I Hadd a banana tree that I got from Ecuador and grew it for close to 5 years, uprooting it, cutting off the leaves and overwintering it in my garage each year. It was really heavy. It finally flowered , but just not enough time in the season for things to fully ripen, so I had bananas the size of my pinky. And from what I understand . read, once a banana tree fruits, it's done. I still have some of the trees offspring ( there always shooting up new pups), but I use them now as ornamental plants, as I've come to realize its not worth all the effort for something that is just not going to happen. That being said, stupid me purchase 3 more varieties ( one is a dwart, the other is a quick developing / ripening variety) that are in my garage as we speak. Hoping next year to get some bananas ( wishful and unrealistic thinking).
If I dont dig them up, and just cut them down to the ground, and mulch over it ( like a lot of mulch), it will send up new shoots and the main trunk may regrow the following spring. The only problem with that is youre basically starring all over again, it will take too long to reach the size where it can flower and fruit ( in my region anyway). Thats why like putting them into dormancy , cause at least Im starting the next year with a decent sized tree.
It all started when someone I knew in High school (who now ives in Florida) posts pics online of her banana harvest. I was envious, and jealous. Obviously I know the difference in climates between the two of us, but I made it my goal to get bananas up here in NY. One day !
I've probably posted these pics before in the past. My daughter is 5 feet tall, you can see the pumpkins in the pic, so it must have been taken in October, thats when things die off here, so no chance to produce. The other pic is the banana flower with tiny green bananas . I guess I kinda reached my goal of producing bananas in my yard, I just should have clarified to being Edible, ripe bananas.
