Characteristics and distinctive features of the plant, banana cultivation, reproduction and transplantation, difficulties in cultivation and pests, interesting facts, species.
Who among us has not heard about this wonderful fruit with delicate pulp and delicious taste? How interesting it is to grow such a plant in your room and enjoy the green exotic! But few people know how many varieties of banana there are in nature and how mankind still uses this green inhabitant of warm countries.
Banana (Musa) belongs to the genus of herbaceous perennials reckoned in the Banana family (Musaceae). Most of the varieties of this fruit chosen by mankind can be found in Southeast Asia and the Malay Archipelago, it also grows in the northeastern regions of the Australian continent and on some Japanese islands. In general, wherever the tropical and subtropical climate completely dominates. That is, this representative of the flora likes to settle on lands with environmental conditions with high humidity and hot temperatures. The genus includes up to 70 varieties of such plants. For industrial purposes, musa is grown on the lands of Pakistan and Bhutan, in China and Sri Lanka, in the Maldives and Bangladesh, bananas in Nepal, Thailand and Brazil have not been ignored. In Russia, you can see this plant only in Sochi, but because of the cold winters, the fruits do not ripen there.
Naturally, in the places of natural growth of this crop, it is one of the most widespread food plants, as well as an important article for export. And in some countries, this product is one of the main types of food, if you take for example, then in Ecuador, the consumption of bananas per year reaches 73.8 kg per capita. And if we consider this figure for Russia, then it is only 7, 29 kg. Up to 120 million tons of these fruits are harvested annually in the world. Banana is second only to rice, wheat and corn in popularity and cultivation.
If you start to figure out where the plant got its name from, then this story is confusing and long, since there is no exact information about this. But we are talking about the name "Musa". They say that this was the name of the court physician who served at the court of Octavian Augustus - Antonio Musa. And it happened in the last decades before our era and in the early years of this era. There is also evidence that the name comes from the Arabic word "mus", which translates as an edible fruit that forms on a plant. But the "banana" we are used to - came from the free translation of the expression "banana", which is so written in many dictionaries of European languages. They say that this name of these fruits was brought by Spanish and Portuguese navigators at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century, who got it from the conversations of local tribes settled in West Africa.
So, a banana is a herbaceous plant. After bamboo, banana is in second place as the world's tallest herbaceous representative. In its outline, it is very similar to a palm tree, as it seems that the plant has a similar trunk. But this is not the case. This formation, which appeared due to the wide, tightly attached to each other, sheaths of the petioles of large leaf plates. These vaginas are so tightly wrapped around each other that they form such a semblance of a trunk. This false trunk can reach a height of 6–12 meters, and measure 30 cm across at its base. And the stem of the musa is powerful and short in size, thick and practically does not rise above the surface of the ground.
The roots are also striking in their appearance. They are numerous and fibrous, with their plexus they form a root system, which can go 1.5 meters deep into the soil in search of life-giving moisture. To the sides, the root shoots spread up to 5 meters.
The leaves, which are collected in a rosette in the upper part of the false trunk, are large in size and reach a length of 2-3 meters and a width of up to a meter. They have elliptical and oblong shapes, juicy and varied colors. The color of the leaf plate very much depends on the variety of banana: it can be light and dark green tones, as well as spotty with maroon color marks, two-color (on the back side of the crimson color, and on the top - juicy green). A longitudinal central vein is clearly visible on the surface, from which multiple lateral veins extend perpendicularly. As the leaf matures and ages, it falls to the ground, and the "young" develops inside the false trunk. The speed with which the leaves are renewed under favorable conditions is very high and amounts to a week.
After the plant has grown for 8-10 months, the flowering period begins. The peduncle makes its way through the entire trunk, outward, going from the underground tuber. Already at the top, an inflorescence of a complex shape is formed, resembling a large bud, which has a purple or green color. At the base, flowers are formed, arranged in tiers. At the very top, female buds bloom, from which fruits appear, below are bisexual flowers, and at the very bottom are male, of the smallest sizes. Each flower has 3 tubular petals with 3 sepals. Their color is white, the leaves covering them are painted purple on the outside, and inside they are dark red. Inflorescences grow upright or lean towards the ground. Pollination takes place at night by bats, and in the daytime by birds and mammals. As the fruit develops, it will become more like a hand, with more fingers.
