Sweet!

I was worried at first I just hope it puts out lots of growth? I've had it for 3 years now but last year was the first time I left it in the ground through Winter.

Yummy banana bread Jonna! I also get the banana peel and bury it under my orchids media..they love that.

Cameron, did you mulch your Namwah over winter. I'd imagine this might be a slightly foreign concept to most people in z8a but it might help. I grow several plants which are 1-1.5 out of their hardiness zone and they thrive with mulch. I use straw a lot, it's cheap, easy and gets recycled into my compost pile in the Spring. It's not very attractive though.

Evan I may try straw next year so I can save some of the pstem. This past Winter I forgot to mulch it and I thought the unusually cold weather and ice storm in December killed it. I know this is a dumb question but where do you get straw?

We have a feed store turned into garden center locally. Mostly they sell it as bedding for stables I think.

Thanks Evan. I'll try the local feed store this Fall.

I bought some potassium sulfate to use on my banana plants this year.

Here is the Dwarf Namwah 3 days later

looking happy, they grow fast when they get going.

Thanks Jonna. This year I have better fertilizer so hopefully that will help. I still need to invest in some soaker hoses.

I put the hose in the banana pit today and let it run for almost an hour, the pit filled up about 6" above the soil line. It has good drainage but they really need a lot of water in the heat we are having now. I think I will throw some fertilizer in there and do it again tomorrow. I have a couple of bags of compost and coffee to throw in there as well. I have another bunch growing but there are not many fruit on it, it's a child of the winter and small.

I dread this Summer because I can never give my bananas enough water, it usually evaporates or the surrounding soil soaks it up. Having water restrictions will make it worse , so I guess this year I'll just focus on watering the banana plants instead of the rest of my garden
I wish I had a banana pit like you, that would make applying compost and water a little easier. Lately I've had lots of fruit and vegetable waste and I can't really have a compost pile. I had a question for you Jonna, are yours planted in full sun?

I admire everyone's efforts to grow Bananas..have seen them in the Philippines a lot when I used to live there, growing carelessly in backyards, people asking for fruits if it is there, or just asking for the leaves, has so many uses. Growing always in full sun and apart from water..it loves that extreme humid levels, which often times is at the 90-100% level there day after day.

I bet the bananas are beautiful in the Philippines. I know the humidity level drops mid to late Summer and that's when a lot of my tropicals get scorched, mainly the banana and canna plants. I've seen people install misters but those are to time consuming and expensive for me lol.

Oh they are so beautiful, and lots of other varieties I do not see here in the US..my late grandmother used to sell bananas, raising 10 children being a banana merchant It is so ubiquitous there, no house without that fruit for dessert. We do have very strong typhoon seasons too, and lately floods, and this plant just stays alive there. That is how much water it can take. Only really strong winds can wipe it out, as with other plants, since the stem of this plant is not that strong, easily decimated. Afterwards, comes back when weather improves again.

Sadly, land is getting scarcer, and the urban jungle creeping in, so less homes having the banana in their yards. Only when we get to visit the provinces, do we see them growing nicely again. That is why I enjoy reading about everyone's efforts here to grow bananas.

Yes, my banana pit is in full sun. They make shade for the terrace and they screen the view so my small yard looks more mysterious - at least that is what I think I used to throw a lot of garden waste in the pit and it would decay in a short time because of our heat. However, I started thinking that the pockets around it collected water and that mosquitoes might be breeding there, not something I want next to the terrace where we spend most of our time. So, I had it cleaned out and now when I add things like compost, coffee or more soil, I tamp it down to keep an even density. I don't throw cuttings in there much anymore either, it makes it easier to clean the area out and unfortunately my cats often go in there so we clean it out fairly frequently.

I wonder if you could put a soaker hose around your bananas and let it run at night? They really do need a lot of water.

It's true Tarev that people here have bananas growing in bare dirt around their yard. Usually they are near the back fence and they do throw the garden and kitchen debris on them as well as wash water. Lots of houses here have an outside laundry room, open on the sides. If they have a washing machine it is generally not hooked up to the septic but a hose from it just goes out to the ground. That's where they put the banana plants so they get constant water and they add shade to the laundry area. In many rural areas water is free and, unfortunately, people often leave the tap running all the time. Here in the city there is a charge for water as it is potable but even so, it is not much and there is no response if you don't pay the bill. They are not allowed to turn off the water to a home.

Cross posted with Tarev. Yes, the different types of bananas are incredible. There are many crosses that have just happened and all the bananas in one neighborhood will be slightly different tasting than in others. People say things like, 'the bananas in Muna are the best in the state' and I think that is either the soil or a hybrid that has taken hold in one town.

You know, that is true..the type of soil..coz usually in the provinces there, they have a good mix of loam and volcanic soil, from the mountains and dormant/active volcanoes. So the plants grow much more vigorous there, better yield and quality of fruits.