how to grow a banana tree in my backyard:
1. Get Your Soil Ready
- Ready your soil quality and measure its temperature and humidity.
- Make sure that the soil is positioned in the sunniest spot behind your house.
- The best daytime temperature is between 26–30ºC (78–86ºF).
- For night temperature, secure a standard that doesn’t go below 20ºC (67ºF).
- Apply organic materials into your soil.
2. Test the Soil’s Drainage Capacity
- Dig a hole into the soil as deep as 1 ft.
- Pour in water into the hole until full.
- Leave the water to be absorbed. Come back after 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, mark the level of water that is left to determine how much is sucked out.
- If the soil was able to suck around 7-15 cm of water in 1 hour, then it should be the perfect soil for growing your banana.
3. Plant the Banana Suckers
- Acquire at least 4-5 banana suckers to plant.
- Choose the suckers with a 1.8-2.1m (6–7ft) height, lanky body and long, slim, and pointed leaves.
- Acquire a crom bed separately.
- Separate the sucker from its mother plant (if still attached) using a shovel. Force the mother plant out through a downward force.
- Put in the crom bed and other base materials into the dug hole first.
- Place the sucker.
- Cover with soil.
- Water the soil.
What if I purchased an already-mature banana herb? What to do?
The best thing to do when planting an already-mature banana herb is to dig a deeper hole into the soil (or any depth, as long as it accommodates the plant’s base).
Different plants need different kinds of fertilizers so use the right fertilizer for your banana plant.
Ask assistance from someone if needed. So that’s all it! You’re now ready for the ultimate planting effort. If you're planning to grow more fruits, see our guide on How to Grow Avocados Indoors.
Wrapping Up How To Grow Bananas In Your Backyard
Growing a banana tree is simply letting it live in a conducive environment. And, that’s all there is to it. You don’t have to put much effort except watering and fertilizing your soil every once in a while.
With all these things secured, now you know how to grow bananas in your backyard and enjoy the delights of it!