How do bananas reproduce? Features, methods and interesting facts

Banana (Banana) belongs to the herbaceous plants of the Banana family (Musaceae), which are native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia, and Africa. In nature, a banana can reach 9 meters in height, but at home its size can be no more than 2 meters.

The plant consists of a rosette of leaves and long cuttings that form a trunk. The banana has a growing point and a powerful root system. The leaves are very large, can reach up to 3 meters in length and 50 cm in width, pure green and with a red underside, burgundy spots may be present throughout the plate.

Banana belongs to single-fruited plants, in which after fruiting the entire aboveground part dies off, only the underground part remains, part of the stem and rhizome. After a while, new ones grow from the underground part.

Botanical description

According to the classification, bananas are perennial herbaceous plants with thick-skinned fruits-berries. The question immediately arises: where is his seeds and how does a banana multiply in nature?

There are more than 40 species and almost 500 varieties of bananas in the world. The homeland of the fruit is the countries of Southeast Asia and Malaysia. Wild bananas grow there right in the forest in the form of grass with thick trunks (up to 20 cm in diameter), reaching a height of 5 m. Side leaves and shoots are formed around the main stem, which are replaced with new ones as they die off. Outwardly, they strongly resemble a palm tree.

As a rule, on each "palm" only one bunch of numerous fruits of different colors grows. Wild bananas are oval-shaped fruits that must be peeled to produce seeds. And the popular and beloved by many fruits lying on supermarket shelves are fruits specially bred by breeders for consumption.

Interesting Facts

For residents of northern latitudes, cognitive is not only what a "banana palm" looks like, but also in what areas of his life a person can use this unique plant, how it is eaten, many other facts are also interesting.

1. In India, a very unusual use has been found for the banana. When launching a ship into the water, the launching surface must be lubricated. For this, fat, paraffin, solid oil or other substance is used. Inhabitants of India sometimes grease the slip with bananas. In order for a ship of average displacement to land on the water, you need to take about 20 thousand fruits.
2. Eating one banana is enough to provide a person with a daily requirement of potassium and magnesium.
3. The blackheads on the peel of a banana are completely harmless. They say that the berry is ready for consumption and its further storage is undesirable.
4. Not only the roots, but also the leaves of the plant help bananas withstand during strong winds. Under extreme conditions, the leaf plates tear along the vein lines, thereby reducing the wind pressure on them.

Banana fruits, which hit the shelves of Russian stores, have made a long sea voyage. It began in one of the 100 countries of the world where culture is cultivated today.

How bananas reproduce in nature: features

The plant has a life cycle typical for herbaceous species, which begins with the appearance of a false stem and leaves, continues with flowering, ripening of fruits and subsequent death of leaves.

In the wild, when sown with seeds, bananas grow in height very quickly: in almost 9-10 months of the warm season, their false stems can grow up to 8 meters in height. Then comes the reproductive phase, in which new leaves are no longer formed.

Inside the trunk, the development of a peduncle begins, which in 2-3 weeks forms a large inflorescence in the form of a bud of a dark purple color. At its base there are small bananas, which are formed in the future by fruits, located in dense large clusters in a spiral, going from the base of the inflorescence to its top. Flowers are divided into female (above), bisexual or hermaphrodite (below) and male (small, located below).

Pollination of female flowers in nature occurs with the help of several types of living creatures that come to the specific smell of inflorescences:

• sunbirds;
• tupayi - squirrel-like animals;
• insects - bees, wasps, butterflies;
• bats at night.

After pollination, a bunch of fruits ripens, which outwardly resembles a brush with numerous fingers. When wild bananas ripen, they immediately become the prey of animals and birds that come to feast on it. After the completion of each cycle, the false stem of the plant dies off, allowing the start of the next sprout.

Fruits of a wild banana have a lot of "seeds" (50-200 pieces), similar in shape and size to cherry ones. With their help, bananas multiply. These seeds fall into the soil in the litter of decayed foliage. After 2 months, green shoots appear from them and the next cycle of plant growth begins.

How the banana palm reproduces

If desired, you can dilute the banana yourself. This can be done in several ways.

Banana propagation

Germinating seeds

It is quite affordable for anyone who wants to grow a banana from seeds. This will require:

• seeds;
• small pots;
• light soil;
• glass or film;
• settled water for irrigation.

