Good companion plants for bananas

siege2050 · 10-17-2013, 10:15 PM

What are some good plants that bananas will coexist with? Do any for example Cannas transmit diseases to Bananas?

Kat2 · 10-17-2013, 10:38 PM

I've been reading about sweet potatoes, lemon grass and taro. (I planted sweet potatoes beside mine before I read anything and everyone is happy.) I have read that tomatoes and other veggies work well; they may not be happy with shade. I don't know so I"m watching this thread.

dana mastro · 10-17-2013, 11:03 PM

i live in idaho and its not too humid here so for the summer time im putting tons of ivey and water in pots on the ground and during the day it will soak up all that water and the ivey helps keep the humidty up. though ill still have to water twice a day :P

siege2050 · 10-17-2013, 11:09 PM

I have Cannas beside mine and they look really good, especially the yellow ones. I thought about getting different kinds of gingers as well. I bought some Pink China elephant ears that are hardy to zone 6, maybe 5 with lots of mulch ( supposed to be the hardiest elephant ear there is) but kinda wondering if they might push the bananas around. I have three plants in small pots, and they have already made 3 more baby plants in 1 week. I might wait to put them around the Bananas when the Bananas are much, much taller.

pitangadiego · 10-17-2013, 11:32 PM

Figs, peaches, plums, sugar cane, grapefruit, che, pecans, limes, passion fruit, boysenberries, cherimoya, coffee, etc.

Abnshrek · 10-17-2013, 11:37 PM

My tomato's went buck wild, Cayenne pepper is doing awesome, and cucumbers are delivering these days.. :^)

caliboy1994 · 10-17-2013, 11:57 PM

I'm going to be growing legumes (beans, peas, etc.) underneath my bananas this winter. It should both provide a small degree of cold protection and enrich the soil with more nitrogen. The campus garden manager also planted squash underneath my Namwah and they got along very well.

siege2050 · 10-18-2013, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caliboy1994

I'm going to be growing legumes (beans, peas, etc.) underneath my bananas this winter. It should both provide a small degree of cold protection and enrich the soil with more nitrogen. The campus garden manager also planted squash underneath my Namwah and they got along very well.

Good idea with the nitrogen fixing beans, I bet there are ornamental beans of some sort that would look good under them.

siege2050 · 10-18-2013, 12:22 AM

Maybe some Scarlett runner beans like this as long as they didn't smother the banana plant.

siege2050 · 10-18-2013, 12:27 AM

My grandmother was a full blood Cherokee, and she told me her grandfather used to grow beans on corn as a trellis as a space saver. They would probably stick to the pseudostem because the leaves are too floppy.

servatusprime · 10-18-2013, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by siege2050

I have Cannas beside mine and they look really good, especially the yellow ones. I thought about getting different kinds of gingers as well. I bought some Pink China elephant ears that are hardy to zone 6, maybe 5 with lots of mulch ( supposed to be the hardiest elephant ear there is) but kinda wondering if they might push the bananas around. I have three plants in small pots, and they have already made 3 more baby plants in 1 week. I might wait to put them around the Bananas when the Bananas are much, much taller.

Careful with those canna. I was growning tons if them around my bananas and unless you have a very vigorous plant they will compete for nutrients. After I ripped them out it was amazing how much faster my bananas started growing.

cincinnana · 10-18-2013, 05:45 AM

My bananas are in black landscape containers and my companion plant of choice is Oxalis aka Shamrock.
It comes in two leaf colors green and purple has nice flowers and is edible.
The plant does a good job of hiding the containers
It is an inexpensive fast grower, does not seem to compete with the banana and goes DORMANT when I overwinter them and the root is very resilient.

sal · 10-18-2013, 08:56 AM

What are about strawberry as a ground cover?

I ordered 25 plants, I just have space for about 10 of them.

Snookie · 10-18-2013, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitangadiego

Figs, peaches, plums, sugar cane, grapefruit, che, pecans, limes, passion fruit, boysenberries, cherimoya, coffee, etc.

Damn, all in the same 30 gal pot lol

I like dat me:}

Abnshrek · 10-18-2013, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sal

What are about strawberry as a ground cover?

I ordered 25 plants, I just have space for about 10 of them.

I'm sure you can put them in hanging baskets too.. :^)

Kat2 · 10-18-2013, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abnshrek

I'm sure you can put them in hanging baskets too.. :^)

Why not strawberries? They're not heavy feeders and don't have deep roots. I assume you'd mulch them which benefit your bananas; the plants themselves would act as a living mulch IMO. And they produce fruit a lot faster!

