banana musa
Banana_tree
Musa

Musa

 

If you like your garden house or conservatory to have a tropical look then you must have a banana plant. Their fresh green leaves can grow huge and will provide a wonderful exotic background for any display plants.

Musa forms a trunk as it grows and the large, paddle shaped leaves arch out from the top of this. In fact this is not a true trunk at all, but is composed of the old bases of leaves. The older leaves should be cut away from the plant as they age and turn brown, and they will add to the trunk. Many species produce large solid and bright coloured flowers in summer. These often go on to produce fruit. These fruits are not usually edible most ornamental banana fruits have large seeds and the flesh is not very tasty, but there are attractive and are  often produced in bright colours such as red or green.  Banana plants can grow pretty large and may outgrow the average conservatory or greenhouse. But they constantly throw up suckers that quickly develop into large plants. You can then discard the older plant and use the suckers to replace them.

Water freely through summer and continue into winter, although not at quite such rate. Feed once a month during the growing season. Humidity should be high all year, except during the coldest winter weather. Place trays of expanded clay granules near the plants and keep them constantly moist. Group bananas with other humidity lovers and damp down the greenhouse or conservatory regularly. Good light will help them to grow well, but provide shade from direct midday sun in summer. Bananas can be planted or put outside in summer, but keep them sheltered as leaves can be damaged by strong winds.