Growing    Banana Plants       Banana Trees
Musa 'Manzano' (Apple)
Growing
Information        
Temp:
For best growth
above 65°F is
recommended. Wind
tolerant


Light: Full sun to no less
than 30% shade. Foliage
growers should use
30%-60% shade.


Soil: Good water holding
capacity is needed


Mature Height: 14-16


Type: Dessert


Hardiness: Zone 9-10
This plant is seedless diploid that is rendered so by bearing
sterile female flowers. It is not produced commercially on
large scale but it is usually grown in backyards for family
consumption. Its sub-acid flavor is reminiscent of a cross
between an apple and a very sweet banana, which make a
pleasing combination. It must be allowed to ripen fully
before eating. The plant is quite cold hardy and will not be
harmed by temperatures that are close to freezing. If frost
is allowed to form on its leaves they will turn brown. The
plant grows 12 to 14 feet tall and is mostly green colored
with just a light margin of red around the leaf.
 
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Be careful when buying field grown banana tree
offshoots. Some growers sell water banana tree
shoots which have big leaves when small, these
banana plants are no good for landscaping or
bananas and should be cut off as the main banana
plant grows. Good field grown banana tree
offshoots (corms) have sword like thin leaves until
3' tall. We have banana plants grown from healthy
tissue culture Clones. It is the only way to get
disease free healthy banana plants. My banana trees
are guaranteed to grow and to arrive in good
condition. Banana plant growing instructions are
included. Banana trees should produce very sweet
tasting bananas in 9 TO 12 months. The height can
be controlled on most all banana plants, to any size,
by just holding back on the fertilizer or the pot size.

You must contact us within 4 days for damage by
shipping or to get a replacement or refund with
returned plant.

We are a registered mail order Plant Nursery in
Melbourne, Fl. and try to give 100% Top Quality
service.

You may also send a check or money order to:
Greenearth Publishing Inc.
P.O.Box 243, Melbourne Florida 32902.



Banana plants shipped only in the U.S.A. We sell the
easiest banana plants and banana trees to grow and
all can be grown in full sun, shade or inside your
home.


All Banana Plants weight is more than 16 oz.


We have a perfect record with the Better Business
Bureau.

All small plants are 2 months old not 1 month like
most sell.

GROWING INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED.

Thanks for looking.


Dwarf Cavendish banana tree - banana plant
shipping Now. Dwarf Cavendish banana plants get 5
to 6ft. and produces wonderful sweet tasting fruit. A
vigorous banana tree with wider green leaves. One
of the more common banana plant varieties in the
USA. It is often seen container grown in back yards
and botanical gardens alike. These banana trees
have large bunches of full sized sweet smooth fruit.
Beautiful healthy 12" banana plant with wide leaves
shipped.








Rowe Red banana plants - banana trees  This is a
banana plant grown for its attractive foliage only.
The fruit is seeded and inedible. The slender banana
plant grows 5-7 feet and is wind and cold resistant.
The banana tree is well adapted to container
growing and when grown this way will only reach 3-5
feet unless grown in a very large container. The
banana tree stem is completely red. The banana
plant leaves are narrow with green and red mottling
on the top and solid maroon coloring on the bottom.
Beautiful approx. 12" banana plant shipped.




Dwarf Green - Red banana plant - banana tree  This
is a beautiful dwarf green banana plant with red and
green markings. This banana tree grows to 8'. Sweet
tasting, green skinned fruit that turns yellow. Dark
red & green trunk and on the borders of the large
green leaves is a very thin red line. This is a Dwarf
Red banana tree that mutates to a Green Red
banana tree. A great banana plant for collecters.
Real nice approx. 12" size banana plant.




Hawaiian Red Iholena banana trees - banana plants   
Hawaiian Red Iholena banana tree is a versatile
variety and is not only a beautiful banana plant, with
the underside of the banana tree leaves being a soft
burgundy color, but also used for eating out of
hand, dehydrating, and cooking. This has to be the
one of the best looking banana plants reaching up
to 12' with good growing conditions. Very sweet
dessert banana. Nice healthy approx. 12" banana
plant shipped.




