Stonefox

I would like to plant a new banana section and would like advice on what is the best banana to plant. I absolutely love bananas and would be interested in nice large, high yield, tasty bananas.
I recently retired and have always dreamed of my own producing banana tree. I don’t know much about bananas at present but would like to learn.

My soil is quite clayish.

I live in South Africa and would import seeds if needs be.

The local nursery sells Williams Bananas.

Any advice would be appreciated

stalewiak

Musa grand nain, musa veinte cohol, musa saba

Iowa

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Growing Musa Orinoco since 1993 - Added 2018-Basjoo, Zebrina' Rojo, Ensete Red Abyssinian - Added 2019-Goldfinger - Added 2020-Kokopo (Short Cycle), Double (Mahoi), Highgate, Super Dwarf Cavendish - Added 2021-Pisang Ceylon(Mysore), Musa Margarita, Ensete Ventricosum - Added 2023 - Siam Ruby

Stonefox

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated!

I want to eat the fruit, I am vegetarian and love smoothies with banana.
Size and plant not important, only the fruit, must be nice tasting.

Stonefox

Actually size does count!

I have made a caged enclosure surrounding my banana area because we have a lot of monkeys that spoil fruit. The meshed roof is 4 m high. SO I don't know if such a tree exists, but ideally short tree with loads of bananas that taste great.
Again I am fully focused on producing fruit.

Stonefox

stalewiak: is it possible to buy seeds for these trees?
Google shows the Musa grand nain to be smaaler tree with lots of fruit, that would be ideal seed to find.

beam2050

any thing with seeds you will have trouble eating because the seeds are in the banana. any thing you eat does not grow from seeds.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

Jose263

Stonefox -If 4 meters, approx 12 ft is your height limit, you might want to stick with dwarf or short varieties or at least those that top out at 9 or 10 ft.
Great taste is a good goal but, not very helpful.
Found you on the map - don't know what your climate is like? You appear to be on the coast. You can always amend clay soil with lots of organic matter. Nanas need plenty of water and good drainage and warm/hot weather.
There are other members a few hundred meters inland from you - You might try contacting them for advice and maybe pups. Is anyone near you growing bananas?
Good Luck and welcome

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Growing: Orinoco, Rajapuri, Dwarf Cav, SDC, TT, Dwarf Red, Dwarf Namwah, Tall Namwah (aka Ice Cream), Dwarf Brazilian, Veinte Cohol, California Gold, Double Mohai, NOT-Goldfinger, Gran Nain, Velutina

figsofcourse

Here in Phoenix we have a lot of clay soil, and I have been so surprised that the bananas don't seem to mind it. We have to water a lot of course (and mulch to keep it from evaporating away) but darn if these plants aren't troopers.

I'm a novice banana grower who started with tiny plugs for cost reasons and am still waiting for any plant to fruit. Were I to do it over again I think I would start with a big pup of any decent variety, if you can obtain one. I know a guy who did this and had a proper stand of bananas 4 months later, compared to me at almost the 2 year mark.

This would be much more satisfying and you can collect new varieties as you go along.

Botanical_Bryce

Gran Nain has been the easiest cavendish for me to grow. My favorites so far for ideal conditions would be Gran Nain and SH 3640

Yug

I would think the Williams would be great to start with. I've read that liberal applications of manure (composted stinks less) will help to break up the clay so that roots will penetrate better. It would help to nourish the 'nanners, too.

Stonefox

Gran Nain is available from a Supplier in SA. I will inquire if they will ship to me.

Mark Anthony Phair

Seed-bearing bananas generally do not produce large tasty bananas. they produce bananas with seeds in the fruit pulp.
My favorite, which is Manzano, produces a fruit about 6"-8" (inches) in length depending on parent size and no interruption of growth cycle by a cool season. It is a fat looking fruit and very tasty.
Cavendishii (Williams) does nicely, too.
Fix your soil! Make it highly organic, light and fluffy with good drainage, and plant in a very large prepared hole mixing in some of the local soil. Plant in full sun and protect from fierce winds.
Consult online with, I believe, a banana research facility like the one in Australia --- Queensland, I think.
Best of luck!

Gone Bananas,
Mark Anthony