PAbananas

It's winter in my part of the country. I have 4 bananas I bought from WellSprings(nice plants). I am trying to keep theme growing till spring but I am not sure if it is possible to do so. I am trying to keep them no taller than 3-4'. Is it better to up root these plants and store them for the winter or is there a way to keep them slow growing? Thanks

jwmahloch

Yes it is possible to grow bananas indoors. I have been doing it for 3 years now. Here are a few tips that will help:

1. Use well drained potting mix. Cactus mix works well, or you can add some perilite or pea gravel to regular potting mix.
2. dont use fertilizer on indoor bananas in the winter, if you do make sure its low in nitrogen.
3. Dont over water. I have dont this myself. Once a week is enough for indoor bananas.
4. Make sure you have good light. I have mine under floresent grow lights that I have hanging from my ceiling in my basement. I have them set on timers for 14 hours a day.
5. Keep the humidity high (over 50%) if ideal. I have a large humidifer in my basement.
6. Make sure you pot has enough holes in the bottom (I use nursery pots, I get them for free at the MO botanical garden pot recycling center).
7. Keep in mind that bananas will grow slowly indoors (that is good, unless you have high ceilings, I have 2 growing though my ceiling in my basement).
8. When spring comes move your bananas outside and plant them in the ground (if possible). they will grow much faster and taller in the ground.
9. When you move them outside then its time to use a fertilizer high in nitrogen. and water often outside.

Good Luck
Jeremy

__________________
Jeremy

PAbananas

Thanks Jeremy

john_ny

I do almost exactly the same as Jeremy, with my cold sensitive bananas and other tropical plants, (basjoos are still outside, because they're still growing) except for the fertilizer. Everything comes in together, and what can fit goes in two large bay windows, and the rest goes in the warm cellar under lights. Everything is mixed together, (bananas, schefleras, mandevillas, ixoras, anthuriums, orchids, gingers, etc., etc.) so everything gets treated equally; Watered about once a week, fertilized every few weeks. Everything keeps growing all winter. I've been doing it like this for years.

__________________
John

jwmahloch

John,
Sounds like you are just as crazy as I am about plants. It was 22 degrees here last night, coldest night this fall/winter so far. My windmill palms are still doing well outside, I have them covered with umbrella greenhouses. I have 45 watt flood lights and heat cables wraped around the trucks. Last night I put blankets over them and it stayed 38 degrees inside. I open it up in the morning if its going to be a sunny day.

I am growing the following plants either in my greenhouse or in my basement in addtion to bananas: Crotons, cacti, succulents, Ti Plants, sago palms, zz plants, philoderons, snake plants, begonias (in my greenhouse), pygamy date palms, lipstick palms, lady palms, needle palms (seedlings), pindo palm (seedlings), cardboard palm (seedlings), washingtonia robusta, washingtonia filifera, tach takil.

I would be interested in trading plants if you are interested. I am interested in the Ginger (do you have any extra plants)?

__________________
Jeremy

LilRaverBoi

Yeah, bananas do well indoors if treated correctly. If you want to try dormant overwintering, there are plenty of threads on this site explaining various methods. Realize though, that this method isn't always 100% effective (especially if you haven't done it before). I always overwinter my plants alive and growing. Pot them up in well-draining soil, put them in a sunny (preferably south-facing) window and water sparingly. Most of mine are growing pretty slowly right now but the Ice Cream has been going crazy. I don't think most plants' growth rates will be an issue indoors. If you really had to, you could always chop the stalk off with a knife at any given height and they'd grow back (if they were too tall for your ceilings) although I've had plenty of indoor plants that were touching the ceilings that did just fine all winter. Just help guide the new leaves in the right direction so they don't get bent and messed up.

Hope that helps!

__________________
BANANA RAVE!
Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top!
lilraverboi@genxglow.com
RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you!
I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

brandylorton

Definitely you can grow banana indoor and it is quite possible without any hesitation. You just need to take proper care of it and provide perfect nutrition and fertilizers with the grow light. You will definitely have results.

__________________
new hydroponics equipment for cheap