Originally Posted by Apchasse

Hello all,

As the title says, I live in Zone 9B. I tried planting bananas last year, but did it all wrong. Just got some small pups from a friend of a friend and stuck them in the ground, in the sand to be specific, with mulch on top. Needless to say, they haven't thrived, and I'm pretty sure after doing a bunch of research, I only got water suckers anyway. Not a clue what kind

I am going to start fresh with some sword suckers, and purchased plants, and take all the old ones out (they're looking really bad). A couple questions.

1. I travel, and wont be back home to do this until the second week of August. Do you think it'll be a little too late to get and stick some bananas in the ground? Should I wait until spring?

It's up to you. You can plant any time of year, although I find the best time to plant in Central Florida is May because it has become warm and the rains have arrived.

2. I've heard that you want the bananas in full sun. However, when you see bananas growing in the wild, a lot of times they're in dappled sun, under a canopy. What have you guys had success with?

You don't want your bananas in deep shade, but I've planted in full sun as well as partial sun. They have the potential to grow the best in full sun, however if they get some shade (particularly afternoon shade), they will take heat/drought better.

3. Anyone in the Clearwater area recommend a place to buy pups at? If I'm going to spend the money, I want a good plant to start with.

Don't know anyone in that area, but if you get over to the East Coast of Florida, I can set you up with a number of different pups in the spring. I have about 10 different varieties, all from Going Bananas or other reputable growers.