The tropical banana tree brings variety to local areas. You can isolate these short-lived plants as houseplants or large specimens in your own garden. Alternatively, seeds for ornamental and edible bananas are available. Find out more about handling.
How do you propagate a banana plant?
Banana plants reproduce through offshoots that are separated from the mother plant during repotting. The offshoots should have strong, dark leaves (3-4 pieces) and about a third of the height of the mother plant. In addition, banana plants can be grown from seeds, although the germination time is shortened by soaking.
Isolate small plants
The banana produces small offshoots at regular intervals. Separate these during annual repotting. The children should already have strong, slightly darker leaves (around 3 - 4 pieces). Then their height is approximately a third of that of the mother plant.
The right cut:
- Cutting tool: disinfected and sharp knife
- cut off directly on the trunk, with tender roots
- Let the cut on the mother plant and offshoot dry for a short time (prevent rot)
The small plants are then planted in separate flower pots with special substrate. Make sure that they are always kept slightly moist. This supports rooting. To ensure constant humidity, place a plastic bag over the planters.
Tip:
Air holes in the bags ensure beneficial circulation. Mold formation is prevented.
The ideal location is sunny and warm. With optimal care, the small plants thrive. From a height of around 100 centimeters, bananas can also stay in a place protected from the wind in the garden. Please note that most varieties are not frost hardy. From 3 to 4 years old, home-grown plants are considered robust and can spend the summer in the garden.
Sowing bananas
The germination time of banana seeds is very long. You can shorten them by soaking the seeds beforehand. In addition, these are lightly processed at one point with sandpaper and placed into the substrate.
Tip:
- Preparation: Soak for 1 to 2 days
- lukewarm (rain) water
Suitable varieties:
Offshoot:
- Japanese fiber banana (Musa basjoo)
- Pink dwarf banana (Musa velutina)
Sowing:
- Pink dwarf banana (Musa velutina)
- hardy banana (Musa hookeri)
- Banana (Musa helens)
Tips & Tricks
Banana plants have a short lifespan. Obtaining offshoots offers the best conditions for enjoying the tropical perennial for many years.