MYSORE Banana tree - banana plant  The banana
tree with the most popular and delicious lady finger
bananas we have tasted. Popular in India, the
mysore banana trees are an important commercial
crop for that area of the world and we see why. The
shelf life of these delicious little morsels out last any
other by several days. They are sturdy and resistant
to most problems as well as a fast growing banana
tree. It is green leafed with a red midrib. Undersides
of banana plant leaves have pinkish, waxy coating.
Loved by children and adults alike! Banana tree
Height 14-16 ft. Healthy approx. 12" to 14" banana
plant shipped.




Apple banana tree - banana plant  Dessert type
banana tree, pleasant apple flavor when fully ripe.
Fruit: 4 to 6 inches. This banana tree grows to 10 to
12 feet. The size and quality of this banana tree
makes it one of the worlds best eating bananas as
well as one of the best dessert bananas. Very thin
skined when ripe and super flavor. Sweetest banana
I've ever eaten. Excellent banana tree for container
growing as in the ground. Nice looking too. Healthy
approx. 12" high banana plant shipped with soil.




Lady Finger Banana tree Banana plant  Indian
cultivar banana tree with may small, very tasty
fruits. It is wind and disease resistant. A very
beautiful plant with large green leaves. Can reach
heights of up to 16’. Healthy 12" plant with soil
shipped.




Saba banana tree - banana plant  If you want a big
banana tree fast get this one. The "sequoia" of the
banana plants with huge pseudostem (range 12-24"
diameter) and banana tree heights ranging from 16-
20 ft. here, however the height can be controled to
any size by just holding back on the banana plant
fertilizer. Does great indoors. The wonderful tasting
cooking banana makes the best tostones we have
ever eaten. Can be eaten raw also, A sturdy banana
plant and somewhat cool tolerant. A must for the
collector. Very healthy approx. 12" to 14" banana
plant shipped.




Dwarf Red banana tree - banana plant  This banana
tree is known by many names in other parts of the
world, (Cuban Red banan tree, Jamaican Red
banana tree, Indio, Macaboo, etc) this very sweet
lady finger banana plant type fruit is one of the most
beautiful. It turns "sunset" colors when ripening
from dark burgundy to orange, yellow-green and
mutated colors in between. The full bodied flavor
and distinctive sweetness make it worth the wait to
give fruit. My Favorite eating banana of all types,
has a mellow peach flavor. The banana plant is very
attractive, having a dark maroon pseudostem and
redish pink in the midrib of the leaves. Very wide
green leaves that are so beautiful. The dwarf Red
banana tree grows 8 ft. to 10'. Beautiful healthy
dwarf red banana plant approx 12" with soil.





High Color Mini Banana Plant  This is a Super Dwarf
Cavendish banana plant variety that only gets 3'
high. Produces excellent dessert type fruit. Great
for indoors. Has red bloches on leaf top, a beautiful
potted plant too. Nice 1 month old plant shipped
with soil.


BASJOO banana trees - banana plants  The plant
has long, slender, bright green leaves. The ‘Basjoo’
is the world’s cold hardiest banana tree. It is hardy
planted in ground to -3°F and with protective
mulching it can survive temperatures reaching down
to -20°F. Its inflorescence is one of the most
beautiful of all bananas. Strong fibers in the trunk of
the 'Basjoo' have been used to make fabrics. It is a
great landscape plant, it lends a tropical appearance
to any situation. This is a great addition for
gardeners living in cold temperate areas. 'Basjoo'
also does very well in containers and makes a good
interior plant. This banana can be grown in all 50
states. Does not produce edible bananas... Approx.
12" tall healthy banana plant shipped.




Giant Plantain tree   The ‘Giant Plantain’ is rather
slender and grows to a height of about 14 to 18 feet.
The plant produces heads of long fruit with five to
seven hands. The fruit are usually cooked rather
than eaten fresh. The ‘Giant Plantain’ is not very
wind tolerant but will grow well in protected areas.
Healthy approx 12" plant with soil shipped.




ROSE banana plant - banana tree  One of our latest
banana tree acquisitions and a real beauty. The
slender banana tree pseudostem displays a soft
reddish color and grows rapidly. The small fruit are
very sweet and delicate. This banana tree is
resistant to fusarium wilt, grows 6-8 ft. tall. Approx.
12" high healthy banana plant shipped.



