My Friend, you are a wealth of knowledge. I am moving to property I purchased here in Kentucky. I plan to establish my fruit trees and set up the garden area this year and hopefully begin building our home next year. You inspire confidence to try growing different fruits and maybe I can work a Banana Tree into the plan. Regardless, I can draw from your past videos for help when questions arise. My first fruit trees will be Figs. I am a Fig Fanatic and was thrilled to find you offering such Great info on growing them. Thanks for Sharing.
You can definitely grow bananas as ornamental landscaping in Kentucky. It will be difficult to fruit them in ground, but it may be possible with a short cycle banana like Veinte Cohol. I suggest trying to go with that variety because it's the fastest known banana to fruit. It will also do well in a container. They overwinter nicely because they go semi-dormant when temps drop below 55F, so they can be overwintered in a cool place with low light. Some people even dig up the pseudostems every year, wrap them in burlap and store them in a cold (but not freezing) garage. I'm glad you like the videos.
This is really helpful, I’m hoping the banana I planted this past spring will make it through the winter here in MS 8A. We just had our first frost last night. 🤞🏼
I got a Ice cream banana in the ground here in 8a. Been in a pot since last year and I put it in ground a month ago and it's taking off. Hoping I get some bananas this year!
There has been some confusion about the "ice cream" name. Originally, the "ice cream" name was attributed to Blue Java, which tastes nothing like ice cream. Since then, Agristarts has labeled the Namwah banana "ice cream" because it actually tastes like ice cream. Problem is, Blue Java go for like $75 a plant and Namwah go for $15 a plant, so a lot of people are buying "ice cream bananas" and getting a Namwah instead of a Blue Java. Do you know which variety you have?
@@TheMillennialGardener I have no idea but it doesn't say blue Java anywhere. I'm going to assume it's namwah then. But as long as I can get some tasty bananas that taste good, I'll be happy!
I know that smell...of a rotted banana tree. I grew an indoors and an outdoors banana for year. I hope you get bananas this year! Dale is certainly fast and fit. He's so cute!🙂
It was surprising how awful it smelled. It smelled like rotten meat. Just terrible. Dale is, literally, jacked. His muscles are unbelievable. His genetics are incredible. I envy him!
You can see my banana that fruited in-ground last year in Zone 8a: czcams.com/video/-CQdWn4hmmY/video.html It looks even more likely this year because it's further along with more pseudostems growing.
Can i suggest moving the Banana Tree away from the House. For Optimum Growth, it needs full Sun all day, even over Wintering. The House will be blocking quite a lot of Sun & airflow. Love your Videos. Keep them coming . Cheers from Melbourne, Australia ; )
I have bananas planted all over. Not all bananas are planted for fruiting. The bananas in my front yard against the house are purely decorative. I do not mind if the Dwarf Namwah in the front doesn't fruit, because it's a landscaping tree. I have two exact clones of it planted out back that get 10-12 hours of sun a day. Those are designed to fruit for me.
wow... this is something I never thought of growing, also in Zone 8, and luv bananas, i will look into getting my first set of varieties dwarf bananas plants. great Video.
I'm happy to say the bananas in my front yard are already fruiting, so this will be the third year in a row my bananas will fruit for me in Zone 8 North Carolina. It's DEFINITELY doable!
Love this! I live here in zone 7, where we had a freak winter of -15 degrees during a nasty winter storm. I made a video on "Musa Basjoo" because it truly is zone 5 cold hardy, and is making its comeback right now. I've not tried "Dwarf Orinoco" here, but did try "California Gold" with no success. Just seems to be a little too cold here even with protection. I'd like to see some breeding work with the cold hardy varieties, but not many people want to spend the time or money at this point on an endeavor that really doesn't have commercial value. It would be nice for northern growers, and a variety with Basjoo cold hardiness and the flavor of a tropical bananas fruit would bring in quite a cash flow for nurseries. Thanks for the video!
I would suggest trying Dwarf Orinoco and Raja Puri. I don't think any banana is as hardy as the Musa Basjoo, but it is clear that Dwarf Orinoco is much hardier than any of my other varieties, and the fruit is very good. Much better than a grocery store cavendish, which is as bland as a banana gets. I hear Raja Puri may be even hardier.
Thanks for the informative video! I’m growing a few Musa Basjoo this year in Michigan zone 6a. A family friend roughly 10 mins away had one that came back every year. They simply mulched the base heavily and it kept coming back vigorously. Wish me luck.
As long as you give it the full season to establish, water it well and mulch it, it should do well. It will confuse so many people in Michigan. It will turn A LOT of heads.
