Growing Banana trees in pots is easy, if you’re unable to grow it on the ground either due to lack of space or cold climate. Learn how to grow banana trees in this complete article.
There are banana varieties that can withstand temperature drops and grows well in containers, popular especially among the fans of exotic tropical plants in the garden.
The first question that may come up in your mind is– Will banana tree in a pot can bear fruits?
And the answer is yes. It is possible, a banana tree bears fruits in pot prolifically. It may take up to 3 to 5 years to fruit if grown from seeds.
Growing Banana Trees in Pots
Banana is a lush green, fast-growing plant that can give any place a tropical look and feel. Many varieties become excellent houseplants that don’t need much care and grow up very quickly.
Dwarf varieties of banana trees can grow anywhere between 2 to 4 meters. Compared to the ordinary banana trees that can reach up to 15 meters high.
Growing Banana Trees in Pots in Tropics
Growing banana tree in pot in a tropical climate is extremely easy, with little to no care banana tree grows in the container. If you’re living under USDA Zones 9 to 11, keep your banana tree in the shade in afternoon in summer, when the plant is young. All the other requirements are similar as given below in the article for temperate zones.
Banana Varieties you can Grow in Pots and Indoors
These dwarf varieties of banana tree restrict up to only 1.5 m to 4 m. (4 to 12 feet) tall and are suitable to grow in containers. You can also grow these banana varieties indoors.
- Dwarf Red
- Dwarf Cavendish
- Dwarf Brazilian
- Dwarf Jamaican
- Rajapuri
- Williams Hybrid
- Gran Nain
- Dwarf ‘Lady Finger’
If you would like to grow ornamental bananas check out these varieties:
- Ensete ventricosum
- Musa sikkimensis ‘Red Tiger’
- Musa ornata
Also read: How to grow lemon in Pots
Requirements for Growing Banana Trees in Pots
Sun
Banana trees grow in tropical and subtropical parts of the world and therefore they love full sun, heat and humidity. If you’re growing banana tree you should keep it in a spot that receives the sun most of the day but preferably sheltered from the wind.
Soil
Growing Banana tree requires well-draining soil, sandy soil that is rich in organic matters and compost. Buy a good quality potting mix for your banana tree. If you are making it at home make sure to mix sand, perlite, and compost or manure.
Banana needs slightly acidic to neutral soil to produce those potassium rich nutritious bananas. The soil pH should be around 6 – 7. If your soil is alkaline mix sulfur to decrease the pH.
Also Read: How to Change Soil pH
Watering
Banana loves moisture. Water it regularly and deeply but care not to overwater. In summer, water it every day. It may need water even two times a day in hot weather or when it is root bound. Soil for growing banana plants should be kept uniformly moist. Reduce watering in winter.
Banana Plant in Pot Care
Humidity
Banana plant prefers humidity levels above 50%. To increase humidity level around the plant, mist the plant and place it on a layer of pebbles in a tray filled with water.
Overwintering Banana Tree
Banana plants stop growing when the temperature drops below 50 ° Fahrenheit.
Before the onset of winter, do heavy mulching and prune the leaves.
Put it in a warm, bright room till the spring.
Fertilizer
Banana is a fast growing plant and it requires heavy feeding to grow at its full strength. Fertilize young plant when it establishes well with nitrogen-rich fertilizer to help it grow faster. Once your banana tree in pot becomes mature enough to produce fruit, fertilize it with 15:5:30 fertilizer regularly.
Pests and diseases
Bananas are quite resistant to diseases, still when you see the leaves turning brown and drying at the edges it means you’re overwatering and if the leaves turn yellow, banana plant is having a lack of nutrients.
Some pests that might attack banana plant are banana aphids, banana weevil, and coconut scale. These pests can easily be repelled using organic pesticides.
Also read: How to Grow Mango trees in pots
I would like to know more about pot cultivation and where we can get seedling
Try the local police department, I’m 100% certain they would be very keen to hear more about this project!
i love learning about the plants & flowers. Thank you
No problem! Please feel free to visit more often. We are here to serve gardening.