With this method, the seeds must be cut from one side. Their shells are very hard and an incision will help accelerate germination. Then the seeds are placed in warm water for 24 hours. After this period, the seeds are planted in separate cups, watered and covered with foil / glass.

Important! The cups are only half filled with soil so that it can be poured in as the seedling grows.

In a warm place, while maintaining high humidity, the seeds begin to germinate. The process is long. Sprouts may appear, at the earliest, in two weeks. Other species germinate only after two months.

The transplanting of seedlings into spacious pots occurs when they reach a height of 10-15 cm. The procedure itself is carried out by transshipment so that the roots of the sprouts are not damaged.

Rooting cuttings

The herbaceous bush almost always gives root shoots. Palm with bananas in this case is no exception. This makes it possible to get a new plant quite easily.

The shoot, with a piece of root, is carefully torn off the parent bush and planted in a separate container. The potting mix and keeping conditions are the same as for a young plant. This is warmth, humidity and light.

Important! The shoots for planting can only be torn off after the fruit has ripened. Also, do not take all the scions. At least one should be left with the mother bush.

Palm cuttings

Varieties of varieties

Bananas are one of the most ancient cultivated tropical plants that have been cultivated by humans since the 4th-6th century. BC. Now this crop is grown in many countries of the world where there is a humid tropical climate and where they are well aware of how bananas reproduce.

Most of the cultivated species were obtained by scientists as a result of selection work and crossing of wild varieties "pointed banana" and "Balbis banana", which are widespread in India.

Banana cultivars do not have seeds and are divided into 2 main groups:

• banana - sweet yellow fruit that can be eaten raw
• plantain (plantains) - fruits with a starch core used for culinary processing (they can be baked in leaves, boiled, etc.).

What threatens banana plantations

Banana, like many other cultivated plants, is susceptible to various diseases. Today scientists are especially concerned about one of them - this is a fungal disease called "Panama disease". Very often the plant is also attacked by parasites.

Specialists' forecasts are disappointing. They warn that in the near future there will be a reduction in banana plantations in all areas of their growth. Some scientists are inclined to believe that the plant may disappear altogether from the face of the earth.

Knowing how a banana grows, what dangers threaten it, breeders all over the world are working to develop new plant varieties. Those that will be able to resist diseases and pests.

Edible varieties

The most popular types and varieties of bananas (their description and cultivation is presented below), which are cultivated on plantations:

• Cavendish - a dessert variety called dwarf, sugar or Canary - grows in a bunch of fruits, when ripe it becomes covered with brown small specks;
• Banana of the Sages is the most popular variety in tropical countries;
• Gro-Michel - has large seedlings of yellow-cream color, sweet and aromatic, tolerates transportation well;
• Lakatan - highly resistant to disease;
• Lady Finger - thick fruits with a pleasant taste and tender pulp, but they do not tolerate transportation worse;
• Red Dhaka - almost straight in shape and elongated, up to 9 pieces in a brush, tasty;
• Paradise banana is a mealy variety, the fruits of which are boiled and baked, flour is made from immature ones (the starch content is 66%).

Vegetable or garden varieties: Banana Sages, Indian (plant height up to 10 m), Chinese, Dwarf Cavendish (2 m). Fibrous grades for fiber production: Textile and Banana Basio.

Features of home growing

When cultivating a banana tree as a pot culture, it is necessary to take into account its botanical features:

• Height. In an apartment environment, the average plant height is 2.5 m, and a dwarf banana tree does not grow above one and a half meters.
• Sheet plates. The length of the leaves, forming a pseudostem due to the tight adherence of their bases, reaches 2 m.
• Stem. The vegetative organ is located underground, serving as a rhizome.
• Inflorescences. They are formed on peduncles developing from the center of the pseudostem, dying off after the fruit ripens.

How bananas grow on plantations

The banana plant has a structure characteristic of herbaceous species: powerful roots, the main stem, on which there are huge leaves in an amount of 6 to 20 pieces. After bamboo, the banana plant is the second tallest plant in the world.

On plantations, bananas can grow with a stem thickness of up to 40 cm, and a height of up to 8 m. Their leaves 50 cm wide in length reach 3 m, and they begin to grow not on the branches, but from the depth of the hollow trunk, which is a characteristic feature of herbaceous plants. Reaching a certain height, the leaves begin to bend downward from their own weight.

