In the supermarket you can get delicious bananas all year round. But where do the fruits come from and how do they grow? Do the perennials also thrive in your own garden or in the greenhouse and can you harvest fruit there? We answer these and other exciting questions in the following article.
Bananas need a tropical climate to grow
Sun-loving plantation fruits
Bananas thrive predominantly in the sunny regions around the equator. The main growing areas of the fruit are the countries:
- Costa Rica,
- ecuador,
- Colombia,
- Peru.
They don't grow on trees, but on perennials. The stalks of the banana plants do not lignify. They consist of numerous leaves rolled around each other.
The banana blossoms appear around the fifth year. In addition to a large, mostly red, male flower, there are many yellow or white female flowers. From these develop the fruits called fingers.
The bananas, which botanically grow to be berries, initially grow very straight surrounded by leaves. Only when these have fallen off do the fingers stretch upwards towards the light. The characteristic shape of the bananas emerges.
Since banana plants produce fruit only once in their life, the perennials are felled for harvest. At this point, a strong sapling has already formed at the root, which will secure the next generation.
Bananas from your own garden
Actually, bananas only thrive in the tropics. Small and hardy specimens can also be cultivated in our latitudes in the garden, where they spread tropical flair. Alternatively, you can put the perennial in a pot and overwinter indoors.
- Bananas require nutrient-rich, medium-heavy substrate.
- Water plentifully because the plants need a lot of water.
- Since the leaves develop so quickly, you should fertilize the plant every two weeks during the summer.
- Bananas grow into mighty perennials. Therefore, choose a sufficiently large planter and repot regularly.
tips
Despite the best conditions, a successful harvest of fruits cultivated in the garden or in a warm place in the home is not guaranteed. If flowers appear, you should continue the care in the usual way.