Wild bananas can be grown from cuttings or seeds into wonderful plants. Practical tips for growing from seeds lead to successful results. Hobby gardeners experience this natural wonder up close in their own home.
What tips are there for growing bananas from seeds?
To grow bananas from seeds, the hard core shell of the seeds should be filed or sanded and then placed in lukewarm water for 2 to 3 days. At a constant temperature of 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, the seeds germinate within 2 to 4 weeks in the appropriate planting substrate.
Offshoots or seeds?
The seeds of the sweet banana were bred away step by step. Propagation occurs via cuttings that are removed from the mother plant at regular intervals.
Very ripe bananas have small, brownish dots in the middle. These are essentially evidence of the original banana seeds. These cultivated forms are also referred to as parthenopcarpic.
Wild banana varieties with seeds:
- Ensete glaucum (snow banana)
- Ensete ventricosum (ornamental banana)
- Musa coccinea
- Musa ornata
- Musa velutina (Pink Dwarf Banana)
- Musella lasiocarpa (Yunnan dwarf banana)
Appearance of seeds
In wild bananas, seed formation occurs after fertilization. Many seeds form in the berry.
These are lenticular to irregularly spherical. Their black color is reminiscent of dark beans. Depending on the wild variety, they are larger or smaller than a one cent coin. A wide variety of seeds are available commercially. The largest are the Ensete glaucum (snow banana).
Successful sowing
The hard core shell of the seeds is filed with a file. Alternatively, you can do this with sandpaper. Now they are placed in lukewarm water for 2 to 3 days.
In these tropical conditions, small plants develop into small plants at a constant temperature between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius. A special focus should be placed on the choice of plant substrate.
Rule of thumb:
The younger the seeds, the shorter the germination time. Hobby gardeners can expect around 2 to 4 weeks.
Tips & Tricks
High-quality seeds can now be purchased in many shops. However, gardeners in a hurry should prefer cuttings.