It was rough. It smells like rotting meat. Dale, on the other hand, seemed to love the smell and wouldn't stop investigating. He was probably looking for a dead animal to chew on 😂
Hey do u cook white steam and flower of dh banana? Bcz here we in INDIA hv vry delicious receipies vry vry good for stomach and we use hol plant of banana even in leaf we hv food and we rap fish in leaf and make vry tasty recipes...I would like u to try 👍
I have never used the leaves, stem or flowers for cooking. That's not something I've ever found or seen in the US - even in Indian restaurants. I think that's because almost all Indian restaurants here are North Indian cuisine, so it's almost Mediterranean in flavor. I would like to try, but it's not something I'm familiar with.
Midwest Gardener is growing it in-ground in Zone 6a (-10F/-23.33C) with no issue. It can go colder. I've seen reports of -20F/-29C. He is also growing Musa Velutina in-ground in Zone 6a and it's fruited for him (even though the fruits aren't edible). They're gorgeous, pink bunches growing in Zone 6a Kansas. Pretty wild.
I thought about that, but the Dwarf Orinoco in my front yard faces due north and has no protection at all. It takes the full force of the north wind all winter, whereas my backyard faces due south, so my house blocks the north wind. Still, the bananas in my backyard got burnt back worse. I think Dwarf Orinoco is just much hardier than the other varieties. If you're in a marginal zone like me, Dwarf Orinoco is a must-have.
@@TheMillennialGardenerMy dad gave me two small manzano bananas, but I refuse to put them in the ground. They are in a pot together. I'm afraid of my yard looking like my dad's where the bananas are growing. It's just a large area of dead banana stems sticking out of the ground. It's pretty messy. Is there a way to get rid of them faster? These bananas spread like weeds.
Hi thanks for the great vids! In brunwick co as well so if you have pups you'd like to sell please hmu! Do you prefer this method over just repotting and keeping in the garage over winter?
@@TheMillennialGardener I think that I found him czcams.com/video/39CEaHoq6ig/video.html It is a lot warmer there than where I am in Raleigh in the Winter.. but it looks like he is growing a lot of stuff there... even papayas and passion fruit... kinda crazy ;-)
If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Growing Bananas In Cold Climates 1:23 How I Grow Bananas For Fruit In North Carolina 2:56 A Successful Attempt At Overwintering Bananas 4:03 A Less Successful Attempt To Overwinter Bananas 4:34 Pruning Banana Trees To Remove Rot And Find Live Growth 8:25 Complete Backyard Garden Tour Of All My Banana Trees 10:48 Adventures With Dale
Well, Sunny Florida from October 15 to May 15 😂 Don't I know it. 9 inches of rain so far in June and counting, with another 2-3 inches coming from this tropical storm tonight! Maybe one day I can afford some acreage further south! Thanks for watching.
@@TheMillennialGardener also I should say, the delay from the cold weather here causes significant length in fruiting time, that's more of the reason for greenhouse dwelling in the winter
I think I'd pass on growing bananas in Z6. IIRC those Basjoo bananas are inedible. My "fun" tree is a pomegranate, but I kinda expect that I'll probably only get blooms and no ripe fruit (due to having a short season). The pom might have died to the ground this year, but it's just waking up so I'm waiting to see before I give it a good prune.
That is correct, the Musa Basjoo is not edible. It's strictly ornamental, so if you chose to grow it, it would be as a tropical landscaping. It would do well in your climate with some mulching before the really cold winter came in. I've only ever once tasted a pomegranate. I may need to experiment with that some because I think they'd do well here in NC.
I like your mulching technique! Have you eaten any of the dwarf Orinoco? Ive heard they are somewhat starchy and bland. I hope not! I have a few myself
Yes. I harvested a bunch last year. You can see it here: czcams.com/video/-CQdWn4hmmY/video.html I don't think Dwarf Orinoco is starchy and bland at all. I think people are eating them underripe. To me, these are WAY better than a Cavendish grocery store banana. The flavor is so much more complex. This variety tastes like a mix between a banana, apple and orange. It's citrusy in flavor. it is much denser than a grocery store Cavendish. Probably twice as dense, so it will hold up to baking much better. You can certainly harvest this underripe and use it as a plantain. The peel is very thick, like a plantain, but it gets very sweet when fully ripe...just like a plantain!
it is better to grow the banana psudo stem as a vegetable rather than waiting for them to fruit. In India we have dishes made from the stem after cutting off the fruit bunch. Inside the stem is very tender and can be cooked and it is good for the body especially the kidneys.
Here in the US, we don't have many dishes that involve a lot of the ingredients that tropical countries have. Cooking with banana leaves, banana flowers, stems, etc., isn't something that we're taught how to do. I eat a very wide range of foods compared to most people, but even for me, a lot of these ingredients are foreign and they're not something I know how to use. I, personally, want the bananas for the fruit because it's very hard to find anything other and bland, tasteless Cavendish bananas at the grocery store. These other varieties are such a treat.