The banana fruit is a berry. Its appearance is very different depending on the variety: it can be elongated, cylindrical and triangular. The length varies from 3 to 40 cm. The color of the skin also varies greatly: green, yellowish, red and with a silvery sheen. As the fruit ripens, its flesh softens and juiciness appears. Up to 300 fruits can emerge from each inflorescence, which will weigh 70 kg in total. The pulp also differs in color: whitish, cream, yellow or orange. Seeds are found only in wild varieties. As soon as fruiting is complete, the false stem dies off completely, making room for a new one.
Creating conditions for growing a banana
- Lighting. Musa is very fond of bright light, and it is better to put the pot by the window or on the windowsill. It is worth choosing a southern, southwestern or southeastern orientation, well, as a last resort, windows facing east or west. On the north window, growth will be slowed down, and the fruits will not wait if there is no backlight. With the arrival of constant heat, you can take the plant out into the fresh air, but from the direct rays of the sun you will need to shade with gauze or put a pot of banana in the openwork shade of trees.
- Content temperature. It is best to withstand heat indicators in the range of 25-30 degrees. If they drop to 15, then the growth will stop, which is unacceptable for a normal content. When the plant "lives" in the air in the spring-summer period, then with the arrival of cold nights it will be necessary to bring it into the house.
- Watering. Banana is a real "water loaf", so you need to moisturize it regularly and abundantly, but rarely. This is due to the fact that the surface of the sheet is large and more moisture evaporates from it. When 1–2 cm of soil dries out on top of the soil, soil moistening will be required. Water is taken at a temperature of 25-30 degrees and is always soft. Watering is carried out until the liquid flows from the drainage holes. If in the autumn-winter period the banana is kept at 18 degrees, then the moisture is reduced so that the root system does not rot.
- Air humidity. For a plant, moisture is a very important factor; its indicators should be at least 70%. In summer, daily spraying of the leaf crown is carried out, and in winter only once a week. The sheets often need to be wiped off dust. You can put humidifiers nearby or install the pot in a deep container, at the bottom of which water is poured and a drainage layer is poured. But the main thing is that the bottom of the pot does not touch the liquid. The pot is placed on an inverted saucer or large stones. The air should pass to the roots as freely as moisture, for this every 2-3 days it is necessary to loosen the top layer of soil in the pot to a depth of no more than 1 cm.
- Banana transplant. The transplant is carried out as the soil is developed by the root system. For planting, you need to take a substrate under trees such as linden, birch, acacia or hazel. Do not pick near poplar, chestnut or oak. A layer only 5–10 cm deep is dug out. It is better to transplant, transferring a banana, without destroying the earthen coma. With this procedure, the bush will need to be deepened more and more than the previous time, so the pot is selected deeper. 0.5 kg of wood ash, 2 kg of sand and 1 kg of humus substrate or vermicompost are introduced into a bucket of this soil. It is necessary to stir and pour boiling water or ignite for disinfection purposes. A drainage layer is laid in the pot (depending on the volume), it can be 3-10 cm. Then a layer of 1 cm of moistened sand is poured and only then the substrate.
In order for the fruits to appear, the following fertilizing will be required:
- vermicompost or humus, but do not use chicken or pork;
- infusion of any green herb (lupine, quinoa or weeds);
- fish ear (fish waste is boiled in water).
Top dressing is applied to moistened soil so as not to burn the roots. From the spring-summer period, they fertilize once every 7 days, and with the arrival of autumn, only once a month.
Tips for breeding a banana at home
Musa is propagated both vegetatively and by sowing seeds. The same variety, grown by different methods, may differ in its characteristics.
With the seed method, the plant will be more viable, but the fruits are unsuitable for food. The seeds germinate for a start. The surface of the seed is treated with sandpaper or a nail file (scarified). You do not need to pierce the seed. Then you will need to soak in boiled water for several days until the sprouts appear. The water is changed every 6 hours.
The diameter of the container for germination is not more than 10 cm. A layer of expanded clay 2 cm and a sandy-peat substrate (1: 4), 4 cm in height, are laid there. The seeds are slightly pressed into the ground, they are not covered with earth. The pot is covered with a piece of glass or plastic. The germination area should be light and warm, but no direct light is required. The germination temperature is maintained at 27-30 degrees (at least 25-27 at night). Daily airing of crops will be required, as well as, if the soil is dry, then moistening from a spray bottle. Some moisten the soil through "bottom" watering. If mold is found, then it is removed, and the substrate is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Seedlings will appear in 2-3 months, and the growth of the banana will become more active. After 10 days, you will need to transplant into a large container, and as you grow, this operation is repeated.
