Banana Heat Tolerance
 

Hi,

I know banana's hate the cold - I got that part covered.

However where I live, the heat has been unbearable this summer. Not to mention a nice drought to accompany the brutal heat.

Highs in the mid 90's, 90%+ humidity, no wind, no rain, no cloud cover. heat index is 110+

My bananas look like they are suffering - I'm noticing burnt leaves, yellowing, drooping, etc. Newly formed pups close to the ground look like they are getting burned up - turning black and dying.

What is the upper temp range to successfully grow banana's? And what kind of damage can extreme heat inflict?

Thanks

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

From what I have learned, most bananas will do just fine under extreme heat as long as they are supplied with plenty of water. How often are you watering?

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

Go to a real irrigation shop (not a hardware store)
You can buy pvc t's that are 1/2" with 1/8" on the top side. Install foggers.
I started out with misters, but they clog up way to easy.
I screwed the pipe run about 4-5 feet off the ground and screwed it to the fence
I set a timer to give it 10 minute shots 3 times a day.
If a heat wave is expected, change the timer to 10 minutes every 2 hours
By no means does this qualify for watering. You still need to moat up the water. Foggers play a game with the humidity
It keeps the nanners happy

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

Supposedly, above 90ish degrees they slow their metabolism, just like they do when it is cold. I don't get that hot, so don't know except what I read. The thing in your favor is the humidity. Uptake of sufficient water is the issue, more than anything else. If you were in Phoenix, with 10% humidity and 100+ degrees, you would have a tougher problem.

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

I'm in Phoenix, and will say that as long as they have water, heat doesn't seem to be an issue. I'm in exactly the situation described above, 110+, and single digit humidity. After the first summer I no longer get leaf burn, I belive due to watering and root development. I've got bananas in full day (east / west) sun, backed by a 10' wall on the north (think massive radiated heat); even at 115, no burning and continued growth. Remember, if these are newer plants, the root base my be very small. Consider shading for the first summer, or just shoot for keeping them alive (don't sweat burned leaves if the pseudo stem stays firm), next summer will be better. If the pseudo stem is soft, be more concerned. Of course all this is IMO, others may not agee, but than again most aren't growing bananas in the desert!

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

Nice to know that they can thrive in Phoenix.

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

Yes on the shade and plenty of water the first summer in extreme heat. Mulching very well can help retain moisture and keep roots cool so they can establish themselves and maintain the rest of the plant.

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

I think that during the day if extremely hot they will stop growing and during the night when temps drop a little they will grow some. Most of my bananas are doing ok but my Musa Basjoo are burning. My experience has been that Basjoo don't take the heat as well and struggle in the extreme heat of Southern Alabama. Orinocos are bullet proof.

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

Yes - I am noticing some cultivars are much better then others.

I was thinking, transpiration is done via the leaves correct? Would I be wrong in assuming leaving only 3 or 4 leaves, would cause the plant to lose less water then a plant with 7 or 8 leaves? Plus might allow better airflow?

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

Revising my previous view, the basjoo does seem to struggle / slow down growth more in full sun over 115F than others. That said though, I don't remove leaves, and it was 118F here yesterday, and the other varieties in full sun did not burn.

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

I am also in Phoenix and agree with what has been said by the others. In extremely hot conditions the water needs are huge and if you don't have a soil that can hold water like a sponge you will need to water every day. My mats are each filled with 50 to 70 bags of cactus mix. The amount of water it took to soak that mix was stunning. Hours of moving the sprinkler all over and back again wondering where the water was going, we rarely ever get enough rain at one time to soak down more than a few inches. A friend recently had flood irrigation reestablished on his property and his bananas are growing like wildfire. I was stunned when I saw the difference. I will soon be moving and would like a flood irrigated lot, it would save me a lot of money on water. My current water bill for 2 months would more than pay for a year of flood irrigation. And the biggest thing is mulch, when I started getting bales of straw or alfalfa for mulch my watering was cut in half, it made a huge difference.

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

Orinoco take 100F+ degrees here with no shade, watering once daily with no issues. Growth does not slow at all with them, and no burn. This is after planting out each spring from being dormant under the house, so roots are not heavily established like they would be for more than one year. Basjoo are a semi shade plant here, they dont do well at all in full sun all day.

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

I live in East Texas. My banana tree is in direct sunlight beginning in the morning. The leaves are brown --- could the sun be burning the leaves while the dew is still on them. My leaves are turning brown. I water every other day but not sure I am watering enough

td

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

Tdunkin, how long has it been in the ground? It's interesting, I tend to burn all the leaves off of everything I plant out here (I'm not patient enough to slowly rotate them into the sun, I just go for it), but the second round of leaves are fine. It's even better with pups, the mother plants sometimes struggles when they come from a cooler environment, but the pups are fine, and will often outpace the mother plant here.

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

I planted it last year in the ground. It's a Texas star banana tree. Did the same thing last year. Tried to get info on how to grow banana trees last year with no luck. Found this web site accidentally Bought a dwarf banana tree this year. It is in a pot. It was in the same spot as other tree. Both trees are doing the same thing. Leaves are turning brown. Have moved potted tree to a shade. Considering re-planting Texas star tree. Dew is still on trees when sun starts shining on them that's why I think the sun is burning the leaves. Thanks. Td

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

My musa basjoo has leaf burn on the newest leaf after three days in the high 90s here in Boston. They were watered and we've had a cool wet spring so many it was to abrupt to adjust. My hydrangea also has heat damage.

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

A brown "line" up the side of the roller leaf that gets stuck, tears, makes dry brown lines down the leaf is common in the spring time. Morning dew gets trapped and the sun hits it like a "magnifying glass" and burns the line in. It's most common on smaller plants and in spring. They will adjust and do fine.

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

We had a freak day here in Oregon where it bounced up to 113 -- with a couple of days at 104 before and after.

I noticed the leaves that had been unfurling on the 113 day got badly scorched -- but otherwise I didn't see any ill-effects. I've got three Hardy Bananas and a first-year supposedly-a-blue-java-but-we'll-see. That last one was shaded from the afternoon sun and sailed right through it.

Re: Banana Heat Tolerance
 

Will the dwarf Orinoco tolerate cold better than a dwarf Namwah?