Banana plants do very well overwintering indoors. They go into a state of semi-dormancy. It probably won't grow much, but it'll sit tight and wait patiently to be brought back outside in spring. Just be sure to give it some window light.
Did you get that awful smell? Last year, I got very little rot because the winter was so mild, so I didn't have to deal with this odor. This year, thanks to the extremely wet, damp winter, the bananas were like a cesspool.
It will certainly be more difficult. The majority of mine died back despite the protection, and and my lowest recorded temperature all winter was 22.3F. If you have them planted up against a wind break, like a south facing brick wall, I think you'll have a good chance protecting them exactly like I'm protecting them. I would recommend a very hardy variety, like a Dwarf Orinoco or Raja Puri, or a short cycle variety like a Veinte Cohol. Veinte Cohol is the shortest cycle banana out there, meaning it fruits fastest, so that's your best shot. I've heard it being pretty reliable in Georgia.
The Dwarf Orinoco is very short. It's only about 5 feet tall. Dwarf Orinoco is like a baking banana. It is very firm and much, much thicker than a Grand Nain Cavendish from the grocery store. The fruit is yellow/pink and tastes like a cross between a banana/apple/orange all in one. Because it's so firm, it can be substituted for a plantain. I harvested this fruit in this video here, and you can see the fruit 4 minutes in: czcams.com/video/-CQdWn4hmmY/video.html
@@TheMillennialGardener thanks, I’ll give it a watch, what do you fertilise your bananas with other than itself? I’m organic and use fish blood/bones. But I wanna get fruit this year so looking to change it up.
I can try. I've only done it a few times. It would take a long time for me to film because it takes several weeks to root, and it sets the main banana back a lot because it damages the corm.
I'm in zone 6 this is my 3rd year with having banana trees. My main tree has came back every year. This is year it started to grow then stopped and has black on the stump is there anything I can do to save it? I have Googled but no direct answers because I cut mine down and mulched them.
My fig tree is about 25 years old and has an extensive root system above the ground. Should I cover it with mulch or soil? The plant is doing well up here along the coast in Delaware.
My general rule is if the plant is doing well, don't change what you're doing. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If you're happy with the way it is performing and it's giving you plenty of fruit at the right time of the year, I wouldn't mess with success. If you are having a specific problem, or if you're trying to improve something, we can discuss further, but if you're successful, I wouldn't want you to change anything.
Tell me about the fruiting... I've got a beautiful, healthy, 4 pseudostem+ banana that sure resembles your orinoco, and has been happily growing near Fayetteville for 5 years. However, no fruit. Any suggestions?
Most varieties of bananas take 12-18 months or so to fully grow, flower, fruit and ripen. It is a long process. If your tree dies back annually, it’ll never fruit. Each pseudostem must run the full life cycle. If you have managed to protect them or you’re growing in a container, you need to fertilize them like crazy. Bananas require absurd amounts of food. I give them pure, refined potash crystals 0-0-60. Bananas go crazy for the stuff. If you check my Amazon Storefront, I list the potassium supplement from Espoma. I use MiracleGro 24-8-16 All Purpose and add the potassium crystals, too.
As long as your garage is cold. The ideal storage temperature is going to be around 40 degrees. If it's below freezing, it could kill the banana and if it's too warm, it could try and grow, and that wouldn't be good in absence of light.
There's no point. That won't prevent them from freezing. Bananas are frost sensitive, and I can't keep a banana plant well above freezing all year in North Carolina.
If you want to eat fresh bananas in North Carolina, we do what we have to do. When you eat them compared to the flavorless mush you get in a grocery store, you'll understand.
Yes. I hate that plant, and I regret planting it! I am going to chop it down and try grafting an Ichang Lemon onto it. I have gotten impaled by that trifoliate orange so many times just trying to weed the area. The thorns on it are absolutely deadly. My satsuma did GREAT. I picked 50 fruits: czcams.com/video/eOH9RcsIplA/video.html
@@TheMillennialGardener nice, 50 fruits! I can only grow trifoliate and some of its hybrids (kind of) outside, the thorns suck. I have an improved trifoliate which doesn't have as much bitter flavors, a citrumelo, a tai-tri, and a yuzu against a brick wall. So far they have survived unprotected but this winter was mild. I do have potted citrus which I am planning on crossing with the improved trifoliate whenever it flowers since the existing hybrids available were not really selected for flavor mostly to impart cold hardiness or to create rootstocks
Oh yes, they vary as much as figs, apples and citrus. There are so many unique and interesting types. There are over 1,000 known banana varieties, I believe. There is a lot of diversity.