A powerful root system can penetrate into the ground to a depth of 1.5 m and a width of up to 5 m in all directions. Each rhizome can live from 2 to 5 years, giving new shoots every six months. A characteristic feature of the structure of the leaves is a long longitudinal vein located in the center of the plate. The color depends on the type of plant and can be either green or with spots of a burgundy or crimson hue.

Fruits grow in bunches, each can contain up to 100 pieces. bananas. Maximum productivity on plantations is achieved at high air humidity.On the plots, they even use wrapping ripening bunches with a layer of polyethylene to increase moisture and faster ripening of fruits. However, this threatens the rapid appearance of fungal infections and diseases.

Types and varieties of bananas

Although there are insultingly few varieties of this fruit on Russian counters, there are dozens of them in the world. Fruits differ in shape, color, size, taste, calorie content. Some types contain oil that is actively used for cosmetic purposes.

There are subcategories, according to which banana fruit is divided into narrower groups.

Decorative bananas

An inedible banana can grow in the apartment, acting as an ornamental plant. The appearance is spectacular - it is a tall, lush tree with a green mass of leaves, up to 2 meters high. It bears fruit, but the fruit is green and tough. The most common ornamental banana varieties are lavender, bright red, and velvety.

In which countries do bananas grow and how they reproduce

In the 21st century, more than 42 million tons of bananas are grown annually in 107 countries, of which 2/3 are in Latin America. The largest plantations are located in Ecuador (7 million tons annually), Brazil (6.9), in Asia - in China (10.9) and India (24.9). Bananas also grow on the African continent, where Tanzania is the leader, producing 2.5 million tons per year.

This plant can also be grown in cooler, non-tropical climates. In addition to delicious fruits that are used for food, ropes are made from bananas in some countries, the stems are allowed to feed livestock. In Russia and European countries, people prefer to eat fruits raw, but on other continents, where a lot of them are produced, they make wine and chips from bananas, brew beer, and also create raw materials for tea bags.

The plant can be propagated in 2 ways: by seeds or by shoots (vegetatively). Plantations in Latin America, Spain, China and India use sprouts to breed and plant new plants. They emerge from the rhizome of adult bananas after the aerial part has died.

The way bananas propagate on plantations is vegetative. It is the most reliable and fastest. For reproduction, the strongest offspring are selected, as well as parts of the tubers (rhizomes), cutting them. The most productive and resistant sprouts are formed during the fruiting period. they accumulate the maximum amount of nutrients.

How to propagate indoor banana

Dwarf bananas are usually propagated by seeds, babies, or vegetatively. Each of them has its own characteristics.

Seeds

If you wish, you can get the seeds yourself:

1. wrap the yellow banana in plastic wrap until the peel is completely darkened and the fruit softens;
2. peel the fruit and cut it lengthwise without touching the core;
3. remove the seeds and lay out on paper, napkin;
4. select full seeds, and discard flat ones;
5. rinse seeds from pulp;
6. pour water for 2-3 days;
7. rinse again and dry well.

Attention! A plant grown from seeds is completely decorative - the fruits are unsuitable for food. With this method, only wild animals can be raised. But uncultivated grass will be stronger and more resistant to disease.

Seeds germinate in sphagnum moss or coconut fiber. This material is purchased in special stores, after which it is steamed with steam, mixed with perlite, spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. An alternative is a 3/1 mixture of peat and sand.

For germination, a drainage material is placed in the container, with a substrate on top, 5-6 cm thick. The seed shell is broken by scratching or notching. The container must be covered with polyethylene to create a greenhouse effect. Daytime temperatures can reach 33 ° C, nighttime temperatures - 20-25 ° C. Germination is a long procedure, up to 2-3 months.

Children

Varietal indoor plants bananas are grown only from root shoots, dividing the rhizome into parts. With this reproduction, all the qualities of the mother plant are preserved.

Reproduction from root shoots

Vegetatively

Cultivars also propagate vegetatively from an adult plant. This can speed up the ripening process, and as a result, the fruits will grow in 2 years.

