A banana plant develops a flower stalk (called a pung) after about six months of growth. Purple flowers appear and reveal a “hand” of bananas beneath.
Fruiting bananas require uniformly warm, hot conditions. Cool temperatures and wind can cause chilling injury that reduces shoot growth and delays fruit production.
Temperature
Banana plants are tropical and need warm, humid conditions to grow. But they also need a lot of water and must be protected from cold weather.
They’re like Goldilocks plants—too cool slows growth, too hot bakes them. A good temperature range is 75 to 95 degrees during the day, with temperatures below 60 degrees slowing growth and even lower temps causing them to die back. Temperature extremes send the banana plant into stress mode, which can result in wilting leaves and poor fruit quality.
Because they come from rainforests, banana plants are heavy feeders. They prefer deep, well-draining soil that’s rich in organic matter and has a soil pH between 5.0 and 6.5. They are especially sensitive to drought and are prone to root rot in wet soils.
Humidity is another important factor. Misting a banana tree daily helps keep the foliage moist. They can’t be kept indoors for long periods, though; they need ample light and a warm, sunny spot to produce bananas.
After a banana tree produces one bunch, it won’t produce a new one until it is cut down and allowed to re-root for future bunches. This process is called suckering and should happen at the base of the original trunk or pseudostem. After a few months, the new suckers will be ready to produce their own bunches. The plant is a perennial, but most banana farmers harvest them annually, so the crop must be replenished with suckering. This can be done by planting a fresh sucker or using a banana transplant. A graft is also an option, although the grafted plant won’t produce as large as a banana grown from a sucker.
Humidity
Bananas are humidity hogs and thrive in conditions that mimic their tropical homelands. Optimal relative humidity for bananas ranges from 50% to 60%, and it’s key to maintaining lush growth and bountiful fruiting. Too dry and the leaves turn crispy; too wet, and you invite a fungal fiesta. Keep a digital hygrometer handy to track moisture levels. Place it near the plant but dodge direct sunlight or drafty spots for an accurate reading.
Banana plants grow from the center of a corm, which contains many meristems from which flowering and fruiting stalks, pseudostems and fibrous roots emerge. Each pseudostem contains sheaths and leaf blades tightly packed together. A mature banana plant typically produces one bunch of fruit per year, which is a clump of individual bananas. Each bunch contains about 50 to 100 bananas.
After a bunch forms, the parent plant dies, but around the base of the mother corm are numerous suckers, or pups. Keeping suckers healthy allows the banana plants to grow in groves as nature intended. The new suckers will eventually produce a bunch of bananas, after which they will die and make way for a newly sprouted sucker.
To ensure that your banana plants are healthy, inspect them regularly for the presence of the burrowing nematode (Radopholus similis) and spiral nematode (Helicotylenchus multicinctus). These pests feed on the rhizome, causing serious damage and reducing yield. Prevention strategies include use of non-infested planting material, mulching, soil aeration and regular fertilization. Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension agent for recommendations for control of these and other pests and diseases that affect bananas. Bananas grow best in well-draining, deep soils rich in organic matter with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. The soil must also be free of sand, clay and other dense materials that limit root penetration.
Water
The banana plant needs a lot of water to support its large tropical leaves and produce sweet tasty fruit. It is very sensitive to drought and is prone to fungus infections. The plant’s water requirement increases during flowering and fruit development. Water shortages during this period can result in reduced bunch size and poor quality fruit1.
The amount of water required by a banana plant is highly dependent on the climate and soil conditions. Warmer, sunnier weather demands a more frequent irrigation schedule than cool, cloudier weather. The soil type also has an impact, with sandy soils requiring more frequent watering than clay soils. Watering frequency is further determined by the root zone size and structure of the plant. In containers, the roots are closer to the surface and must be kept adequately hydrated.
Banana plants require a wide range of nutrients, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca). Nitrogen promotes leaf growth, flowering and fruit production, while P helps maintain plant vigor. Potassium contributes to fruit quality and plant resistance to disease, while Mg and Ca help promote strong cell structure.
Bananas grow best in well-drained, deep soils containing high levels of organic matter and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. They are not tolerant of wet or flooded soils, and are susceptible to rot and other diseases when the roots are constantly in saturated moisture. Bananas also do not grow well in poorly drained sandy loamy or calcareous marl soils. These types of soils should be amended with a rich organic material prior to planting.
Fertilization
Banana plants are hungry and crave a buffet of nutrients to fuel growth and bloom. They need a balanced fertilizer regimen that includes nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, as well as micronutrients like magnesium and zinc. Adding organic compost, fish meal or manure to the soil is one way of providing these vital substances to the banana plant. Alternatively, foliar feeding is also an option. This involves spraying a diluted fertilizer directly on the leaves of the banana plant. Both options should be applied with care, as overdoing it can damage the plant or cause root burn.
Soil testing is important for banana growers to help determine the pH level of the soil and nutrient composition. Ideally, the banana plant thrives in rich, deep soil with a pH level between 5.0 and 6.5. A regular soil test can help maintain this optimal condition by making necessary adjustments.
During establishment, bananas need to be fed regularly with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. This promotes rapid growth and leaf development. After this stage, a shift to a higher-potassium fertilizer can be used. Potassium uptake is very high during bunch emergence, and it helps with early shooting and fruit maturation. After this stage, a low-nitrogen fertilizer can be used to encourage banana plant resistance to diseases and stress.
A study conducted by a team of scientists investigated the effects of partially substituting chemical fertilizers with bio-organic or organic (BIO and OF) fertilizer on banana production. They found that the BIO application increased soil organic matter content, available phosphorus content and glutamine synthetase activity, and improved banana yields. It also enhanced physiological resistance and reduced nitrogen loss and pollution. The OF application, on the other hand, decreased sugar contents and vitamin C levels in the banana fruit and shifted the cultivable microbial population to include Acidothermus and Bradyrhizobia.
Pruning
It takes over a year for the main stem of a banana plant to set fruit. Cutting back the plant before it flowers can destroy its ability to do so. If your banana plants are young and haven’t produced a bunch yet, leave them in place for now. Once they do produce, cut back to 2.5 feet. This will give you ample room to pick the bananas, and will make room for the next stalk of the banana plant.
Pruning a banana plant requires a delicate touch. Strategically remove leaves that block sunlight to the developing bunch, or dangle from the banana tree and rub against it. Cut away any yellowing or brown leaves that are waving a SOS signal; they’re energy zappers, and must be nipped in the bud to redirect the plant’s energies toward fruit production.
To prune the rest of the plant, use a pair of sharp pruning shears or a banana knife to thin out the remaining offshoots (also called suckers) to prevent them from competing with the main stem for sunlight and water. Thin out the rest of the banana mat, removing any stubby offshoots that are too close to the ground and may be damaged by frost. Dig out the bases of severed offshoots to slow their regrowth.
For those high-up, hard-to-reach spots, a pair of long-handled shears or a banana knife offers the leverage you need without turning your pruning session into an upper-body workout. Keep your tools clean, and avoid using tar or other treatments that trap moisture and invite disease. It’s best to prune during the late winter or early spring. Pruning too late in the season can cause the plant to wilt and expose it to diseases like banana rust or fusarium blight.