I really recommend it. They're easy and fun to grow, and they're very easy and cheap to buy online. They're usually sold as tissue cultures, so they ship only about 3-4 inches tall (that's why they're so cheap). However, bananas grow so quickly that dwarf varieties will be 5 feet tall within a few months. Just be careful. Full-size bananas can grow 15-20 feet in a single summer from total dieback, so don't get a variety that'll be too tall for you to manage. They spread from a corm, so they can really take over small areas. They need some room, which is why I grow the dwarf varieties.
@@TheMillennialGardener Sorry. I'm new at this youtube stuff. My fig tree, or should I say bush, is about 25 years old and has an extensive above ground root system. Should I cover it with mulch or soil?
I'm sorry, but I had to laugh at your reaction to the smell. I had to do the same to my Grand Naine and couldn't quit gagging either. My Blue Javas faired much better.
I honestly couldn't believe how much it smelled like rotting meat. I didn't think plants could smell that bad. It was worse than some dead animals I've driven past on a highway in the middle of summer. Blue Java is on my list, but it's so hard to find a real one, and you need so much space. Where did you get yours?
@@TheMillennialGardener I had driven over to Just Fruit's and Exotics for a Hamlin orange tree, and even though it was expensive, I was there so I bought it from them.
@@TheMillennialGardener you can get them from the site of the youtuber Randy's tropical plants, and yes the blue javas get enormous and need 4-5 months to ripen, the corm is hardy to - 7 for brief periods
@@TheMillennialGardener not him but yea, buy it from RTP(abbreviated), he has the true one and also move to South Carolina where the chances of zone 8b are higher
I need a mass that absorbs heat during the day so it keeps the pseudostem warm at night. Plastic doesn't hold heat, so as soon as the sun goes down, it cools off. Large quantities of organic matter absorb heat and radiate it all night long, so compacted hay is actually like a little heater.
That knee jerk reaction to the smell cracked me up man 😂
man that reaction is makin me laugh!!
I took out the baby plants and brought them inside for the winter. Nine to be exact.
My Friend, you are a wealth of knowledge. I am moving to property I purchased here in Kentucky. I plan to establish my fruit trees and set up the garden area this year and hopefully begin building our home next year. You inspire confidence to try growing different fruits and maybe I can work a Banana Tree into the plan. Regardless, I can draw from your past videos for help when questions arise. My first fruit trees will be Figs. I am a Fig Fanatic and was thrilled to find you offering such Great info on growing them. Thanks for Sharing.
You can definitely grow bananas as ornamental landscaping in Kentucky. It will be difficult to fruit them in ground, but it may be possible with a short cycle banana like Veinte Cohol. I suggest trying to go with that variety because it's the fastest known banana to fruit. It will also do well in a container. They overwinter nicely because they go semi-dormant when temps drop below 55F, so they can be overwintered in a cool place with low light. Some people even dig up the pseudostems every year, wrap them in burlap and store them in a cold (but not freezing) garage. I'm glad you like the videos.
but move to some place where it does not frost or snow, cold climates are just a waste of time.
This is really helpful, I’m hoping the banana I planted this past spring will make it through the winter here in MS 8A. We just had our first frost last night. 🤞🏼
just bought a manzano in zone 9a. can't wait to get her going .
Very nice. If I can grow them here in 8a, they'll be easy for you. You'll still need some winter protection, though.
I have 150 banana trees and favorite is the Ice Cream Bananas. I get fruit on a third of them a year here in zone 8b . Love the videos
I got a Ice cream banana in the ground here in 8a. Been in a pot since last year and I put it in ground a month ago and it's taking off. Hoping I get some bananas this year!
There has been some confusion about the "ice cream" name. Originally, the "ice cream" name was attributed to Blue Java, which tastes nothing like ice cream. Since then, Agristarts has labeled the Namwah banana "ice cream" because it actually tastes like ice cream. Problem is, Blue Java go for like $75 a plant and Namwah go for $15 a plant, so a lot of people are buying "ice cream bananas" and getting a Namwah instead of a Blue Java. Do you know which variety you have?
@@TheMillennialGardener I have no idea but it doesn't say blue Java anywhere. I'm going to assume it's namwah then. But as long as I can get some tasty bananas that taste good, I'll be happy!
A friend gave me a banana plant. Your videos are an incredible resource. Thank you!
You're welcome!
I know that smell...of a rotted banana tree. I grew an indoors and an outdoors banana for year. I hope you get bananas this year! Dale is certainly fast and fit. He's so cute!🙂
Did your banana fruit indoors?
@@frfr9524 No, but it was a nice healthy plant my birds enjoyed pretending they were in the jungle on.🙂
It was surprising how awful it smelled. It smelled like rotten meat. Just terrible. Dale is, literally, jacked. His muscles are unbelievable. His genetics are incredible. I envy him!
