Buying a Banana Tree Online

You can grow a Banana tree indoors or, depending on your climate outdoors. Getting the variety of banana you want is possible online and may be the only way.

Having lived in the Caribbean for many years I missed the tropical foliage. I knew banana trees could grow easily in Florida but when I went to my local Home Depot and Lowes the type of banana they were offering was not a variety I wanted.

I began to search online and found, banana-tree.com, Associated Content.URL:(www.banana-tree.com/). They have an excellent web site that lists many tropical plants for sale including bananas. I decided to buy three different bananas based solely on their description. One was the Musa, which is said to be one of the best tasting of all bananas. Having to select from over 30 varieties it was great that they included a description of the bananas to help decide.

The other two I chose, Williams and the Gros Michel both had pleasing descriptions with the William's being the hybrid type banana that is the Chiquita brand name banana and has a very large bunch weighing up to 150 pounds. The Gros Michel is described as a having a slight sub-acid taste however doing some searches on this type of banana some interesting facts surfaced. Before 1960 this was the banana most Americans and Europeans were eating, as it was a larger and tastier banana. Unfortunately, a fungus called Panama disease hurt the "Big Mike" variety to the point of switching the industry to the Cavendish type altogether. Knowing this history, provided by this Popular Science magazine article, Associated Content.URL:(http://www.popsci.com/) it seemed a great choice to round out the three bananas I would attempt to grow. Also, banana-tree.com does have a minimum order of $15.00 and on this second order I made I had to pick another plant to go over the minimum.

It took some time, about a month, to get the bananas, however, I did get emails from their customer service informing me that they have seen enormous demand and the trees have to grow to a certain size before shipping them. They also are coming from their site in Ecuador so this takes some time. The packages arrived in FEDEX boxes with the trees, rootless and leafless, wrapped in paper towel, then individually in a plastic bag, with instructions on growing them.

I have done as instructed, placed the bananas in smaller pots to be transplanted later, using soil, which has 20% perlite, and loose so as to drain quickly. It has been very hard to resist watering everyday but the instructions forbid it, only watering as needed. I did have the bananas in direct sun as they did instruct on having them in 12 hours of "bright light" but moved them to a shadier area. I realized this after really scorching them as all three plants spouted a new leaf, however it quickly browned. Their growing instructions and care are listed here, Associated Content.URL:(http://www.banana-tree.com/Banana_Tip.cfm). I also read that growing them in hot dry air will kill the leaves so I am misting them twice a day a keeping them as near as I can to moister areas of lawn. During these months in Florida, April & May, we experience dry conditions which gives way to the summer humidity and afternoon thunderstorms. The winters will still be a problem but many tropical plant varieties survive, including the bananas here, but I am afraid keeping high temperatures in the 80's and lows above 65 is impossible other than in Florida. Indoor containers will be needed otherwise leaving at least a 10' height free by 5' width is necessary but not impossible. Banana-tree.com has a fourm with many participants all posting advice on how to grow indoors and all seem to be having great success!

Florida Fred