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I'm new to this site, just subscribed and am learning to navigate the forums. Hope I'm posting to the right forum. I live in middle Tennesse and some charts show me in USDA zone 7 (7b?) while some charts on some of the tropical plant websites show me in zone 6. I'm fixing to (can tell I'm from the south) plant some banana plants in my backyard and need good advice from experienced "nanner people". I want some neat and different tropical plants that will produce edible fruit and bananas fit the bill.
What variety would you recommend and what type of upkeep am I looking at? I really don't want to dig them up and bring them in for the winter. I'd rather cut them back and cover them till spring. I'm looking at buying some Texas Star Bananas (the giant bulbs so I can get some fruit the first year)
What are your suggestions? Anybody in mid TN growing good bananas? Any advice will be greatly appreciated and put to use. I haven't purchased any plants yet. I hear some of the ornamental bananas do well but don't have edible fruit. With this economy I'm planting stuff I can eat ! Banana pudding in hard times makes life fine !

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Hello welcome you will find everything you need to know here but I would think it will be a challenge for you to produce bananas where you live. It is possible but will require winter maintiance. Bananas take months to ripen and the plant has to grow for some time uninterrupted. Bananas seem to be addictive so be ready for that. It sounds like you may have looked at a tyty they claim to sell a Texas star and a giant bulb that will produce fruit. If you order from these guys there is a very slim chance of your order being correct. You can get all the good stuff from members here. I have many cold hardy varietys that I will have to break up this spring and I can help you get started.

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If you want edible ones Orinoco is supposed to be really cold hardy. One of our members who lives in Tennessee, bigdog, got this one variety Veinte Cohol to fruit because of its quick harvest time (60 days after bloom I think), and he lives in 7a.

Musa Veinte Cohol - Bananas Wiki

Musa Orinoco - Bananas Wiki

Here's his thread:

http://www.bananas.org/f15/time-put-...inter-310.html

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THANKS !!

I'll keep watching this site for plants on sale. I looked at TyTy's web site but the site I was considering purchasing the Texas Star plants from was Aaronsfarms.com. I called and talked to them and they were very helpful over the phone. Let me know as soon as you have any for sale and what price. I'll purchase my plants from members here.

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Aaronsfarm is run by the same people as TyTy. You'd probably be better off getting Texas Star from someone on the site. harveyc's Texas Star is his hardiest plant.

http://www.bananas.org/f2/harveys-ha...ana-15032.html

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I live in Cleveland, TN, and have been growing bananas, cold hardy palms and other subtrops for around 6 years now. I hate to disappoint you, but don't hold your hopes up too high for a banana to produce for you in our climate! I use them for their ornamental value, and that is good for me!!! BigDog is a friend of mine and his Veinte Cohol produced fruit, but only after keeping it growing in a heated greenhouse. Orinoco will not produce fruit in our short growing season, unless you are willing to overwinter the psuedostem in a dormant state under your house, or some place similiar. Please feel free to contact me at tntrops at yahoo dot com anytime and I will be more than happy to help you any way I can. I am originally from Manchester, TN, and my daughter and son-in-law live in Murfreesboro for now. I make it over that way on occasion...
Here is a link to my photobucket account that may interest you when you have time to look. Most pictures are in subfolders listed on the side of the main page. The main page is slideshows from previous years' growing seasons.

Pictures by randy4ut - Photobucket

Look forward to hearing from you and welcome to the crazy world of growing hardy subtropicals in the arctic tundra of TN!!!

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I also agree I would use them as ornimental and if you happen to get fruit that would be awesome.
Im in michigan and have come to the point where I just bring them inside and overwinter them in the crawl space of the house dry rooted.
I bring them out just before spring, pot them and get them started and then transplant outside in desired area.
This for me has been the best so far, although I did get musa's to sprout one year by leaving outside and protect for winter but that was only one time. I basically lost more than it was worth dealing with this way for me.

Also one other thing my praying hands banana's have been the best for me in this area and by bringing them inside they have been the most hardy for sure, for me.

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