You can see my banana that fruited in-ground last year in Zone 8a: czcams.com/video/-CQdWn4hmmY/video.html
It looks even more likely this year because it's further along with more pseudostems growing.
@@TheMillennialGardener didnt realise thst was u ive watched that video LOL. U look different 😂
Thats amazing to see you doing exactly doing the same stuff like i do for years in austria 😇
Dale is the best of it!
Agree!
You just reminded me that its time to transplant my pups! Dwarf Cavendish
Glad to help! Best of luck!
Can i suggest moving the Banana Tree away from the House. For Optimum Growth, it needs full Sun all day, even over Wintering. The House will be blocking quite a lot of Sun & airflow. Love your Videos. Keep them coming . Cheers from Melbourne, Australia ; )
I have bananas planted all over. Not all bananas are planted for fruiting. The bananas in my front yard against the house are purely decorative. I do not mind if the Dwarf Namwah in the front doesn't fruit, because it's a landscaping tree. I have two exact clones of it planted out back that get 10-12 hours of sun a day. Those are designed to fruit for me.
wow... this is something I never thought of growing, also in Zone 8, and luv bananas, i will look into getting my first set of varieties dwarf bananas plants. great Video.
I'm happy to say the bananas in my front yard are already fruiting, so this will be the third year in a row my bananas will fruit for me in Zone 8 North Carolina. It's DEFINITELY doable!
Fruit tree tour please
I will have one within the next couple weeks.
dale's the man
He's certainly proud of himself. He's a very good boy.
What a hilarious video 😂
Love this! I live here in zone 7, where we had a freak winter of -15 degrees during a nasty winter storm. I made a video on "Musa Basjoo" because it truly is zone 5 cold hardy, and is making its comeback right now. I've not tried "Dwarf Orinoco" here, but did try "California Gold" with no success. Just seems to be a little too cold here even with protection. I'd like to see some breeding work with the cold hardy varieties, but not many people want to spend the time or money at this point on an endeavor that really doesn't have commercial value. It would be nice for northern growers, and a variety with Basjoo cold hardiness and the flavor of a tropical bananas fruit would bring in quite a cash flow for nurseries. Thanks for the video!
I would suggest trying Dwarf Orinoco and Raja Puri. I don't think any banana is as hardy as the Musa Basjoo, but it is clear that Dwarf Orinoco is much hardier than any of my other varieties, and the fruit is very good. Much better than a grocery store cavendish, which is as bland as a banana gets. I hear Raja Puri may be even hardier.
@@TheMillennialGardener Perfect! Do you have any recommendations on where to purchase these varieties online?
Thanks for the informative video! I’m growing a few Musa Basjoo this year in Michigan zone 6a. A family friend roughly 10 mins away had one that came back every year. They simply mulched the base heavily and it kept coming back vigorously. Wish me luck.
As long as you give it the full season to establish, water it well and mulch it, it should do well. It will confuse so many people in Michigan. It will turn A LOT of heads.
I could almost smell that through my phone. Ha!
It was rough. It smells like rotting meat. Dale, on the other hand, seemed to love the smell and wouldn't stop investigating. He was probably looking for a dead animal to chew on 😂
Silly Dale! Yes my dog probably would have nosed around in it then rolled in it! 🤢
You inspired me to grow bananas this year but I’m not looking forward to that smell 😂
Hey do u cook white steam and flower of dh banana? Bcz here we in INDIA hv vry delicious receipies vry vry good for stomach and we use hol plant of banana even in leaf we hv food and we rap fish in leaf and make vry tasty recipes...I would like u to try 👍
I have never used the leaves, stem or flowers for cooking. That's not something I've ever found or seen in the US - even in Indian restaurants. I think that's because almost all Indian restaurants here are North Indian cuisine, so it's almost Mediterranean in flavor. I would like to try, but it's not something I'm familiar with.
@@TheMillennialGardener no worries....but I would suggest u😉
Tell Dale I'm impressed with the mph without falling or wrecking. I was like... SlowDown🤣👀
Dale picked up a few mph because he was in the process of launching a missile! Good thing I cut out before the bomb dropped 😂
@@TheMillennialGardener 🤣👍
Luckily i live in a zone where bananas love it all year round
As far as I know a Musa Basjoo can only withstand temperatures down to -18°C. But nice Video!!
Midwest Gardener is growing it in-ground in Zone 6a (-10F/-23.33C) with no issue. It can go colder. I've seen reports of -20F/-29C. He is also growing Musa Velutina in-ground in Zone 6a and it's fruited for him (even though the fruits aren't edible). They're gorgeous, pink bunches growing in Zone 6a Kansas. Pretty wild.