Goldfinger Banana tree Banana plant   A recent
product of the banana plant breeding program in
Honduras, this cultivar has commercial potential.
This banana tree has a high wind resistance, some
cold tolerance, and excellent disease resistance with
s strong pseudostem and base. It is an outstanding
producer of delicious tasting bananas. Healthy
approx 12" high plant with soil.




Pitogo Banana Plant Banana Tree 'Pitogo' is a very
unusual banana. It has a solid green pseudostem 10
to 12 feet in height. Banana resemble tennis balls in
size and in shape; they are round not elongated. A
Dessert banana with excellent flavor. 'Pitogo' is a
must for serious collectors. Grows in Zone 8-10.
Healthy approx. 12" high plant with soil shipped.



Praying Hands Banana tree Banana Plant  This
banana tree produces perhaps the most unusual
and distinctive of all banana fruits. Two adjacent
hands of bananas are fused, giving the appearance
of praying hands. This is not just a collector’s item,
the fruits are delicious ripe, containing a hint of
vanilla flavor. When totally ripe, individual bananas
can be carefully separated from each other. An
excellent all-around plant with some wind
resistance; it is very collectible. Healthy approx. 12"
tall plant with soil shipped.




Rajapuri Banana Tree Banana Plant    The 'Rajapuri'
is small at 6 to 8 feet tall. This banana plant that
originated from India is a first choice for
landscaping. The banana plant is totally green, has a
very thick stem and stands up very well to wind. The
leaves are wider than those of most bananas
growing up to 3 feet wide. It is the best plant to grow
in marginal areas or where a grower does not intend
to put much care into the cultivation of bananas.
The heads of fruit are of moderate size with medium
sized fruit that are very sweet. Healthy approx. 12"
tall plant with soil shipped.




Williams Hybrid Banana Tree Banana Plant 'Williams
Hybrid' is one of the main bananas of commerce.
This banana plant grows to 6 to 8 feet. They
produce very large heads of fruit that are sweet and
delicious. They are wind resistant and cold hardy.
Healthy approx. 12" high plant with siol shipped.




1000 Fingers Banana tree banana plant  This novelty
is as unique as beautiful. When full grown at 10-12
ft. It produces a stalk of tiny round bananas that can
continue to make fruit until it touches the ground
(sometimes 5 ft. long or more) Mostly used for
ornamentation or landscape however the fruit is
edible and sweet.




Banana Leaves for Cooking  2 Big Banana leaves
(approx. 4'x 2') for cooking. This is a little more than
comes in the frozen packs available from others.
And these are Fresh cut the day we send. 6 to 12  
leaves needed usually for med. pig. Shipped by
priority mail.
See recipes at the banana info page.



More Banana plant info (Banana Leaves Recipes at
bottom of this page)





Banana Plant Information

Banana plants are the largest plants on earth
without a woody stem. They are actually giant herbs
of the same family as lilies, orchids and palms.

Today's commercial banana trees are scientifically
classified into the genus Musa of the Musaceae
family.

The Cavendish banana tree is the most common
variety of bananas now imported to the United
States. The Cavendish banana tree is a shorter,
stubbier plant than earlier varieties. It was
developed to resist plant diseases, insects and
windstorms better than its predecessors. The
Cavendish banana tree fruit is of medium size, has a
creamier, smooth texture, and a thinner peel than
earlier varieties.

Banana trees are perennial crops that are grown and
harvested year-round. The banana plant does not
grow from a seed but rather from a rhizome or bulb.
Each fleshy banana plant bulb will sprout new
shoots year after year.

Each banana plant bears only one stem of fruit. To
produce a new stem, only two shoots - known as the
daughter and the granddaughter - are allowed to
grow and be cultivated from the main banana plant.



The banana tree reaches its full height of 6 to 25
feet in about one year. The trunk of a banana plant
is made of sheaths of overlapping leaves, tightly
wrapped around each other like celery stalks.

When a banana tree leaf formation is completed, a
flowering stalk emerges from the top and a large
bud grows downward from the stalk's tip. Purplish
leaves around the bud unfold and banana blossoms
are revealed. Each female blossom becomes an
individual banana fruit.

