Gardening Australia – September 2019

IN THE PATCH

GARDENING AUSTRALIA SEPTEMBER 2019 85

PHOTOS

ALAMY, PHIL DUDMAN, ISTOCK

energyontheremainingfruit.Forthesame

reason,somegrowersremovethebellat

thebaseofthestem,butothersleavethis

on,asitprovidesanongoingfoodsource

forhoneyeaters–theseterritorialbirds

helptokeephungrykingparrotsaway.

Coverfruitbuncheswithabananabag

(availablefromproducestores)tiedatthe

top,toprotectthemfrombirdsandflying

foxes.Heavybunchescanweighdownthe

pseudostem,whichmayneedproppingup

withtimber.Keepaneyeonthebunchas

thefruitfilloutandnearripening.Remove

individualhandsastheybegintoyellow,

andtaketheminsidetocompleteripening.

Cutoffdeadordiseasedleavesasthey

appear,anddisposeoftheminanother

partofthegarden.Tomaintainaclump,

aimforonesteminfruit,anotherclose

behinditandoneinearlydevelopment.

Theremainingsuckerscanbecutoffat

groundlevelorcarefullydugout. GA

timetolodgetheform,andplantsuppliers

are normally willing to help. Biosecurity is

important and regulations change all the

time, so check with your local Department

of Primary Industries offi ce.

growing & harvesting

Bananas thrive in warm, humid, coastal,

frost-free areas of Australia. The further

south you go, the more protection these

tropical plants need. In cooler temperate

areas south of Sydney, choose a nice

toasty spot in front of a north-facing wall,

to keep your plants happy in winter.

They like plenty of sun with protection

from wind, and do best in close company

of other plants, which increases humidity.

The soil should be fertile, rich in compost

and well-drained, with a pH of about 6.5.

Bananas like water but hate wet feet, so

mound the soil if drainage is poor.

Spring to summer is the best time to

plant. Space plants 3–4m apart and bury

the stem a little deeper than it was in the

pot – this helps with initial stability and

discourages early suckering. Keep moist

but don’t overwater. A cool way to grow

them is in a circle (see overpage).

Once plants are up and growing, apply

a complete organic fertiliser every 6–8

weeks from spring to autumn. Add a little

potash when fruiting stems appear. Water

deeply in dry times and keep well mulched.

When fruit form, remove the bottom two

hands (these are tiny, inferior fruit) to focus

at a glance

common name

banana

botanic name

Musa spp.

plant type

fleshyherbaceous perennial

2–6m

2.5m

fullsun

spring,summer

12–18months

suitable

where

to

BUY

Qld Blue Sky Backyard Bananas

backyardbananas.com.au

NSW Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery

daleysfruit.com.au

Vic The Diggers Club

diggers.com.au

TOP PICKS

There’s more to bananas

than the common Cavendish

variety. For ease of bagging

and picking, the best choices

forthebackyardgardenare

theseshorter-stemmedones:

DwarfCavendishGood

choiceforcoolareas. 2–2.5m

DwarfDucasseSugary-

sweetandfragrant. 2–3m

DwarfRedDaccaRedskin;

sweet,creamyflesh. 2.5–3m

SucrierSmallfingerswith

sweet,creamyflesh. 2.5–3m

Terema Small fruit with very

sweet fl esh;plantsproduce

fruit quickly. 2.5–3m

FROM OPPOSITE

One stalk carries up to 12 hands of bananas;

this sword sucker is the beginning of a new

plant; banana bags protect ripening fruit

from hungry birds and  ying foxes; Dwarf

Red Dacca bananas are sweet and creamy.