@@TheMillennialGardener he is in 6b not 6a
Give Praying Hands a shot
Good video and Dale is so cute!! 😁
Thank you! He knows it, and he exploits it daily 😂
last one was in the corner better wind protection,ty
I thought about that, but the Dwarf Orinoco in my front yard faces due north and has no protection at all. It takes the full force of the north wind all winter, whereas my backyard faces due south, so my house blocks the north wind. Still, the bananas in my backyard got burnt back worse. I think Dwarf Orinoco is just much hardier than the other varieties. If you're in a marginal zone like me, Dwarf Orinoco is a must-have.
Nice Video!!! Go Dale!!!!! : ) WOOFFF!!! ; )
Thank you!
How soon do the dead stems in the ground decompose and just become part of the dirt?
Several months. It's a slow breakdown process, which is why I chopped them all up. The more you chop them up, the faster they'll decompose.
@@TheMillennialGardenerMy dad gave me two small manzano bananas, but I refuse to put them in the ground. They are in a pot together. I'm afraid of my yard looking like my dad's where the bananas are growing. It's just a large area of dead banana stems sticking out of the ground. It's pretty messy. Is there a way to get rid of them faster? These bananas spread like weeds.
Musa Basjoo crew represent
They're a beautiful ornamental. In terms of aesthetics, it's one of the most beautiful looking bananas.
@@TheMillennialGardener I got two Banana, Double 'Mahoi' from Baker Creek recently. I will bring them inside in the fall.
Hi thanks for the great vids! In brunwick co as well so if you have pups you'd like to sell please hmu! Do you prefer this method over just repotting and keeping in the garage over winter?
That one CZcamsr in shallote NC got fruit last month. He's closer to the beach. I think he's from Puerto Rico. He also has passion fruit.
Do you have his youtube name/channel? I am also from PR, but live in Raleigh. So I may not be able to grow it here.
I'm curious the CZcamsr. I am about 25 mins from Shallotte, and my parents used to live there.
@@TheMillennialGardener I think that I found him czcams.com/video/39CEaHoq6ig/video.html It is a lot warmer there than where I am in Raleigh in the Winter.. but it looks like he is growing a lot of stuff there... even papayas and passion fruit... kinda crazy ;-)
If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Growing Bananas In Cold Climates
1:23 How I Grow Bananas For Fruit In North Carolina
2:56 A Successful Attempt At Overwintering Bananas
4:03 A Less Successful Attempt To Overwinter Bananas
4:34 Pruning Banana Trees To Remove Rot And Find Live Growth
8:25 Complete Backyard Garden Tour Of All My Banana Trees
10:48 Adventures With Dale
Where I am in Zone 4 I'd need a greenhouse to grow Bananas.
If you want to grow them simply as ornamentals, a Musa Basjoo may survive in a protected area with heavy mulching for winter protection.
Zone 10 SUNNY FLORIDA. No smell.🥰 lucky me. Now go wash your hands. God blesss you.
Well, Sunny Florida from October 15 to May 15 😂 Don't I know it. 9 inches of rain so far in June and counting, with another 2-3 inches coming from this tropical storm tonight! Maybe one day I can afford some acreage further south! Thanks for watching.
Zone 7a checking in! Have plenty of bananas
Very nice. Do you grow them in ground?
@@TheMillennialGardener only the hardy non-fruiting variety. Fruiting varieties are in 55 gallon containers! Love bananas!
@@TheMillennialGardener also I should say, the delay from the cold weather here causes significant length in fruiting time, that's more of the reason for greenhouse dwelling in the winter
I think I'd pass on growing bananas in Z6. IIRC those Basjoo bananas are inedible. My "fun" tree is a pomegranate, but I kinda expect that I'll probably only get blooms and no ripe fruit (due to having a short season). The pom might have died to the ground this year, but it's just waking up so I'm waiting to see before I give it a good prune.
That is correct, the Musa Basjoo is not edible. It's strictly ornamental, so if you chose to grow it, it would be as a tropical landscaping. It would do well in your climate with some mulching before the really cold winter came in. I've only ever once tasted a pomegranate. I may need to experiment with that some because I think they'd do well here in NC.
i should not have been eating lunch watching this video lol
Is there a follow-up video to this one? I am in 8b and doing research on which banana to get. I'd like to grow it to eat it green.
I like your mulching technique! Have you eaten any of the dwarf Orinoco? Ive heard they are somewhat starchy and bland. I hope not! I have a few myself
Yes. I harvested a bunch last year. You can see it here: czcams.com/video/-CQdWn4hmmY/video.html
I don't think Dwarf Orinoco is starchy and bland at all. I think people are eating them underripe. To me, these are WAY better than a Cavendish grocery store banana. The flavor is so much more complex. This variety tastes like a mix between a banana, apple and orange. It's citrusy in flavor. it is much denser than a grocery store Cavendish. Probably twice as dense, so it will hold up to baking much better. You can certainly harvest this underripe and use it as a plantain. The peel is very thick, like a plantain, but it gets very sweet when fully ripe...just like a plantain!
it is better to grow the banana psudo stem as a vegetable rather than waiting for them to fruit. In India we have dishes made from the stem after cutting off the fruit bunch. Inside the stem is very tender and can be cooked and it is good for the body especially the kidneys.
