timmko

Is there a general rule of thumb for the size of pot a banana should be put in. I don't want to underpot them or have them stunted. Maybe size of pstem or height of plant to a certain size pot??.

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Abnshrek

Confusis say:"If you think the pot is to small it probably is" :^)

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

AV1611Corbin777

It's hard to go to big.

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Gabe15

Unless the container is truly massive, the plant will pretty much always be smaller than it would be in the ground. Thats just what happens when you try growing naturally large plants in containers. Some size containers may be large enough to fruit some plants in, but they will be restricted and smaller than if they were in the ground.

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LilRaverBoi

The bigger the better, IMO. If you get too massive of a pot and you're growing indoors, and do not have well-draining enough soil, you might see some issues with it taking extensive periods of time to dry out (which may lead to rot). If you've got it outdoors in the summer, though....big is never an issue.

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jeffreyp

5-7 gallon size is a good pot size when growing tissue cultured starts. For containerized dwarf bananas the largest manageable pot size the better.

planetrj

When I lived in WA, I grew a M. enano gigante in a 16 gallon urn, inside my condo and it fruited and grew about 4 pups. The fruit was numerous for being in a pot AND indoors (about 4 full hands), but of course was not very sweet, since it had only gotten direct sunlight through the window, and never was unfiltered. I think it helped that I lived on the Puget Sound, where the water reflected bright sunlight most of the day.

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LilRaverBoi

Hmmm....I would doubt sunlight would affect the TASTE of the fruit. Limited sunlight might change the size/vigorousness of the plant and the amount of fruit/time to fruit, but the flavor of the fruit depends on the variety and the level of ripeness.

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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!

sunfish

When roots appear at the drain holes I would repot to next size container.

hammer

Im with bryan on the bigger the better one summer a few years back i went with the pots very little growth and rootbound so now in the summer i plant them in the ground in the summer now and pot them in the winter this works well for me.

Richard

With the exception of super-dwarfs, use at least a 25-gallon pot for ornamentals and a 32-inch box planter for fruiting bananas -- unless you wanted a stunted bunch of bananas. Be sure to remove any "pups" over 1 foot tall from the pot.

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nucci60

The bigger the better of course, but people like us that do not live in zone 9 and up have to consider weight as well. we have to put them in garages, basements or some indoor place for the winter.

timmko

Ok to add on that, 2 of my banana's are at or above 8ft now and the others are around 6-7ft growing like crazy and this brought about another question. Right now they are in 20in pots and I have 24's but is there an easy way to get them from one pot to another. I thought maybe laying them down and pulling off the pot? My neighbor said maybe to hoist them up?? Anyone have any experience with this. I will have to do this before I put them inside for the winter so at least another month or so of growing and with the weather in the 90's and plenty of rain they are going to get a lot bigger.

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LilRaverBoi

Honestly, I wouldn't hassle yourself (or the plant) with a transplant from pots so similar in size. If you're going to bump up the size, get something significantly larger to transplant into. A logical progression goes: 1 gallon, 7 gallon, 25 gallon, 50 gallon. If you are changing from 22" to 24" there really isn't enough change for it to be worth the effort or the stress on the plant. Just my two copper Lincolns.

But to further expound, if you want to transplant to a larger pot, let the plant get pretty dried out (less weight and the soil contracts together and away from the pot). Push in gently on the outsides of the pot to free the soil from it. Measure/add soil to the correct level needed in the new pot so that the plant's soil height will be at the correct level. Add slightly more to accommodate for compacting. Get another person to help you if needed, and hold the pot while gently lifting from the base of the pstem. Be careful not to squeeze too firmly or it can damage the pstem. Lift the plant out of its old pot and place it gently in the new pot. Add/gently pack soil around it. Do not mess with the roots as it will likely just cause transplant shock. Once soil is filled in, water well and place in the shade to adapt to the transplant. Hope that helps.

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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!

Patty in Wisc

I lay tarp on the deck (or wherever) & lay pot sideways on it. Then, push a little on sides of pot to loosen & pull pot off. Put at least a few inches of new soil in bottom of new pot & lift plant into it. Add some soil &lift plant some more so soil settles around roots & just continue this way. Or, have someone hold plant up while you fill. Make sure old soil is on dry side so it falls away from plant roots easier & you won't tear any roots off. I have done this many times w/ no shock to plant.

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saxybill1

In terms of gallons, what is a 32 inch box?
Thanks

Richard

95 gallons.

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cincinnana

I had photos that might be of help to some of you..... for upsizing your containers. From small to large....this is just a visual.
A five gallon buckets on the right ....for scale.

My max size for me is 35-40 gal containers because of size restrictions to overwinter in my home..
My max is about 100 pounds and 12 feet.
But a good size to HOLD your plants is a 14+ gal container.....this is just a zone 5 recommendation



Potsize
by
Hostafarian,
on Flickr

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

Here is a photo of all the plants pulled out of the landscape and lined uo in the yard to process in the house for the winter. The plants which I want to keep small are in smaller containers.....If I want to grow them out and make them flower .....I move them to a much larger container.


Winterizing plants
by
Hostafarian,
on Flickr.

Here is a photo of the same plants that were stored in my basement about six months later .
Container size does matter as well as good gardening practices.

Untitled
by
Hostafarian,
on Flickr

It all comes down to your soilless mix, water and plant requirements.

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cincinnana

Bump..

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cincinnana

This ones a tad tight......Kinda like my yoga pants.

.

Orinoco splitting the pot
by
Hostafarian,
on Flickr

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