Arachnotron · 10-18-2013, 04:40 PM

Bamboo!

(Sorry for the crappy pics)

cheson74 · 10-18-2013, 04:44 PM

I plant tapioca, yucca root, taro, ginger and papaya next to my bananas. Since this is the tropics, everything grows year round. My 14 foot dwarf bananas are gigantic so I don't think there any nutrient issues.

All the plants get watered automatically twice a day and get a regular diet of horse manure compost and zoo compost.

siege2050 · 10-18-2013, 04:56 PM

I planted some Golden Bamboo, and I am going to plant my Mekong giant by it next year. I'm glad I have a big yard lol.

caliboy1994 · 10-18-2013, 07:43 PM

I hear bamboo can be extremely difficult to manage and get rid of. I'm sticking to edible cover crops.

10-17-2013, 10:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
siege2050 Hobby obsessor maximus Location: Oklahoma Find me on the map! Zone: zone 7 Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 1,092 BananaBucks : 360,775 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 854 Times Was Thanked 1,295 Times in 614 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 85 Times	Good companion plants for bananas What are some good plants that bananas will coexist with? Do any for example Cannas transmit diseases to Bananas? __________________ If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any Banana pudding! How can you have any Banana pudding if you don't eat yer meat?! Click for weather forecast

10-17-2013, 10:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
Kat2 Location: Now nesting in Titusville, FL Zone: 10A or 9B ish. Like it matters? Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 2,153 BananaBucks : 239,590 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,921 Times Was Thanked 2,669 Times in 1,322 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 595 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas I've been reading about sweet potatoes, lemon grass and taro. (I planted sweet potatoes beside mine before I read anything and everyone is happy.) I have read that tomatoes and other veggies work well; they may not be happy with shade. I don't know so I"m watching this thread. __________________

10-17-2013, 11:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
dana mastro Banned Location: moscow idaho Find me on the map! Zone: 6 - 7 Name: banna Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 124 BananaBucks : 35,320 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 3 Times Was Thanked 82 Times in 53 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 18 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas i live in idaho and its not too humid here so for the summer time im putting tons of ivey and water in pots on the ground and during the day it will soak up all that water and the ivey helps keep the humidty up. though ill still have to water twice a day :P Last edited by dana mastro : 10-17-2013 at 11:05 PM.

10-17-2013, 11:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
siege2050 Hobby obsessor maximus Location: Oklahoma Find me on the map! Zone: zone 7 Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 1,092 BananaBucks : 360,775 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 854 Times Was Thanked 1,295 Times in 614 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 85 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas I have Cannas beside mine and they look really good, especially the yellow ones. I thought about getting different kinds of gingers as well. I bought some Pink China elephant ears that are hardy to zone 6, maybe 5 with lots of mulch ( supposed to be the hardiest elephant ear there is) but kinda wondering if they might push the bananas around. I have three plants in small pots, and they have already made 3 more baby plants in 1 week. I might wait to put them around the Bananas when the Bananas are much, much taller. __________________ If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any Banana pudding! How can you have any Banana pudding if you don't eat yer meat?! Click for weather forecast

10-17-2013, 11:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
pitangadiego Senior Member Location: San Diego, CA Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,481 BananaBucks : 129,540 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2 Times Was Thanked 2,706 Times in 923 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas Figs, peaches, plums, sugar cane, grapefruit, che, pecans, limes, passion fruit, boysenberries, cherimoya, coffee, etc. __________________ Encanto Farms Nursery http://encantofarms.com We Be Bananas http://webebananas.com

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10-17-2013, 11:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
Abnshrek Happy Growing Abnshrek 's Photo Gallery Location: Beaumont Texas Find me on the map! Zone: 8b, but 9b weather.. Name: Migael / Michael Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 9,492 BananaBucks : 196,559 Feedback: 45 / 100% Said "Thanks" 10,447 Times Was Thanked 16,440 Times in 5,237 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,318 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas My tomato's went buck wild, Cayenne pepper is doing awesome, and cucumbers are delivering these days.. :^) __________________ I'm a Nannerhead :^)