Here in the US, we don't have many dishes that involve a lot of the ingredients that tropical countries have. Cooking with banana leaves, banana flowers, stems, etc., isn't something that we're taught how to do. I eat a very wide range of foods compared to most people, but even for me, a lot of these ingredients are foreign and they're not something I know how to use. I, personally, want the bananas for the fruit because it's very hard to find anything other and bland, tasteless Cavendish bananas at the grocery store. These other varieties are such a treat.
Grow to your climate
Why? Zone pushing is what makes growing fun. I'm growing tons of citrus, bananas and even avocados here in North Carolina. I've never had a problem.
can you graft onto the muso bajoo? Might be a nice rootstock.
Bananas are not trees. They’re herbaceous. They aren’t grafted. You dig up pups to propagate, or you use tissue cultures.
@@TheMillennialGardener you can graft non-tree herbaceous plants like tomatoes. Might be worth investigating.
@@TheMillennialGardener thanks for the reply. much appreciate your work!
I have a very small banana plant in a container , could I bring it into the house for the winter or will that kill the plant?
Banana plants do very well overwintering indoors. They go into a state of semi-dormancy. It probably won't grow much, but it'll sit tight and wait patiently to be brought back outside in spring. Just be sure to give it some window light.
Yeap. It’s a big fat ewwwww! 😂 my Thai died back in that crazy frostpocolapse. Yuck! It’s already regrowing though. I’ve got 2 manzano too!
Did you get that awful smell? Last year, I got very little rot because the winter was so mild, so I didn't have to deal with this odor. This year, thanks to the extremely wet, damp winter, the bananas were like a cesspool.
Great video (despite the smell :-). Do you know if this will grow fruit in Raleigh (zone 7b)?
It will certainly be more difficult. The majority of mine died back despite the protection, and and my lowest recorded temperature all winter was 22.3F. If you have them planted up against a wind break, like a south facing brick wall, I think you'll have a good chance protecting them exactly like I'm protecting them. I would recommend a very hardy variety, like a Dwarf Orinoco or Raja Puri, or a short cycle variety like a Veinte Cohol. Veinte Cohol is the shortest cycle banana out there, meaning it fruits fastest, so that's your best shot. I've heard it being pretty reliable in Georgia.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you so much! I really enjoy your videos and appreciate your advice! Thanks again!
So the frost protection did not work?
Isn't the Orinoco a tall namwa? i think I heard that. I grow both namwa and orinoco in the UK. they are quality.
The Dwarf Orinoco is very short. It's only about 5 feet tall. Dwarf Orinoco is like a baking banana. It is very firm and much, much thicker than a Grand Nain Cavendish from the grocery store. The fruit is yellow/pink and tastes like a cross between a banana/apple/orange all in one. Because it's so firm, it can be substituted for a plantain. I harvested this fruit in this video here, and you can see the fruit 4 minutes in: czcams.com/video/-CQdWn4hmmY/video.html
@@TheMillennialGardener thanks, I’ll give it a watch, what do you fertilise your bananas with other than itself? I’m organic and use fish blood/bones. But I wanna get fruit this year so looking to change it up.
hi can you do how to take a baby bannan from its parent so I can plant it in another place
I can try. I've only done it a few times. It would take a long time for me to film because it takes several weeks to root, and it sets the main banana back a lot because it damages the corm.
I'm in zone 6 this is my 3rd year with having banana trees. My main tree has came back every year. This is year it started to grow then stopped and has black on the stump is there anything I can do to save it? I have Googled but no direct answers because I cut mine down and mulched them.
My fig tree is about 25 years old and has an extensive root system above the ground. Should I cover it with mulch or soil? The plant is doing well up here along the coast in Delaware.
My general rule is if the plant is doing well, don't change what you're doing. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If you're happy with the way it is performing and it's giving you plenty of fruit at the right time of the year, I wouldn't mess with success. If you are having a specific problem, or if you're trying to improve something, we can discuss further, but if you're successful, I wouldn't want you to change anything.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you. I just found your channel and enjoy what you do.
Tell me about the fruiting... I've got a beautiful, healthy, 4 pseudostem+ banana that sure resembles your orinoco, and has been happily growing near Fayetteville for 5 years. However, no fruit. Any suggestions?
