When Is the Right Time to Transplant Banana Trees?

Characteristics

• Hardy bananas grow to 20 feet tall. Their leaves are bright green with a red vein down the middle and reach 6 feet long and 2 feet wide. A mature plant 10 feet tall or one that has 35 leaves on one stalk may flower and bear fibrous, inedible bananas. The flowers are pale yellow.

Site

• Plant hardy bananas in full sun or part sun. Choose a sheltered spot against a house, in a fence corner or in a courtyard to protect the plant from strong wind, which will tear its leaves, and from winter cold. Give bananas at least a 5-by-5-foot space because they will multiply to form a cluster over several years. Hardy bananas also grow well in pots.

Culture

• Bananas have thick, succulent stems and require constant moisture. Water them regularly and deeply and mulch with compost, wood chips, straw or shredded leaves to slow evaporation. In spring, fertilize bananas with high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as one formulated for lawns, and continue feeding monthly through the growing season.

Transplanting

• To move an established plant, wait until the weather is consistently warm, in May or June. Night temperatures should be in the mid-50s. Bananas grow from a corm, so dig with a spading fork to loosen the soil deeply. Water transplanted bananas daily to establish.

Winter Care

• Banana leaves blacken and the stems turn to mush at temperatures lower than 32 degrees. Cut off the leaves and cut the trunks to 4 inches tall. Pile loose mulch around the trunks to a depth of 1 foot. Place the cut-off banana leaves over that, making a mound to protect the trunks. Add several layers of burlap over the mound in colder climates. Remove the mulch in late spring, when temperatures warm and growth begins.