10-17-2013, 11:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
caliboy1994 <div style="font-style: italic;"><div style="font-style: italic;"></div></div> caliboy1994's Photo Gallery Location: SFV, California Find me on the map! Zone: USDA zone 10a; Sunset zone 18/19 Name: Andreas Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 2,301 BananaBucks : 250,906 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,474 Times Was Thanked 2,196 Times in 1,148 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 236 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas I'm going to be growing legumes (beans, peas, etc.) underneath my bananas this winter. It should both provide a small degree of cold protection and enrich the soil with more nitrogen. The campus garden manager also planted squash underneath my Namwah and they got along very well. __________________ "The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." ~ Masanobu Fukuoka Find me on linktree here as Solarpunk Farmer: https://linktr.ee/solarpunkfarmer

10-18-2013, 12:22 AM	#9 (permalink)
siege2050 Hobby obsessor maximus Location: Oklahoma Find me on the map! Zone: zone 7 Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 1,092 BananaBucks : 360,775 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 854 Times Was Thanked 1,295 Times in 614 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 85 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas Maybe some Scarlett runner beans like this as long as they didn't smother the banana plant. __________________ If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any Banana pudding! How can you have any Banana pudding if you don't eat yer meat?! Click for weather forecast

10-18-2013, 12:27 AM	#10 (permalink)
siege2050 Hobby obsessor maximus Location: Oklahoma Find me on the map! Zone: zone 7 Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 1,092 BananaBucks : 360,775 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 854 Times Was Thanked 1,295 Times in 614 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 85 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas My grandmother was a full blood Cherokee, and she told me her grandfather used to grow beans on corn as a trellis as a space saver. They would probably stick to the pseudostem because the leaves are too floppy. __________________ If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any Banana pudding! How can you have any Banana pudding if you don't eat yer meat?! Click for weather forecast

10-18-2013, 05:45 AM	#12 (permalink)
cincinnana container grower 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: 8,782 BananaBucks : 584 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,865 Times Was Thanked 11,705 Times in 4,870 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,943 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas My bananas are in black landscape containers and my companion plant of choice is Oxalis aka Shamrock. It comes in two leaf colors green and purple has nice flowers and is edible. The plant does a good job of hiding the containers It is an inexpensive fast grower, does not seem to compete with the banana and goes DORMANT when I overwinter them and the root is very resilient. __________________ Cincinnana/Hostafarians Photo Gallery 🌴 Last edited by cincinnana : 10-18-2013 at 05:48 AM.

10-18-2013, 08:56 AM	#13 (permalink)
sal Newbie Location: Harlingen, TX Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Sal Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 273 BananaBucks : 15,203 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 594 Times Was Thanked 288 Times in 95 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 846 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas What are about strawberry as a ground cover? I ordered 25 plants, I just have space for about 10 of them. __________________

10-18-2013, 04:40 PM	#17 (permalink)
Arachnotron Location: Friendswood, TX Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Tristan Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 146 BananaBucks : 42,141 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 21 Times Was Thanked 245 Times in 65 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas Bamboo! (Sorry for the crappy pics)

10-18-2013, 04:44 PM	#18 (permalink)
cheson74 Aloha cheson74's Photo Gallery Location: Oahu, Hawaii Zone: 12a Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 341 BananaBucks : 55,801 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 254 Times Was Thanked 491 Times in 145 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas I plant tapioca, yucca root, taro, ginger and papaya next to my bananas. Since this is the tropics, everything grows year round. My 14 foot dwarf bananas are gigantic so I don't think there any nutrient issues. All the plants get watered automatically twice a day and get a regular diet of horse manure compost and zoo compost. __________________

10-18-2013, 04:56 PM	#19 (permalink)
siege2050 Hobby obsessor maximus Location: Oklahoma Find me on the map! Zone: zone 7 Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 1,092 BananaBucks : 360,775 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 854 Times Was Thanked 1,295 Times in 614 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 85 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas I planted some Golden Bamboo, and I am going to plant my Mekong giant by it next year. I'm glad I have a big yard lol. __________________ If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any Banana pudding! How can you have any Banana pudding if you don't eat yer meat?! Click for weather forecast

10-18-2013, 07:43 PM	#20 (permalink)
caliboy1994 <div style="font-style: italic;"><div style="font-style: italic;"></div></div> caliboy1994's Photo Gallery Location: SFV, California Find me on the map! Zone: USDA zone 10a; Sunset zone 18/19 Name: Andreas Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 2,301 BananaBucks : 250,906 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,474 Times Was Thanked 2,196 Times in 1,148 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 236 Times	Re: Good companion plants for bananas I hear bamboo can be extremely difficult to manage and get rid of. I'm sticking to edible cover crops. __________________ "The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." ~ Masanobu Fukuoka Find me on linktree here as Solarpunk Farmer: https://linktr.ee/solarpunkfarmer

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