Dmacz722

Hello, I've recently wanted to get into gardening and I want to start with a blue java (ice cream) banana tree. I know alot of people say the blue java is good in zones 8-11 but here in alabama we occasionally will experience a night of 10 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and get well into 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. I have lots of questions obviously and would love if I could get some answers

1. Where is a good place to buy a blue java tree? Can I get them from Amazon?

2. If I buy a small plant in the winter can I begin raising the tree indoors and wait till summer to plant outside

3. Is there any way to stop the plant from getting 15ft tall, like limit it to 10ft but still collect good fruit? This way I can just keep the tree in a greenhouse year round

4. Once planted in the ground how do I dig the tree back up to bring it back inside for winter like how far will I need to dig down and how wide and what size container do you normally use?

5. Some people say they just cut the stalk and wrap it through winter to keep it alive, do I just cut the main stalk about 1-2 foot from ground level and wrap the entire thing in plastic and it is good through the entire winter?

6. I know a pup is like a seed correct? You can plant the pups and get another tree but how do I identify a pup

7. How long can you preserve the pups for.

Thank you very much for all who will answer. I'm sure I'll have many more questions but I am looking forward to growing my first blue java tree shortly.

ruthardle

I think I can answer your questions.
1. Yes, you can buy them on Amazon.
2. Yes, you can start the Blue Java banana tree indoors during the winter. It's important to provide adequate light, warmth, and humidity. Consider using grow lights to supplement natural light. Transplant the tree outdoors in the spring when the temperatures are consistently warm.
3. Blue Java banana trees can grow up to 15 feet tall, but you can control their height through pruning and maintaining them in containers. Regularly pruning the tree can help manage its size and promote fruit production. You can also consider using a large container, which restricts the root growth and limits the overall size of the tree..
4. Digging up a Blue Java banana tree for overwintering can be a challenging task due to its size and extensive root system. It's recommended to plant the tree in a large container from the beginning to make the process easier. If you decide to plant it in the ground, you'll need to dig a wide and deep hole to ensure you can extract the entire root system without damaging it. The container size would depend on the size of the root ball, which can vary depending on the age and size of the tree.
5. this method may not be as effective for Blue Java banana trees, as they are less tolerant of cold temperatures. Wrapping the entire tree in plastic might not provide sufficient insulation. I advise you to bring the tree indoors or into a greenhouse for winter in colder regions.

Reminosys

1. Best bet on getting Blue Java is to buy it from a trusted source, some forum members occasionally put them up for sale. Namwa is frequently mislabeled and sold as Blue Java, even by big companies. Here's a couple good sources (from forum members) that sometimes have it:

https://www.bananatreesforsale.com/p...-banana-plant/

https://www.bananapups.com/

2. You can absolutely overwinter indoors, so long as you provide adequate heat, light, and other essentials. Personally, potting soil composition seems to be the most crucial factor. Soil moisture and aeration are both important, banana roots can very quickly rot if waterlogged or not given enough access to oxygen. Pre-bagged soil often needs sand, perlite, or pumice added because otherwise it'll stay too damp.

3. Banana plants in general can't be made to grow shorter, they grow to a range of heights, depending on variety. External factors can influence the final height, but there's no way to force them to stay short.

4. Depends on how hard your soil is. Bananas generally have comparatively shallow roots, so 1-2 feet down is usually enough. How wide you dig is based on soil hardness and how many roots you're okay with losing. You technically don't need to keep roots, but recovery time is longer if more roots are removed.

5. Ty Taylor, a member here, did a pretty good explanation for his experience overwintering: https://www.bananapups.com/cold-hardy-list/

6. Yes and no? Pups/suckers are offshoots from a parent plant, in essence a natural clone of the parent. As for identifying while they're pups, you can guess but many varieties look identical when young. There are some ways to narrow down a possible ID, but observing the flower at several stages of maturity is necessary to confirm.

7. It would be inadvisable to try and store a pup for a while. It might last a couple weeks or longer if storing like a seed potato, but it's probably easier to treat it like a tropical houseplant and grow it indoors.

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beam2050

blue java you will have to bring it indoors in the winter to fruit it. it doe's not like frosts or freezes at all. you can keep it warm with something like a hoop house or a small structure in the winter.

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