HOW TO GROW THE BURMESE BLUE BANANA 'Musa itinerans' FROM SEED

How to grow the Burmese blue banana from seed

Growing any banana plants from seed can be a little tricky if you are hoping to do so out of their native environment. However if you live somewhere with a more temperate climate (such as anywhere in Northern Europe), it is still possible if you get your timing right. The best way of course is to use an insulated heated propagator which makes germinating banana seeds an absolute breeze, but I will get to that later.

Musa itinerans seeds
If like many gardeners all you have is a greenhouse then it will be about timing. You will need to wait for over night temperatures of between 16-24 degrees Celsius, while maintaining day-time greenhouse temperatures of around 30-32 degrees Celsius. Automatic vents will probably be required to prevent accidentally cooking seeds and germinating seedlings. Anything over 40 degrees and you can expect plant death.

Before you commence soak your Burmese blue banana seeds seeds for a day or two in lukewarm water. An airing cupboard would be ideal for this. Next, using a large modular seed tray fill with a good quality, free draining seed compost. Sow the seeds on the compost at a rate of 1 seed per module 5 mm - 10 mm deep. Gently compress the soil surface then gently water in. Place in your greenhouse and keep the compost moist, perhaps cover the tray with a sheet of horticultural glass or clear perspex if the modular tray doesn't already come this a clear lid.

Burmese blue banana fruits

If you have produced your own insulated heated propagator then you can germinate your seeds indoors at any time of year assuming the overnight temperatures don't dip below 16 Degrees Celsius. You can make you own quite easily with a polystyrene box (these are often given away at local aquatic shops) a heat mat, a thermostat and a timer. See link below for more details.

Banana seeds will germinate irregularly, but your seedlings should begin to emerge after about three weeks and then can carry on for a further 2-3 months. Once the roots have established in their modules they can be carefully lifted and potted on into a larger sized pots. If you are planning on growing your Burmese Blue bananas outside then they will need to be hardened off for 10 days before being placed in their final position.

For related articles click onto the following links:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)