On each banana tree stem, ten or more bananas
growing together are called "hands" and a single
banana is called a "finger." Four to six bananas sold
in the retail store are called a "cluster."

Within 10 to 12 months, banana tree stems are
ready to be harvested. Stems average 150 fingers
and weigh 85 to 100 pounds each. Once a stem is
removed, the main plant is cut away and the
daughter becomes the main plant repeated the cycle.


HOW TO GROW BANANAS

The banana (Musa accuminata) is a berry formed
from a superior ovary of three joined carpels
arranged in an axile placentation. The flowers are
born on long and pendulous inflorescence which are
usually unisexual, that is, the female flowers are
born near to the base of the peduncle (producing
the typical banana berry fruits) whilst the male
flowers are born on the tip of the same peduncle.
Seed may be produced or more usually, develop the
berry parthenocarpically. Both the seeded and the
parthenocarpic berry are very similar in structure
when flowering.
Broad, long, graceful leaves and rapid growth-
commonly reaching full size in just a few weeks-
make banana a favorite plant for providing a tropical
look to pool and patio areas. The development of
bananas following a frost-free winter is a source of
both pride and amazement to those unfamiliar with
banana culture.
Banana is a tropical herbaceous plant consisting of
an underground corm and a trunk (pseudostem)
comprised of concentric layers of leaf sheaths. At 10
to 15 months after the emergence of a new plant, its
true stem rapidly grows up through the center and
emerges as a terminal inflorescence which bears
fruit.

The flowers appear in groups (hands) along the
stem and are covered by purplish bracts which roll
back and shed as the fruit stem develops. The first
hands to appear contain female flowers which will
develop into bananas (usually seedless in edible
types). The number of hands of female flowers
varies from a few to more than 10, after which
numerous hands of sterile flowers appear and shed
in succession, followed by numerous hands of male
flowers which also shed. Generally, a bract rolls up
and sheds to expose a new hand of flowers almost
daily.

Soil and Site Selection

Banana grows in a wide variety of soils, as long as
the soil is deep and has good internal and surface
drainage. The effect of poorly drained soils can be
partly overcome by planting in raised beds, as the
plant does not tolerate poor drainage or flooding.

The planting site should be chosen for protection
from wind and cold weather, if possible. The
warmest location in the home landscape is near the
south or southeast side of the house.



Banana Plant FROST Protection: Bananas flourish
best under uniformly warm conditions but can
survive 28° F for short periods. If the temperature
does not fall below 22° F and the cold period is
short, the underground rhizome will usually survive.
To keep the plants that are above ground
producing, protection against low temperatures is
very important. Wrap trunk or cover with blanket if
the banana plants are small and low temperatures
are predicted. You can also dig up the roots with or
without the banana plant above the ground, and
store in a dark dry place inside untill spring. This is
the best way for most.

Banana tree Fertilization: Their rapid growth rate
make bananas plants heavy feeders. During warm
weather, apply a balanced fertilizer once a month--a
8:10:8 NPK fertilizer appears to be adequate. A
mature plant may require as much as 1-1/2 to 2
pounds of the above fertilizer each month. Young
banana plants need a quarter to a third as much.
Spread the fertilizer evenly around the plant in a
circle extending 4 feet from the trunk. Feed
container banana plants on the same monthly
schedule using about half the rate for outside plants.

Soil: Banana plants will grow in most soils, but to
thrive, they should be planted in a rich, well-drained
soil. The best possible location would be above an
abandoned compost heap.

Cold protection of the top is possible by use of
coverings and heat sources, but such is not often
practical. However, in colder locations, soil can be
banked around the trunk just before a projected
cold spell to better protect the underground buds,
which will allow the plant to regenerate in the
coming spring. Unprotected but well-established
bananas across the U.S., with some exceptions, will
regenerated after light freezes.

Some people dig the entire plant, rhizome and all,
remove the leaves and store the plant, dry, in a
heated area over winter. To assure survival, it is
easier to dig small suckers, severed very close to
the parent rhizome, and pot them for overwintering
indoors.
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Banana Plants   Banana Trees                  Info@Banana-Plants.com                Melbourne, Florida