Containers and fruit

DigitalGuy · 11-05-2019, 10:17 AM

I've been growing Misi Luki bananas in the ground in Southern California successfully for several years, but now want to grow them in containers, if possible. My question is if I will get fruit with container grown bananas, and if so, what size container I need per plant?

If anyone has had success with growing bananas in pots to full maturity, I'd love to hear as much as you can tell me regarding size of container, how many plants per container, type of soil, drainage issues, etc.

Obviously, my concern is that my plants will grow fine, but that they may not flower or provide fruit. All help is really appreciated!!

BananaMAN22 · 11-05-2019, 01:09 PM

I currently have 5 banana plants in containers! I haven’t got any fruit yet tho....I think my pot sizes range from 25-35 gal

Checker55 · 11-05-2019, 07:52 PM

I have had White Iholena and Raja Puri fruit in 45 gallon pots . I used potting soil mixed with perlite. I would advise staking any fruiting pseudostems . Given our California Santa Ana winds.

beam2050 · 11-05-2019, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Checker55

I have had White Iholena and Raja Puri fruit in 45 gallon pots . I used potting soil mixed with perlite. I would advise staking any fruiting pseudostems . Given our California Santa Ana winds.

pjkfarm · 11-06-2019, 09:34 AM

I have an ensete seeded this spring currently in flower in a 25 gal pot.

cincinnana · 11-09-2019, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigitalGuy

I've been growing Misi Luki bananas in the ground in Southern California successfully for several years, but now want to grow them in containers, if possible. My question is if I will get fruit with container grown bananas, and if so, what size container I need per plant?

If anyone has had success with growing bananas in pots to full maturity, I'd love to hear as much as you can tell me regarding size of container, how many plants per container, type of soil, drainage issues, etc.

Obviously, my concern is that my plants will grow fine, but that they may not flower or provide fruit. All help is really appreciated!!

45+ gal and up.

1 plant per container.

Dwarf varieties do well in the same large containers.
There are a number of forum/nursery members in your area which can better give best advice.

Youtube has some good videos that will enhance your decision too..

Up potting Progression of using larger pots
by
Hostafarian,
on Flickr

pjkfarm · 11-09-2019, 09:18 PM

Great pics of upsizing pots - how often do you generally find you change pot sizes? Or how do you decide when to upsize? Looks like quite a big one in the picture in what I would consider a small pot (very small :-). I would love to leave ours in smaller pots - much easier to manage, but I give them a lot more soil.

cincinnana · 11-10-2019, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjkfarm

Great pics of upsizing pots - how often do you generally find you change pot sizes? Or how do you decide when to upsize? Looks like quite a big one in the picture in what I would consider a small pot (very small :-). I would love to leave ours in smaller pots - much easier to manage, but I give them a lot more soil.

Most of my plants in containers and in the ground are on variable drip irrigation.
I can grow a bigger plant in a smaller pot with less issues.
The container weight has to be kept under control too...all I got is a two wheeler to move them.

Notice next time at a finer nursery the size and quality Monrovia plants, they are grown on irrigation mats or drip and in a smallish 3-5 gal container.
Their Ensete are huge in these pots. These plants are given everything they need except pot size.

For me it is personal preference when to repot or just do a soil refresh.
You kinda just know when to do it.....sometimes I am way too lazy and one gets away from me.

.

Repot by
Hostafarian,
on Flickr

DigitalGuy · 11-10-2019, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cincinnana

45+ gal and up.

1 plant per container.

Thanks for this info and the excellent photo!

Are you getting fruit from your potted bananas?

pjkfarm · 11-10-2019, 10:57 AM

Wow! Thank you! As we have never grown on in pots (basically propagating for planting out), this is a new experience. The few we have tried have been difficult. You mention Ensete from Monrovia. Our Ensete in the ground have been fabulous, but in the pots, 3rd rate - and we thought we had good soils - need to do some testing, maybe not enough nutrients . . . And yes, smaller is better!
If you use drip, how do you control different demands? We have different drips (1/2 gal hr, 1 gal, etc.) but as plants grow they need more, so do you add drippers, let them run longer, or what? Especially as some plants will grow faster than others, so would need to have different "lines" where usage is the same (otherwise one over or under waters), which would mean moving pots all around :-(.

cincinnana · 11-10-2019, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DigitalGuy

Thanks for this info and the excellent photo!