Propagating by cuttings, you can get a plant with edible fruits and more quickly. As soon as fruiting ends and the false stem dies off, new buds from the underground stem will begin to appear in its place. One of them will become the "mother" of the new trunk. During this period, you will need to remove the rhizome from the pot and very carefully separate the part with the awakened bud from it. This division must be planted in a prepared container and, as it grows, change the pot to a larger one. Florists claim that by the time the fruit appears, the volume of the pot will be 50 ml.
Difficulties in cultivating musa
If there is no backlight, and the illumination is low, then the banana will fall into a forced rest period.
With frequent watering, decay of the root system can occur, which is expressed in the fact that the edge of the leaves turns brown, and they dry out, and growth will stop, even if the heat indicators are high and the illumination is sufficient. In this case, you need to immediately transplant the banana into new soil, but before washing the roots in water. All rotten appendages are cut off with a sharp knife and powdered with crushed charcoal or ash for disinfection.
Also, growth can stop or slow down if the pot is very small and cramped. It will be necessary to carefully remove the garbage from the container, and if the roots have mastered the entire earthen substrate, then a transplant is necessary. The same symptoms indicate low heat levels in the summer months (they should be at least 16, but optimally 24-30 degrees). Also affects the plant and lack of light.
Interesting facts about banana
Banana pulp helps relieve the symptoms of inflammatory processes that occur in the oral cavity, and it is also recommended for intestinal or stomach ulcers. However, there is also a mild laxative effect. Thanks to the mass of nutrients, eating bananas helps the brain and prevents high blood pressure. Tincture of musa flowers will help with diabetes and bronchitis, but with compresses from skins, you can quickly heal burn wounds or get rid of abscesses on the skin.
Skins cut into pieces can be buried in the soil of flowerpots, and this will serve as a good fertilizer for flowers. Even very tired plants are covered with leaves and flowers.
The fruits are not only edible, but also their leaves, are also used as a black dye, they are used to make fabrics and especially strong ropes, and ropes for maritime affairs. Can be made from fruit seat cushions and rafts, as well as serving plates in India and Sri Lanka.
For the first time, bananas are mentioned in the source of Indian writing, the Rig Veda, dated between the 17th and 11th centuries BC. Also in ancient chronicles, the clothes of the royal family are mentioned, made from the fiber of banana leaves in the XIV century BC.
Also, in terms of calorie content, potatoes are 1.5 times inferior to banana, but dried bananas are more high in calories than fresh ones (almost 5 times).
Banana species
There are decorative and dessert bananas. Since there are many of them, we will give only a few in each category.
Decorative:
- Pointed banana (Musa acuminate) possesses beautiful foliage with a length of up to a meter and a large central vein. The plate divides over time, resembling a bird's wing. The color is dark emerald, but there are varieties with a reddish tone. Plant height in greenhouses reaches 3.5 m, and in rooms it is no more than 2. Homeland - Australia and India, as well as China and Southeast Asia.
- Burmese blue banana (Musa itirans). The height reaches from 2, 5 to 4 meters. The trunk has a violet-green color with the presence of a silvery dusting. The color of the leaves is bright green, their length is 0.7 meters. The skin of the fruit is also purple or blue. Native habitat - Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, can be found in China and India. There they are fed to elephants.
Dessert:
- Paradise banana (Musa paradisiaca) in height it grows up to 7–9 m. The length of thick and fleshy leaves reaches 2 meters. The color is green with a brown spot. The fruit is measured 20 cm with a diameter of 4–5 cm, up to 300 of them can grow on one plant. There are practically no seeds in the pulp.
- Banana lady finger (Musa Lady Finger). The false trunk is thin and reaches a height of 7–7, 5 m. The fruits are small, which grow to a length of 12 cm. The color of the skin is bright yellow, with thin red-brown streaks. One bundle contains up to 20 fruits. Widely distributed in Australia and Latin America.
How to grow a banana at home, you will learn from this video:
