Growing Bananas

Introduction

Bananas were originally found in South East Asia, mainly in India. They were brought west by Arab conquerors in 327 B.C. and moved from Asia Minor to Africa and finally carried to the New World by the first explorers and missionaries to the Caribbean.

Types

Cavendish and Brazilians are the two major groups of dessert bananas in Hawaii. The Cavendish group includes 'Williams', 'Valery', 'Hamakua', 'Grand Nain', and 'Chinese' varieties.

The Brazilian bananas are often incorrectly referred to as apple bananas in Hawaii. This group includes the 'Dwarf Brazilian'.

The Bluefields group, which includes ‘Bluefields’ and 'Dwarf Bluefields', was the leading commercial variety in Hawaii.

Currently, this group accounts for less than 1% of banana production in Hawaii due to its susceptibility to the Panama wilt disease.

Starchy cooking bananas, or plantains, are also found in Hawaii. Largo, Maia maole, and Popoulu are various plantain groups.

Germination & Propagation

Cut off bottom half of corm and, if discolored, trim off up to two thirds of the bottom of the corm until only clean white tissue remains. Trim off about half an inch of tissue around the sides of the corm.

If using bullheads, cut off the pseudostem three to four inches above the top of the corm.

Immerse the trimmed corms in a hot water bath at 50 - 52 degrees C (122 - 126 degrees F) for 15 - 20 minutes. Before planting, place the corms in a transparent plastic bag at room temperature until new roots begin to appear.

You can also coat the corms with parafilm wax prior to shipment or to put in storage.

Planting

You should not grow bananas in a container. They grow well over a wide range of Hawaiian soil. The ideal soil should be well drained but have good water retention capacity. Soil pH should be between 5.5 and 6.5.

Plants should not be closer than 8 feet from another banana tree.

Banana plants should be planted in protected areas, because they are generally susceptible to wind damage and will become significantly top heavy when the banana fruit starts to ripen and put on weight.

Some varieties are much heavier than others and some plants may require a crutch support system so as to prevent collapse.

Banana Growth

The banana plant is a large perennial plant with leaf sheaths that form trunk-like pseudostems. The plant has 8 - 12 leaves that are up to 9 ft long and 2 ft wide. Root development may be extensive in loose soil in some cases up to 30 ft laterally; although this is largely dependant on the variety being grown.

Flower development is initiated from the true stem underground (corm) 9 - 12 months after planting. The inflorescence (flower stalk) grows through the center of the pseudostem.

Flowers develop in clusters and spiral around the main axis. In most cultivars, the female flowers are followed by a few "hands" of neuter flowers that have aborted ovaries and stamens. The neuter flowers are followed at the terminal ends by male flowers enclosed in bracts. The male flowers have functional stamens but aborted ovaries.

Fruits mature in about 60 - 90 days after flowers first appear. Each bunch of fruits consists of variable numbers of "hands" along a central stem. Each "hand" consists of two transverse rows of fruits ("fingers").

Sun and Water

An average temperature of 81 degrees F and full sun is ideal. Bananas grow best in areas with 100 inches or more of well-distributed rainfall per year. Irrigation is needed if rainfall is inadequate or irregular.

Fertilizing

Since bananas should not be grown in containers they will seek a large portion of their nutrient needs from the soil. Boosting that with teas, top feeding with guano and worm castings will result in bigger yields.

Harvesting

The banana bunch can be harvested when the fingers turn light green and the corners become rounded rather than angular. The pseudostem should be cut back after the bunch is removed.