Are you getting fruit from your potted bananas?

No.... my growing period is only 150-170 days a year.
I will get an occasional flower from an Orinoco though.

Local garden society members which have commercial hothouses get flowers and late season fruit.
But the fruit is for show.....not good for anything.

If your not in a tropical zone....your fruit will not be as good as you would have hoped.

pjkfarm · 11-10-2019, 08:50 PM

Is that small pot and big banana going to be transplanted into the BIG pot??
And thank you for the detailed description - I have never used variable emitters - need to check them out. We do all our own irrigation, electrical, ditching with two farm workers and my wife hauls rocks and a shovel with all of us - trying to get some volunteers to come in as we hope to donate these when completed (but keep our house).
Meantime the bananas are a new challenge and the Ensete is totally wild - at least compared to the one banana flower we have had (or seen in our travels).

cincinnana · 11-10-2019, 09:52 PM

Back to the original posters question is a larger container will get a better chance of a flower or possible fruit in their zone.
My experience is A larger container will possibly make a plant flower or fruit within a few years.
Usually it is a 3 to 4 year cycle in a non-tropical zone.
This is Not a guarantee. Local growers should chime in and help you out.

Sarah Brubacker · 11-11-2019, 10:12 AM

I grow about half of mine in pots, they don't produce fruit quite as soon, but so far I got quite a few dwarf Cavendish, super dwarf Cavendish, Iholena, gold finger to fruit in pots, they take around 1 1/2 year, some would have been a little less than that. My pot size ranges around 20 -30 gal. I dont always use a real pot.
I normally water them every day in the summer but not quite as often in the winter, never had the problem of roots rotting from water.

Akula · 11-11-2019, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah Brubacker

....they take around 1 1/2 year...

That's pretty fast. It takes me about 12-14 calendar months to get a flower and another 4 months for development of the fruit in my plants that are in the backyard year-round in my zone.

Sarah Brubacker · 11-11-2019, 11:54 AM

I was expecting 3 years because thats what the catalog said, so I was pleased when it started fruiting. And yes I still have filling time, around 4 -6 months especially if it went through winter

11-05-2019, 10:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
DigitalGuy DigitalGuy's Photo Gallery Location: Orange County, CA Zone: 10 Name: George Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 11 BananaBucks : 12,560 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 8 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 4 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Containers and fruit I've been growing Misi Luki bananas in the ground in Southern California successfully for several years, but now want to grow them in containers, if possible. My question is if I will get fruit with container grown bananas, and if so, what size container I need per plant? If anyone has had success with growing bananas in pots to full maturity, I'd love to hear as much as you can tell me regarding size of container, how many plants per container, type of soil, drainage issues, etc. Obviously, my concern is that my plants will grow fine, but that they may not flower or provide fruit. All help is really appreciated!!

11-05-2019, 01:09 PM	#2 (permalink)
BananaMAN22 Name: AceMcgae Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 4 BananaBucks : 2,033 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 5 Times Was Thanked 8 Times in 4 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2 Times	Re: Containers and fruit I currently have 5 banana plants in containers! I haven’t got any fruit yet tho....I think my pot sizes range from 25-35 gal

11-05-2019, 07:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
Checker55 Location: North Hollywood CA. U S A Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 68 BananaBucks : 6,575 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 176 Times Was Thanked 70 Times in 40 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 160 Times	Re: Containers and fruit I have had White Iholena and Raja Puri fruit in 45 gallon pots . I used potting soil mixed with perlite. I would advise staking any fruiting pseudostems . Given our California Santa Ana winds.

11-06-2019, 09:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
pjkfarm Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 238 BananaBucks : 13,173 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,462 Times Was Thanked 224 Times in 131 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 102 Times	Re: Containers and fruit I have an ensete seeded this spring currently in flower in a 25 gal pot.