Growing bananas at home

Back in the Victorian era, banana plants held pride of place in the winter greenhouses of Europe, and in the 21st century, the popularity of growing them in a home or winter garden is returning.

As a home plant, specially created decorative varieties of bananas are used. When planting a crop, it should be borne in mind that in nature they like sunny warm places with high air humidity, i.e. in an apartment, they need frequent spraying.

The plant loves abundant watering, i.e. the soil should always be moistened, preferably slightly acidic or neutral, loose and nutrient medium. When planting in a tub, a soil mixture should be prepared in advance, consisting of humus, foliage, turf and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 2: 2.

The optimum temperature for growing all year round should be within + 22 ... + 25 ° С. Such conditions are quite difficult to reproduce in an apartment, therefore, many flower growers fail to grow an exotic plant. Growing plants in a greenhouse gives positive results, but on condition that the air temperature does not drop below + 16 ° C.

Abundant watering of the planted plants should be carried out regularly throughout the year, as well as spraying the leaves and air around with warm water. It is recommended to place a pallet or container with wet pebbles next to the banana.

The plant also responds well to the use of mineral fertilizers, which should be applied monthly. In summer, it is recommended to fertilize the soil with slurry.

About caring for a banana at home:

Temperature: Banana is very thermophilic; when the temperature drops to 16 ° C, growth retardation can be observed. In summer, the banana loves a temperature range of 23 to 30 ° C.

Lighting: For a favorable development, a banana needs a lot of light. The south and east windows are perfect for him. Shade from direct sunlight is required. When kept on northern windows, additional lighting may be required for fruit ripening.

Watering: Banana needs abundant watering, but only after the topsoil dries out by 2 cm. Tap water can be used for watering, but make sure that it is not chlorinated. Before watering, the water must be defended for a day and preferably boiled. Watering a banana is necessary only with warm water 25-30˚С.

In order to determine whether it is time to water a banana, you need to check the soil, for this they take a lump of soil with three fingers, if it crumbles, watering is done again abundantly, if not, you cannot water it, as this can lead to acidification and decay of the root system.

Between waterings, the soil must be loosened so that the soil is filled with air and the roots breathe better. This makes it possible to increase the growth rate of the banana.

Air humidity: The plant needs high humidity. The banana should be sprayed daily and preferably several times a day. It is necessary to install a container with wet expanded clay under the pot, making sure that the bottom of the pot does not touch the water. From time to time, the plant can be given a shower. In winter, spraying is carried out once a day.

Crown formation: Does not need.

Fertilizers: Introduce in the summer 1 time per week, in winter no more than 1 time per month and only after watering while the ground is still wet. Fertilizer is poured in until it begins to flow into the pan.

Banana is very picky about fertilization. Conventional chemical fertilizers are not suitable for it, it is fraught with burns to the root system, therefore it is better to use fertilizers based on vermicompost or make them yourself from humus, ash.In fertilizers, it is desirable to make a variety, to alternate.

• In order to make fertilizer from humus, you need to take 200 grams of cow (not pork or chicken) humus and pour 1 liter of boiling water. Insist on such fertilization for at least a day before applying.
• Banana also reacts well to green manure, in order to make it, you need to take grass or an ordinary weed, quinoa and lupine are well suited, chop and pour boiling water. At 1 st. a spoonful of chopped herbs needs 1 liter of boiling water. Fertilizer is insisted for 1 day.
• For fertilization, the ash is diluted in a proportion of 1 tbsp. spoon for 1 liter of water.
• Fertilizer from fish waste. In order to make such a fertilizer, you need to take 200 grams of unsalted fish or fish waste, pour water and boil for half an hour, after which it is cooled and filtered. Used in combination with other fertilizers to increase fruiting, for bananas at least 1 meter in size.

Pot selection:

• For banana seedlings 10-20 cm in size, the pot should be 1-2 liters.
• Young plants 60-70 cm in size need a 10-15 liter pot.

It is not recommended to immediately plant a banana in a large pot, this is fraught with rotting of the root system, which is very sensitive in this plant.

It is important for the plant to have access to oxygen through the drainage holes. The intensity of plant growth also depends on the amount of oxygen that goes to the roots. Therefore, it is recommended to put a plastic net on a pallet, and put a pot on top of it.

