banana plants

I bought a banana plant saturday and have repotted it into a bigger pot..its an indoor one...any special things i should know about them?? shall i put it outside when its sunny for an hour or so??...

 

I dont think I would try it outside just yet, especially if its windy, the leaves break very easily.
Have you got it in a conservatory/greenhouse?
Without knowing what particular type it is, its difficult to say but it may get pretty big, at quite a pace when it gets going.
Do you intend growing it outside in the summer months?

 

no i was going to keep it indoors and maybe pop it out for a spot of sunbathing..when its really warm...it didnt have a label with it..so i dont know what sort it is...i am here saying its an indoor plant and i dont really know for sure..i got it off a market stall and it was just wrapped in polythene with banana plant on it...will have to look at some pictures and see if i can identify it..

 

I've not tried it myself, but I dont think they grow well as house plants, unless it can get a lot of light, and humidity.
You could have a problem in ID ing it, as they tend to look very similar in photos.
The way it was sold, tends to suggest it was intended for indoor use.
Can you post a pic? Not that I can ID it, maybe someone can, at least we could have a go.

 

If you do put it outside later don't put it directly in the sun straight away, or it may scorch. Try and keep it in the shade at first and let the sun on it gradually.

 

when i work out how to post a photo i will take one..I have allready asked another member for help and i have got so far then got stuck ..my daughter is coming up in a week so i will aske her for help in doing it..i am not a computer whizz..thanks for your help ..i have it in a bay window but i have a humidifier in their so it may be happy where it is..we shall see..

 

Dont worry wildflower, quite a few of us are not computer whizzes

 

have to tell you all the plant is dead..it just sort of withered up and looked really sick..so i threw it in my compost bin..i am not very good with exotic plants at all so i give up!!

 

Wildflower, dont blame yourself.
I see you bought it off a market stall, I bet it was cold back then, it might well have been chilled or even frosted before you bought it.

 

Wildflower, just found this thread about your banana. Unless you own a very large conservatory I wouldn't grow bananas inside. They get all sorts of problems related to lack of humidity and temperature fluctuations. The solutions to these problems are not something you would want to do in your house. I bring my ensete varieties in but only with the intention of slowing them down for winter protection indoors, and whilst they are docile it is still a pain.

Also they are sooooooo full of water that they have to be miles away from any wooden furnitute because they excrete water from the leaves. My ensetes touch the ceiling when I first bring them in and they leave pools of water on the floor.

Best kept outside, full sun at the top, nice and moist at the bottom.

Most markets don't sell the Musa Basjoo variety which is the only real fully hardy banana for the garden. Most commonly I see Musella lasiocarpa and Musa acuminata Dwarf Cavendish being sold and these will not survive without alot of help. Plus you seem to need at least one leaf active for the plant to function. Musa basjoo doesn't mind if you chop its head off every year!

 

Thanks for the information..i certainly dont fancy pools of water inside..the dogs feet are enough mess indoors..I may get a conservatory when we leave here so i might try some exotics then..I have got to tell you that my daughter lives in the e midlands and a woman in her street had bananas on her banana plant...it was on central news so i know its true..have you had any?..also i bought some banana seeds and they didnt grow at all..i dont think bananas like me much..

 

Yes I have bananas. They are very small as it started flowering in september when the weather started to turn. Also whilst it continued to flower in the green house the emerging flowers were not pollenated by flying insects. However now that the banana is uncovered I am hoping with this hot summer we are promised they will get bigger and increase in number!

A bit small, but getting there! I doubt news worthy though !

 

Is that basjoo, banana man, I had one flower a couple of years ago but no fruit.
I was under the impression that they needed another plant to pollenate, unless its something like cavendishii.
I hope your right about the hot summer. :D