Asimina triloba or three-lobed papau are the names for a North American plant whose fruits taste exotic like banana, mango, pineapple and vanilla. It is also known under the name Indian banana and is a very interesting animal and useful plant.

Only with good care will the Indian banana produce fruit

Choose the right location

The Indian banana is very temperature tolerant, it tolerates both heat up to around 35 °C and frost down to around - 25 °C. It feels at home where apricots or peaches also thrive and prefers a sunny location. However, young plants thrive better in partial shade. They should also be protected from severe frost in winter.

The best soil for the Indian banana

The soil for your Indian banana should be permeable and humus, but also a little moist and preferably slightly acidic. A mixture of sand, clay, lava split and compost works great. Even if the Indian banana does not like to be transplanted, it can be cultivated in a bucket in the first few years. However, this should be deep enough due to the taproot.

Water and fertilize the Indian banana properly

The Indian banana is quite frugal and, if necessary, gets by with just a little water. However, you can hardly expect adequate growth like this, even if it can draw nutrients and moisture from deep in the soil thanks to its taproot. It is therefore better to water your Indian banana during a longer dry period. A nitrogen-rich fertilizer is recommended as a nutrient supply.

The Harvest and Use of Indian Bananas

Only with sufficient sun and dryness will your Indian banana actually bear fruit that is ready to be harvested. Around October, the fruits turn yellow and soft, and then the harvest time begins. The halved fruits are easy to spoon out, the flesh is nice and creamy and very tasty. You can also use Indian bananas to make alcoholic drinks or jam and bake cakes with them.

The essentials in brief:

  • Location: sunny
  • tolerates temperatures between - 25 °C and + 35 °C
  • Soil: permeable, humic, slightly moist, rather acidic
  • Water and nutrient requirements: rather high
  • Fertilizer: nitrogenous
  • Fruits: edible, very tasty, versatile

tips

The robust and hardy Indian banana is suitable both as a useful plant and for the ornamental garden. The fruits taste slightly different depending on the species.

Category:

Vegetable garden