Basjoo Banana for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on July 26, 2022

Planting instructions

Plant your basjoo banana in a spot with fertile, well-draining soil that receives at least six hours of sun a day. The spot you choose should be sheltered from prevailing winds as much as possible. Unpot your banana tree and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Place the tree in it, spreading out the roots. Holding the sapling upright and steady, fill in around the roots with topsoil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of an organic mulch, such as bark chips, around the root zone, being careful that it does not touch the tree trunk.

Watering and nutrients

Water your newly-planted basjoo banana twice a week for the first year after planting. Once it is well-established and growing strongly, you can cut back to once-a-week watering. The basjoo banana likes moist soil, so you can tell if it needs supplemental watering by digging down about 2 inches near the roots — if it seems dry, give it a drink. Basjoo bananas are heavy feeders and benefit from regular applications of fertilizer throughout the growing season. Regularly rake away the mulch temporarily to apply a layer of compost, and feed with a citrus fertilizer or a water-soluble 28-8-16 formula.

Pollination

Bananas are self-fertile, meaning that a single tree has both male and female reproductive organs. After flowering, the basjoo banana produces small, seedy, inedible fruits, after which the pseudostem (trunk) dies back, although the roots stay alive and will soon produce another trunk.

Pruning

Your basjoo banana needs little pruning. You can trim back brown or dying leaves from the outer edge of the pseudostem; if not trimmed back, these will eventually fall off. Prune back any leaves that are diseased or damaged in any way. Never prune out the top of the trunk, as this is the point from which new growth emerges.

Pests and diseases

Pests that may appear on your basjoo banana include mites, ants, and banana aphids. A healthy tree can generally fight off infestations, but if your tree seems to be in trouble, a general insecticide can help — or you might consider releasing beneficial insects, such as ladybugs and lacewings, which eat aphids and other pests. Diseases of the banana tree include banana wilt, which is fatal, and leaf spot — both are fungal in nature. To avoid problems with fungi, plant your basjoo banana in soil that drains well, keep the ground around the tree clean of leaf debris, and water at the base of the plant, not the leaves.

Achieving maximum results

With some preparation, your basjoo banana can be successfully grown as a container plant. This means those who live north of its range can grow this handsome specimen, bringing it indoors in the winter. Choose a container that is roughly twice the size of the root ball, with good drainage holes in the bottom. Plant your young tree in good potting soil, and water thoroughly. Container-grown plants need watering more frequently than those grown in the ground, so monitor your tree carefully, especially when the weather is hot. Also maintain a good feeding schedule for your banana, as the roots can only stretch so far in search of nutrients. Every few years, unpot your plant, trim back the roots lightly, and refresh the soil.

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