Many varieties of banana trees being chilly, it is better to grow them in pots or trays in order to install them inside the house. It is also an excellent idea to bring a note of exoticism in a bright room. Let’s see how to maintain the banana tree in a pot and when to repot it.
Growing a banana tree in a pot
For the Banana tree to thrive in a pot, it must benefit from a container sufficiently wide and deep. We therefore choose a tank whose capacity is related to the height that the subject will reach in adulthood, knowing that it can – depending on the species – reach 3 to 5 meters. Regardless of the shape of the tray or pot, it must be fully drilled and contain no less than 30 to 35 liters of soil.
The Banana tree likes to be in a rich substrate, costs but above all not soggy. It is therefore necessary to opt for a mixture draining ideally composed of:
- 25% decomposed compost,
- 25% potting soil for green plants,
- 25% good topsoil,
- 25% pozzolan.
It is of course possible to replace the pozzolan with the same proportion of horticultural sand of medium grain size.
The planting a banana tree in a pot takes place as follows:
- Cover the perforated bottom of the tray with a good drainage layer. Clay pebbles or gravel are fine.
- Deposit part of the substrate.
- Plant the Banana tree in the center of the container.
- Fill with the rest of the mixture.
- Pack all around the foot.
- Water copiously.
Install the Potted Banana Tree in a place bathed in lightwhere the temperature is always above 10°C, ideally between 18 and 22°C. However, avoid exposing the plant to direct sunlight which would only burn its leaves. It is therefore recommended to move the Banana tree away from a French window or a bay window facing south.
Caring for a Potted Banana Tree
The Banana tree can grow very well in a large pot provided it can benefit from good care.
Fertiliser
The banana tree is extremely gourmand. It must therefore benefit from a substrate rich in nutrients. But this one is running out fast. Also, adding liquid fertilizer to dilute in the irrigation water is absolutely necessary. twice a month, between June and September. A fertilizer for green plants is well adapted to the banana tree in pot. On the other hand, it is recommended not to distribute any more fertilizer between October and the end of March.
Take out the banana tree in a pot
And short stay outside in the spring is extremely profitable for the banana plant in pots. But to get it out, you have to wait until all risk of late frost has passed. It is preferably placed on the terrace (or balcony), sheltered from the wind close to the wall of the house for example so that its leaves cannot be shredded by a gust.
He likes to be in a situation slightly shaded especially if the terrace faces south, and full sun in other cases. Let’s not forget that the banana tree love the heat. This is also why we must not forget to bring it in at the beginning of September in regions where the frosts are relatively early.
In autumn, if it is impossible to house the banana tree indoors, it is essential to take precautions so that it does not suffer from the cold. We insulate the pot by surrounding it with cardboard for example, we also put a mulch on the substrate and we cover the whole thing with a wintering veil. Be careful, however, not to confine the plant too much, which must still be able to breathe and air must be allowed to circulate in order to minimize the risk of fungal disease.
winter cleaning
In November or December, it is useful to remove faded leaves, damaged or too old. This cleaning promotes the formation of new leaves.
Pests and diseases
As is the case with many plants grown indoors, the Banana tree can be mainly the target of mealybugs likely to create serious damage if left untreated. Do not hesitate to mist the banana leaves regularly as a preventive measure.
In case of attack, mealybugs dislodge with sprays of water with black soap and vegetable oil. You can also use a cloth soaked in 90° alcohol that we pass on and under the foliage without forgetting to use a cotton swab also soaked to dislodge the parasites agglutinated in the axils of the leaves. It is also possible to treat the banana tree with an anti-mealybug product marketed in garden centres.
Watering the Potted Banana Tree
You really have to make sure that the substrate is always wet. In winter it dries quickly because of the heating and in summer, vigilance is also required, especially if the room is exposed due south as this accelerates the evaporation process. It is therefore important to water your banana tree in pot before the substrate dries out. Be careful, however, not to leave water in the saucer as this increases the risk of root rot.
Repot a Banana Tree
This is in spring, every two yearsthat a Banana tree must be repotted in order to completely renew the substrate and, if necessary, to install it in a larger pot.
When the plant becomes difficult to handle and the container is spacious enough, it is quite possible to settle for a resurfaçageagain in the spring, but every year. This consists of scraping the surface substrate to remove a few centimeters and then replacing it with a mixture of mature compost and potting soil for green plants.