Come si coltiva il banano in appartamento

The Banana plant, belonging to the Musaceae family and in particular to the genus Musa, is a tropical evergreen plant very well known and loved above all for its fruits, bananas precisely, so sweet and rich in nutrients, but it is also appreciated for its magnificent leaves green, characteristic that makes it an excellent piece of furniture to beautify your home with taste and elegance.

The Banana is perfect to grow in the garden, in the ground, but can also be grown in pots and, in this case, it is often placed inside apartments as an ornamental plant due to its majestic presence (can even reach 2.5 m in height). Cultivating Banana in the apartment is not particularly difficult, provided that there are the right climatic conditions and that adequate cultivation is provided. Now let's see together to discover all the secrets to cultivate it to the fullest and make the banana tree a real houseplant.

BANANA, THE TROPICAL PLANT FOR EXCELLENCE

The Banana, in all its varieties, is a tropical herbaceous plant that is often mistakenly considered arboreal as it assumes the appearance of a real tree: the large leaves, superimposed on a helix, form a very large stem which, in reality, it is nothing other than a pseudofusto being in fact formed by the concrescence of the leaf sheaths.

Generally, the Musa species raised in the apartment do not flower and therefore, as a consequence, do not fructify. Only the species Musa velutina, a particular species of Banana native to Asia, flourishes and then fructifies, but once the flowers have been formed and when the fruit has grown, all the leaves turn yellow and fall. The leaves of the Banano are shiny and satiny especially by young people and often have red patches.

GROW THE BANANA IN THE VASE

The Banana plant is not a difficult plant to grow: it grows easily even in the apartment even if it is necessary to give you some more attention.

SOIL

The ideal soil for the Banana plant is that created by mixing a little peat and coarse sand to the soil, which at the same time guarantees good nourishment and a good moisture absorption capacity. It is also important to underline that the Banana plant must be repotted every year during the spring; once the adult, the banana can be left in the same vase for years.

FERTILIZATION

During the spring-summer period it is advisable to dilute a good liquid fertilizer every two weeks and once a month during the autumn-winter period. The ideal fertilizer must have, in addition to having so-called macroelements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, also has microelements or all those substances that the plant needs in minimal quantities such as magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, zinc and many others , all important to support the Banana plant in a correct and balanced growth.

EXPOSURE TO THE SUN

The Banana plant should be placed in a bright place, but not exposed to direct sunlight. It is also important that the environment is well ventilated. Attention, however, to drafts, especially cold ones, which could affect the correct development of the plant. The ideal temperatures for the Banana plant during the spring-summer period range from 21 to 24 ° C, although in reality it can withstand even higher temperatures.

The Banana plant, on the other hand, fears the cold and, indeed, temperatures below 16 ° C are fatal even if, by making a thick mulch at the base, it is able to withstand the harshest temperatures, albeit for a limited period of time. A little advice is to pay attention to the spaces since the Banana is a fairly large plant that requires quite large environments.

WATERING

During the spring-summer period the Banana must be watered with a certain regularity so that the soil always remains wet. In the autumn-winter period it is advisable to reduce the frequency of watering enough for the soil to remain just wet.

PRUNING

The Banana plant cannot be pruned, but it is advisable to eliminate only the dry leaves in order to avoid becoming a vehicle of diseases for the rest of the plant. It is also advisable to keep the foliage free of dust, cleaning it carefully using a soft cloth moistened with warm, non-calcareous water. Finally, it would be better never to use foliar polishes, which hinder the regular transpiration of the foliage.

THE PARASITES AND DISEASES AFFECTING THE BANAN

The Banana plant is subject to the attack of various diseases and parasites that cause recognizable signs on the plant itself. If the leaves wither and lose color means that the plant has not been adequately watered and that, in particular, has received too much water; the remedy is very simple and consists basically in reviewing the irrigation method to give the plant only the one needed.

If, on the other hand, the margins of the leaves dry out, this is a clear sign that the environment in which the plant is located is too dry and the solution is to increase its level of humidity by arranging, for example, containers containing water in the vicinity of plant.

In the case in which a white powdery-looking mold appears on the leaves, it means that the Banano plant has contracted the white or powdery mildew, that is a fungus that is particularly harmful to the health and survival of the plant itself. The formation of this particular mushroom is favored by high levels of humidity but also by high temperatures. Initially, isolated whitish patches are formed which gradually come together to form larger and larger spots that cause the necrosis of the entire leaf which, at the end, curls up along the central rib and then dies. The solution is to treat the Banana plant with specific fungicides but, at the same time, increase the ventilation while always paying attention to drafts.

The spots that appear instead on the lower page of the leaf are the evident manifestation of an attack of the cochineal and, in particular, of the floury cochineal. The cochineal is a phytophagous insect or a parasite that feeds on the plant of which it is a guest, causing more or less serious damage and therefore, precisely for this reason it is necessary to eliminate it as quickly as possible.

The most immediate and easily available remedy is to use a cotton swab soaked in alcohol to remove the cochineal or wash the plant with water and neutral soap gently rubbing with a sponge and then rinsing it carefully. It is however advisable to use a specific anticryptogamic.

The Banana plant brings all the joy of exotic places in your apartment or office. The Banano, besides being extremely decorative and scenographic, is also an excellent air purifier.
Test yourself by cultivating your Banana plant in your apartment too!