Thanks for the inspiration – we moved from the coast (Durban S.A) where bananas flourish, inland, to where the Summer is hot but, in Winter we get frost. My poor bananas recover only to get burnt again! I am determined to get them growing here too so into tubs they will go and under cover on the patio with the rest of my more delicate plants. Wish me luck!
Best of luck and we hope you’ll comment more on this.
I was given 2 Musa (Dwarf Red) banana tree’s. Live in wis. and i don’t want to kill them they are both about 9 inch tall. I have no idea how to keep them going.
Thanks for the knowledge.
great now where do you get em
Yes, where do I get a banana tree?
Florida Hill Nursery
Do you just stick the Banana in the plot in the soil you lead part of it sticking out or do you have to route it how do you start it
I believe that Singarayan, in relation to pot cultivation, is referring to the cultivation of banana trees in pots, not marijuana.
The above comment was supposed to be in response to a post by “asdf”, it ended up in the wrong place through my own fault I’m sure.
Rhonda netzley I hope you’re not thinking that you actually place a banana in the soil. You can buy banana plants & I assume seeds as a reference was made to such. Don’t be expecting to put a banana in some soil in a pot and thereby grow a banana tree. It won’t work I’m afraid.
Hi, I got banana and plantain trees but I don’t know if I should fertilize them after flowered and fruits are showing already???? Need advice!!!!
Give them plenty of feed, but the fruiting plant will die when the bananas are ready to eat.if the mother plant has pups then cut off and replant with roots attached.
I have planted papaya in a large pot it’s grown to about 1 1/2 meters and stopped. Will it bear fruit. It’s about nine months old?
Interesting article, the only thing you left out was how to plant the banana?
How long does it take to fruit?
i’m growing a banana tree and have a couple of pups popping through the soil. should i remove these? will they affect the main trees ability to produce bananas? thanks, steve
Yeah, you may remove and replanting it in a new pot. Yes, it will effect the mother tree, but in a good way. The mother tree will have all nutrient that she need without sharing it with the pup(s).
Thanks for the inspiration. I love learning about the plant
My wife and I love bananas, and I was curious about how you would go about growing them. It’s interesting that they actually grow well in sunlight, heat, and humidity. It would be interesting to see if we could pull off growing one.
I grow bananas in so. Georgia. Plants are sheltered, but all day sun. Water 10 min every day and fertilize with fertilizer I found on Amazon for tropical fruit. When fruit are thrown, I watch for flower to stop making flowers that actually make little fruit. I wait a week, and cut off the flower..which some eat..lots of prep..then I wait til fruit looses its sharp edges and begins to turn more round. That’s when I pick th ‘hand’, bring it inside, place in paper or plastic bag with a few apples, which give off a certain ‘gas’. This way, in my short season, I end up with a sweet, tender fruit. The fruit are about four inches long
I too believe that Singarayan, in mentioning ” pot cultivation”, is referring to the “cultivation of banana trees in pots”, and not meaning “pot” as in marijuana.
Maybe wrong but would be interesting to hear from Singarayan as to what was meant. Good for a giggle though.
I’ve got a super dwarft cavendish banana plant & im in Phila.suberbs. I had my largest banana taken from yard of my apt yard last fall. It had gotten to a height of 4 feet.In winter I was told not to water as temps do get cool enough to having to move it indoors after fall comes.any advise to making it through winter to spring?
How do you actually grow the banana ? You have said everything else but not how to grow the actual banana, I would like to try but I don’t know how to start to grow it from the banana in the first place, please let me know, thank-you
Awesome information about plants in your web,I have many research in Net but honestly I can say you can’t find a article with many detail like your web site any where,thank you so much 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
I love this am just beginning farming, where can i get this variety in Nigeria, any help/idea or can I plant any variety in a pot?
Will a regular banana plant ( not dwarf) bear fruits if remsin planted in a pot?
I don’t have a lot of space inside my home for a growing tree. If I cut it down in late fall will it grow again in spring?
How long does it take for the fruit??
Thanks Julianne Laplante
@jlaplante305