Growing Bananas in Containers

Bananas (Musa spp.) make striking container plants growing outside on a porch or patio or indoors in a bright, south-facing room. Dwarf varieties, which grow anywhere from 2 to 10 feet tall, make the best candidates. The majority of dwarf bananas are ornamentals with striking foliage, but some types are grown specifically for their fruit. Depending on the variety, bananas grow in U. S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 10.

Use a well-draining potting mix to grow bananas in containers. In place of a store-bought mix, you can make a blend by combining equal parts sand, perlite and peat moss. In place of perlite, you can use either vermiculite or bark. When selecting a pot or planter, look for one 3 to 4 inches bigger than the nursery pot and make sure it has holes in the bottom for drainage.

To make repotting easier, avoid planters that are narrower at the top than at the sides and bottom.

Water the banana plant thoroughly when the top of the potting soil feels dry. The best way to make sure the water is penetrating through to the bottom of the container is to add water slowly and then observe the container. When it is thoroughly watered, a little extra liquid will seep out the bottom drainage hole.

Fertilize bananas once a week from spring through late summer with general-purpose liquid fertilizer. Use 1/2 teaspoon of fertilizer mixed with 6 cups of water per plant. Pour the fertilizer solution onto the soil, being careful to avoid the banana leaves, and then water until the pot is damp all the way through.

The sun requirements for bananas vary depending on the type, but most like full sun and some prefer part shade.

Every two to three years banana plants need repotting to freshen the soil and keep up with growth. When you repot, use a container 3 to 4 inches bigger around than the previous planter and check that it has at least one hole in the bottom for drainage.

Planter

Potting soil

Knife

Remove the root ball from the pot. Handle the banana carefully so that you don't damage the leaves.

Put a few handfuls of well-draining potting mix into the new pot and then set the root ball on top of the soil. Add soil under the roots until the stem, where it meets the soil, sits 1 inch below the top of the pot.

Fill the pot up to the base of the stem with potting soil. This leaves 1 inch of space between the soil line and the top of the container for wearing and fertilizing through the growing season.

Water slowly until excess starts to leak out the hole in the bottom of the container. If the potting soil sinks below the root ball after you water, add more until the level is consistent.

Set large patio planters in place before filling them with soil and planting or they quickly become too heavy to move. Alternately, put the pots on wheels so that you can move them around easily.

Ornamental varieties suited for containers include the cultivar 'High Color Mini' (Musa 'High Color Mini'), a dwarf variegated type that has green leaves with maroon markings. 'High Color Mini' grows 2 1/2 to 4 feet tall and is hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11.

Best suited for large planters, blood banana (Musa acuminata 'Zebrina') makes a statement with blue-green leaves accented with red. This 8-foot-tall variety grows in USDA zones 10 through 11.

For fruit, try the 8- to 10-foot-tall dwarf cavendish (Musa 'Dwarf Cavendish') in a large patio planter. Dwarf cavendish grows in USDA zones 9 through 11.