Home Banana (Musa) - A grassy fruit plant from the Banana family. Naturally found in tropical areas of Ecuador, Australia, Mexico.
The birthplace of a banana is the Hindustan Peninsula, Southeast Asia. Developing in genetically favorable conditions, it grows up to 10 m, and its fruits are considered a berry. In Europe, the plant is a decoration of greenhouses, grown in greenhouses.
Banana grows easily and quickly at home, where in a year it can increase its growth by 1 meter. Indoors, the life span of the plant is small - only about 5 years. During this time, he manages to grow to 2 m. It blooms for the first time at the age of 3 years.
At the very end of the trunk, it forms a cone-shaped inflorescence. After fruiting, the stem dies, it is resuscitated by processes.
Be sure to pay attention to such wonderful plants as medinilla and anthurium.
It grows easily and quickly at home, where in a year it can increase its growth by 1 meter. | |
It blooms for the first time at the age of 3 years. | |
The plant is easy to grow. | |
Life expectancy is about 5 years. |
Beneficial features
Home Banana (Musa). A photoHomemade banana is a delicious fruit that is eaten raw and processed. Fruits - a source of vitamins PP, A, E, C, B; potassium, iron, phosphorus and calcium; sucrose and organic acids. They are used in folk medicine to increase hemoglobin levels and lower blood pressure. Tryptophan contained in a banana improves mood.
Anti-inflammatory and anti-burn products are prepared on the basis of banana parts. Home banana is used in cosmetology. Fishing tackle and ropes are weaved from the stem and leaves. The infusion of the peel is fertilized with home flowers.
Features of growing at home. Briefly
If you create favorable conditions for the plant, it is easy to grow a banana at home. Optimal for him:
Temperature mode | In winter - + 18 - 21 ° C, in summer - + 26 - 30 ° C. |
Air humidity | High, from 65%; use humidifiers; often sprayed. |
Lighting | Bright; windows facing the south, southwest, southeast side. |
Watering | Abundant; in winter - once, and in summer - up to 3 times a week; warm shower. |
Priming | Special "Primer for Banana" or prepare a mixture of two doses of leafy land and part of peat, sand and turf land. |
Fertilizer and fertilizer | In summer and spring, once every 7 days, in turn, apply a universal mineral and organic fertilizer in diluted form; in the fall and winter do not feed. |
Transfer | Annually, in the spring. |
Breeding | Lateral processes, seeds, division of the bush. |
Growing Features | There are growing characteristics, knowing which you can competently care for him. The bush needs fresh air, on warm summer days it is often taken out for a walk and left in a place protected from draft. |
Banana care at home. In detail
Despite the fact that tropical latitudes are far from Central Russia, it is easy to grow a banana at home if you know its preferences.
Bloom
When it grows up well and forms 16 - 17 large wide leaves (usually this happens already at the age of three), in the middle of summer its flowering can occur. Leaves gather at the top in the form of an umbrella.
When a heart-like leaf is formed at the very top, a large inflorescence appears in the center of the outlet in the form of small creamy or greenish flowers collected in a panicle.
Flourishing, it will increase (in nature, the panicle length can reach 1.5 m) and fall down. The process can last for 2 or 3 months.
Flowers can be bisexual or heterosexual. After pollination of female flowers, bean-shaped fruits are formed, combined into a brush - "bunch". Leaves bend down over time and fall over time.
Temperature mode
A native of the hot tropics is very thermophilic. It is important for him to observe a special temperature regime throughout the year.
In summer, the plant is kept at + 26 - 30 ° C, in winter - at + 18 - 21 ° C.
Spraying
As befits a guest from the tropics, a home banana prefers high humidity (from 65%). It is difficult to create such conditions in the apartment, especially during the heating season. Therefore, every day 3 to 4 times spend spraying plants (in winter - up to 2 times); the pot is placed on a tray with wet expanded clay. An open container of water is placed next to it, air humidifiers are used.
Lighting
Prefers bright sunlight. The quality of its vegetation directly depends on the amount of ultraviolet rays received, therefore, banana care at home strongly recommends keeping the plant on windows facing south, southwest or southeast.
If you place it in a less lit place, it refuses to bloom, stops growing and never sets fruits. On the other hand, in the southern part of the house in the heat should be shaded to avoid sunburn.
Watering
Loves plenty of moisture. So that the soil always remains wet by watering banana spend in summer up to 3 times, and in winter - once a week.
Sometimes watering is replaced with a lukewarm shower (it will remind the plant of the warm tropical rains in its homeland).
After the shower, leave it in the bathroom for a while to make glass of water. For irrigation use settled warm water.
Pot
Throughout the growing season, the banana pot will have to be changed several times. The smallest for him is the capacity, the volume of which is 2 liters, the largest - 50 liters. Buying a banana seedling about 65 cm high, it can be transplanted at home immediately in a 20-liter pot.
No need to buy a pot too large: a spacious container will cause acidification of the substrate, and it will lead to rotting of the roots. But close capacity is not needed: it will not develop in it. There should be drainage holes at the bottom of the pot so that there is no stagnation of moisture. When choosing a suitable container, it should be borne in mind that at least 1/3 of the volume of the dishes should occupy the drainage layer.
Priming
The banana plant at home harmoniously develops in a nutrient breathable substrate having neutral acidity. Special soil for a banana of the same name can be bought at the store. You can make the mixture yourself from one portion of turf land, sand and peat and two parts of leaf land. Sphagnum particles, coconut substrate and vermiculite added to the substrate will make it more loose.
