Banana plants are invaluable for their showy, exotic foliage and provide dramatic impact presiding over lush, tropical borders. Some can be left outside over winter if well protected.
Outdoor cultivation
Bananas should be planted during the warmer months of the year, in a well-drained soil, enriched with organic matter. Water and feed generously to get the best foliage. Shelter is essential to prevent leaves being shredded. Flowers may occasionally be produced but bananas are unlikely to fruit reliably outdoors.
Container cultivation
Smaller species make ideal container plants, placed outdoors for the summer. Grow in a loam-based John Innes No 3 compost with extra grit (30% by volume). Water well during the growing season and feed weekly with a general-purpose liquid feed.
Winter protection
Most bananas, including tender species, grow more vigorously if planted out for the summer, but tender plants need to be lifted in October and stored indoors.
The hardiest types appear to be Musa basjoo, M. sikkimensis and M. itinerans ‘Yunnan’. In warmer areas of southern England these may be root hardy if well mulched; stems should survive outdoors if packed with straw inside a cage of chicken wire (after the first frosts have damaged the foliage, which should subsequently be removed). Hardiness increases with maturity but will also depend on provenance.
Small bananas should be overwintered with a minimum night temperature of 5ºC (41ºF).
Tony Dickerson