Most varieties of bananas take 12-18 months or so to fully grow, flower, fruit and ripen. It is a long process. If your tree dies back annually, it’ll never fruit. Each pseudostem must run the full life cycle. If you have managed to protect them or you’re growing in a container, you need to fertilize them like crazy. Bananas require absurd amounts of food. I give them pure, refined potash crystals 0-0-60. Bananas go crazy for the stuff. If you check my Amazon Storefront, I list the potassium supplement from Espoma. I use MiracleGro 24-8-16 All Purpose and add the potassium crystals, too.
Oh my god how did you know I just got a Cavendish banana tree!? 😭🤣
I see you haven't noticed that van parked outside your house the past couple weeks 🕵
@@TheMillennialGardener lol, awesome video. I’m not even going to attempt to grow it outside, this baby is going in the garage during the winter.
As long as your garage is cold. The ideal storage temperature is going to be around 40 degrees. If it's below freezing, it could kill the banana and if it's too warm, it could try and grow, and that wouldn't be good in absence of light.
why no Holiday lights on the bananas?
There's no point. That won't prevent them from freezing. Bananas are frost sensitive, and I can't keep a banana plant well above freezing all year in North Carolina.
Who the hell would go through that crap.
If you want to eat fresh bananas in North Carolina, we do what we have to do. When you eat them compared to the flavorless mush you get in a grocery store, you'll understand.
Was that a trifoliate orange/flying dragon in the beginning of your video to the right of the banana? How did your satsumas fair after this winter
Yes. I hate that plant, and I regret planting it! I am going to chop it down and try grafting an Ichang Lemon onto it. I have gotten impaled by that trifoliate orange so many times just trying to weed the area. The thorns on it are absolutely deadly. My satsuma did GREAT. I picked 50 fruits: czcams.com/video/eOH9RcsIplA/video.html
@@TheMillennialGardener nice, 50 fruits! I can only grow trifoliate and some of its hybrids (kind of) outside, the thorns suck. I have an improved trifoliate which doesn't have as much bitter flavors, a citrumelo, a tai-tri, and a yuzu against a brick wall. So far they have survived unprotected but this winter was mild. I do have potted citrus which I am planning on crossing with the improved trifoliate whenever it flowers since the existing hybrids available were not really selected for flavor mostly to impart cold hardiness or to create rootstocks
I didn't know there were so many bananas. Do you know if they taste different?
Oh yes, they vary as much as figs, apples and citrus. There are so many unique and interesting types. There are over 1,000 known banana varieties, I believe. There is a lot of diversity.
@@TheMillennialGardener so why there is only 1 variety in the grocery stores, lol?
I want to grow a few bananas.
I really recommend it. They're easy and fun to grow, and they're very easy and cheap to buy online. They're usually sold as tissue cultures, so they ship only about 3-4 inches tall (that's why they're so cheap). However, bananas grow so quickly that dwarf varieties will be 5 feet tall within a few months. Just be careful. Full-size bananas can grow 15-20 feet in a single summer from total dieback, so don't get a variety that'll be too tall for you to manage. They spread from a corm, so they can really take over small areas. They need some room, which is why I grow the dwarf varieties.
My banana's have sa
I have a fig tree question. Can I ask it here?
Sure.
@@TheMillennialGardener Sorry. I'm new at this youtube stuff. My fig tree, or should I say bush, is about 25 years old and has an extensive above ground root system. Should I cover it with mulch or soil?
I'm sorry, but I had to laugh at your reaction to the smell. I had to do the same to my Grand Naine and couldn't quit gagging either. My Blue Javas faired much better.
I honestly couldn't believe how much it smelled like rotting meat. I didn't think plants could smell that bad. It was worse than some dead animals I've driven past on a highway in the middle of summer. Blue Java is on my list, but it's so hard to find a real one, and you need so much space. Where did you get yours?
@@TheMillennialGardener I had driven over to Just Fruit's and Exotics for a Hamlin orange tree, and even though it was expensive, I was there so I bought it from them.
@@TheMillennialGardener you can get them from the site of the youtuber Randy's tropical plants, and yes the blue javas get enormous and need 4-5 months to ripen, the corm is hardy to - 7 for brief periods
@@TheMillennialGardener not him but yea, buy it from RTP(abbreviated), he has the true one and also move to South Carolina where the chances of zone 8b are higher
Why didn't u use plastic bubble plastic that's what I use in zone 4
I need a mass that absorbs heat during the day so it keeps the pseudostem warm at night. Plastic doesn't hold heat, so as soon as the sun goes down, it cools off. Large quantities of organic matter absorb heat and radiate it all night long, so compacted hay is actually like a little heater.
Sorry Dale stole the show. 🤣
It's his channel. I just work here.
man you really meant tons of mulch
I could use about another 50 yards of mulch for my yard 😂
I think I will buy bananas🤣
They're a lot of fun to grow, and they're beautiful, too.