Fertilizer and fertilizer
During the entire period of active vegetation, top dressing and fertilizer are required. Once a week after watering, organic and universal mineral fertilizers in diluted form are alternately used. After feeding a banana, the home day should be in shade.
Transfer
The plant develops intensively, so a banana transplant is carried out every spring. Young bushes are transplanted twice a year. The roots by this time begin to protrude on the surface of the substrate or peek out from the drainage holes.
The volume of the new pot should be 3-4 cm larger than the previous one. A thick layer of drainage from broken brick, expanded clay or pebbles is laid at the bottom.
When transplanting, a home-grown banana should be deepened a bit to form additional roots, and then productivity will increase. The transplant is replaced by transshipment so as not to damage the roots of the plant. In mature plants, the upper layer of soil is refreshed.
After transshipment or renewal of the topsoil, the banana is well watered and placed on a pallet with moist expanded clay, placing several plastic bottle caps under the container so that air is blown through the openings on the bottom of the pot.
After 2 days, the soil is gently loosened. After 3 weeks, the plant is fed.
Pruning
Banana covendish. A photoIn indoor conditions, banana pruning is not carried out. But some gardeners, wanting to rejuvenate a perennial plant, cut a room banana under the root. After this, new shoots appear.
Rest period
It differs from other plants in that it does not have a resting period. Throughout the year, the plant requires high humidity and heat. But in winter, they conditionally allocate time for the tree to rest, contain it at a favorable temperature + 20 ° C, top-dressing is stopped and watered less often.
When the fruits of a banana grow
If optimal conditions are created in the apartment (a sufficiently high temperature and humidity, excellent lighting), a home banana will bear fruit. If it is grown from a shoot, this will happen in a year or two. A plant obtained from seeds will enter the fruiting phase later - after about 4 years. In order to stimulate the formation of fruits, fertilizing is carried out.
Breeding
Reproduction is possible in three ways:
Growing Banana from Seeds
Hard because of their hard shell. To get rid of it, the seeds are soaked for several days in water, and then the shell is ground with a nail file or sandpaper. Prepared seeds are placed in moist soil and buried a little. Cover with a film and germinate at + 30 ° C. Shoots appear after 2.5 months. The film is removed to ventilate and water the seedlings. The grown seedlings are transplanted into a large container.
Banana propagation by division
Combine with transshipment of plants. A fragment with the formed process is cut from an adult rhizome, the cut sites are sprinkled with coal powder and planted in the ground.
Propagation of banana by shoots
Occurs when a fragment having several leaves is separated from the formed rhizome. The cut points are dusted with crushed soil. The shoot is planted in a substrate.
The processes and fragments of the bush take root well, therefore, these reproduction options are most often used.
Diseases and Pests
Indoor banana - a powerful plant, only with improper care can complications arise in its development. Diseases collapse on the tree, and pests sometimes do harm.
Unhealth is manifested in symptoms:
- not growing - lack of lighting, a cramped pot (transplant into a large container and rearrange in a lighter place);
- leaves banana dry around the edges - from dry air (spray more often, put on a pallet with wet pebbles, use humidifiers);
- black-brown spots appear on the leaves - root rot from excess moisture (remove damaged roots, sprinkle the cut points with coal powder, transplant into a new soil);
- dark spots on the leaves of a young - varietal feature of some types of banana, as they mature, the leaves turn green;
- the sprout dries and dies - a natural physiological process that completes the fruiting of the plant;
- mucous rot on the stem - spraying or waterlogging of the soil at a low temperature (remove damaged parts remaining to treat with fungicide, adjust watering).
Scabies, spider mites, thrips can affect.
What bananas can be grown at home
Home banana - a rare exotic plant grown in the apartment. Breeders have bred types of bananas that are specifically designed for planting at home.
Fruit bananas (the fruits of which you can eat)
Grown due to the abundance of delicious fruits. Bred on the basis of two well-known species: Balbis Banana and Pointy Banana. Popular varieties are:
Banana Cavendish Super Dwarf (Musa acuminate Super Dwarf Cavendish)
Low-growing variety with dense pale green leaves. The flower is bright red. Fruits abundantly.
Dwarf Banana Cavendish (Musa acuminate Super Dwarf Cavendish)
Low fertile variety. Bright green leaf plates are wide large. Flower burgundy.
It is still rare in apartments. Fans of indoor exotics like the plant with a powerful silhouette, large leaves and spectacular flowers. The giant plant looks good in a spacious room with high windows. Large space allows the plant to develop harmoniously and emphasizes its uniqueness.
Decorative-leafy and beautiful-flowering bananas
Bananas of this species are valued for beautiful large flowers and leaves. Their fruits are inedible or differ from the edible ones in a large number of coarse small seeds.
Chinese Dwarf Banana, Golden Lotus (Musella lasiocarpa)
Plant height - up to 100 cm. Large leaf plates are painted in emerald color. Forms a large golden inflorescence.
Bloody Banana (Musa sumatrana Zebrina)
The leaf plates are wide, “decorated” with a fancy burgundy green pattern. Red small fruits are inedible.
Velvet Banana (Musa velutina)
A scarlet edging runs along the edge of oval pale green leaves. The flower is a large bright pink hue. Fruits of red color are conditionally edible.
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