How to Grow Bananas

Ensete Germination Information

Ensete is the botanical name for Banana
How to Sow Ensete:

• Before sowing, soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours
• Sow indoors at 75-85° at a depth of 1 inch
• Make sure to position the seed scar upwards
• Seeds will germinate in 21-30 days

How to Grow Ensete:
Outdoors:
Transplanting: Transplant when there are at least two sets of true leaves. Best grown outdoors in full sun and with space to grow

Soil: Requires a rich soil, heavy feeding (monthly with a balanced liquid), and constant moisture

Temperature It grows best where nights are above 64° and the humidity is high

Additional Care: A trick for outdoor culture in cold climates is to grow it in a pot during winter and to plunge the entire pot into a planting bed during the growing season. Before first frost, lift the potted plant out of the ground, root prune, and reduce top growth to the newest 2-3 leaves

Indoors:
Lighting: Give full sun in winter and part shade in summer

Soil: Grow in a rich soil kept evenly moist

Temperature: Provide 65° nights and 80-85° days and high humidity

Appearance and Use:

In cold climates, this ornamental, non-edible banana is grown in containers for conservatory culture. In warmer climates it is grown outdoors. Outdoors it will grow 10-20 feet high and spread to 15 feet. Indoors, the size can be constrained by pruning. The exotic, evergreen, paddle-shaped leaves are very long and are olive-green with showy red midribs. The long leaves bend slightly downward creating an arching habit. Flower bracts are showy and colored green, purple, or red. Banana-like fruits are produced but they are inedible

About Ensete:
Pronunciation:  en-se’te ven-tri-ko’sum
Lifecycle:  Perennial
Origination: Musaceae, native to tropical Africa
Common Name: Banana