11-09-2019, 09:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
pjkfarm Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 238 BananaBucks : 13,173 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,462 Times Was Thanked 224 Times in 131 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 102 Times	Re: Containers and fruit Great pics of upsizing pots - how often do you generally find you change pot sizes? Or how do you decide when to upsize? Looks like quite a big one in the picture in what I would consider a small pot (very small :-). I would love to leave ours in smaller pots - much easier to manage, but I give them a lot more soil.

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11-10-2019, 10:57 AM	#10 (permalink)
pjkfarm Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 238 BananaBucks : 13,173 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,462 Times Was Thanked 224 Times in 131 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 102 Times	Re: Containers and fruit Wow! Thank you! As we have never grown on in pots (basically propagating for planting out), this is a new experience. The few we have tried have been difficult. You mention Ensete from Monrovia. Our Ensete in the ground have been fabulous, but in the pots, 3rd rate - and we thought we had good soils - need to do some testing, maybe not enough nutrients . . . And yes, smaller is better! If you use drip, how do you control different demands? We have different drips (1/2 gal hr, 1 gal, etc.) but as plants grow they need more, so do you add drippers, let them run longer, or what? Especially as some plants will grow faster than others, so would need to have different "lines" where usage is the same (otherwise one over or under waters), which would mean moving pots all around :-(.

11-10-2019, 08:50 PM	#12 (permalink)
pjkfarm Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 238 BananaBucks : 13,173 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,462 Times Was Thanked 224 Times in 131 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 102 Times	Re: Containers and fruit Is that small pot and big banana going to be transplanted into the BIG pot?? And thank you for the detailed description - I have never used variable emitters - need to check them out. We do all our own irrigation, electrical, ditching with two farm workers and my wife hauls rocks and a shovel with all of us - trying to get some volunteers to come in as we hope to donate these when completed (but keep our house). Meantime the bananas are a new challenge and the Ensete is totally wild - at least compared to the one banana flower we have had (or seen in our travels).

11-10-2019, 09:52 PM	#13 (permalink)
cincinnana <div style="font-weight: bold;color: Orange;">container grower</div> Location: Southwest Ohio U.S.A.🇺🇸 Find me on the map! Zone: HZ 6/5 Microclimate - Elevation 750 feet- 228.60 meters Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 8,784 BananaBucks : 1,395 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,865 Times Was Thanked 11,709 Times in 4,870 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,943 Times	Re: Containers and fruit Back to the original posters question is a larger container will get a better chance of a flower or possible fruit in their zone. My experience is A larger container will possibly make a plant flower or fruit within a few years. Usually it is a 3 to 4 year cycle in a non-tropical zone. This is Not a guarantee. Local growers should chime in and help you out. __________________ Cincinnana/Hostafarians Photo Gallery 🌴

11-11-2019, 10:12 AM	#14 (permalink)
Sarah Brubacker Location: Wentworth MO Find me on the map! Zone: 6b Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 184 BananaBucks : 23,456 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 63 Times Was Thanked 413 Times in 104 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 389 Times	Re: Containers and fruit I grow about half of mine in pots, they don't produce fruit quite as soon, but so far I got quite a few dwarf Cavendish, super dwarf Cavendish, Iholena, gold finger to fruit in pots, they take around 1 1/2 year, some would have been a little less than that. My pot size ranges around 20 -30 gal. I dont always use a real pot. I normally water them every day in the summer but not quite as often in the winter, never had the problem of roots rotting from water. Last edited by Sarah Brubacker : 11-11-2019 at 11:49 AM.

11-11-2019, 11:54 AM	#16 (permalink)
Sarah Brubacker Location: Wentworth MO Find me on the map! Zone: 6b Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 184 BananaBucks : 23,456 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 63 Times Was Thanked 413 Times in 104 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 389 Times	Re: Containers and fruit I was expecting 3 years because thats what the catalog said, so I was pleased when it started fruiting. And yes I still have filling time, around 4 -6 months especially if it went through winter

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