The soil: To grow a banana, you need soil made from leafy soil, turf, humus and sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 2: 1. At the bottom of the pot there should be a drainage layer of at least 3-7 cm, after which an additional small layer of sand must be made.

If you make the soil yourself, you can take deciduous soil under a linden, acacia, walnut, for this they remove the top layer of soil about 5 cm in size. The soil from under an oak, chestnut or poplar is not suitable for growing a banana.

Before planting a banana, the soil must be treated with boiling water for disinfection.

Transfer: Transplanted only when necessary, only after the pot is completely mastered by the plant. If the banana has favorable conditions for growth and development, transplanting may be needed several times a year.

With each transplant, the plant is deepened by 1-2 cm, which allows it to grow additional roots and subsequently give a richer harvest.

Banana is transplanted only by the transshipment method. After transplanting, the plant must be watered abundantly and placed in a place with a moderate degree of light intensity, for example, near a window. After 2-3 days, the soil is gently loosened and the pot is placed on a permanent planting site for the banana.

Pests: With proper care, the plant practically does not get sick and is not susceptible to pests, but sometimes it can be affected by mealybugs, spider mites, and scale insects.

Planting banana seeds

One way bananas propagate at home is by sowing store-bought seeds for ornamental plant varieties.

Preparation and steps for planting a banana:

• scarification of seeds with sandpaper (rub to enhance swelling);
• soak the seeds for 2 days in warm water;
• plant in the ground;
• maintain humidity and temperature + 25 ... + 30 ° С.

They germinate, as a rule, for a long time - 3-4 months. But after the sprout appears above the surface, it immediately begins to grow, surprising the owner with its speed of development. However, you should be aware that the seeds of wild banana varieties grown into an adult plant produce inedible fruits.

For growing at home, decorative banana varieties are used: Paradise, Japanese, Manna and Sage banana. They are distinguished by their low growth (2-3 m) and greater unpretentiousness in comparison with varieties growing in open ground.Experienced growers recommend planting a Cavendish banana (also known as dwarf or Chinese), which grows up to 1 m in height.

Such varieties are grown by flower growers only for decorative purposes, because their fruits are still inedible, and the plant usually dies after fruiting.

Banana tree seeds

To get banana seeds for further cultivation, you need:

1. Place the banana in a plastic bag until it is completely darkened.
2. Remove the banana seeds from the center of the fruit and lay out on paper.
3. Rinse and dry the seeds for 2 days.
4. Seeds with a pre-scratched shell are pressed into the ground.

After sowing, after 3 days the seeds should sprout. Banana seeds germinate for a very long time - from 2 to 3 months.

Pot selection

For the future banana, choose a spacious container. You need to make good holes in it, cover the expanded clay with a layer of 1.5 - 2 cm, add sand 1.5 - 2 cm, fill it with earth. The stalk is carefully transplanted: it is important not to damage the root system and delicate foliage.

If the growing conditions are favorable for your plant, then it will develop quite quickly.

Then you may need more than one transplant per year. Good drainage is most important. For a banana tree, stagnant water is detrimental, from which roots can rot.

Humidity

It also requires daily moisturizing of the leaves, spraying or wiping. Dry air negatively affects the foliage of the banana tree. During the period of active growth and development, it can be fed with organic fertilizers, in the same proportions as for other plants.

Temperature

The optimal temperature for the active growth of a banana tree can be considered from +23 to +28 degrees, in winter from +17 to +20 degrees. Humidity and rather high temperatures are the keys to success! In the wild, bananas prefer scorching sunlight, for this reason, the sill of the south window is well suited for them. You need to select a place with sufficient lighting.

Lack of light adversely affects growth and development.

Now we know how simple and easy it is to care for a banana tree at home.

Ornamental varieties and method A. Patiya

One of the ways to grow a banana at home is the method of the Ukrainian amateur breeder A. Patiya. In 1998 he created high-quality fruit-bearing varieties of fruit, which were named "Kiev dwarf" and "Super dwarf". These varieties are highly resistant to cold and disease. They are capable of blooming at a temperature of + 15 ° C.

Tips and tricks on how to grow a banana at home (A. Patiya's method):

• a young banana plant (up to 20 cm high) should be planted in a pot with a capacity of up to 3 liters, at a height of 50-70 cm - in a large container of 15-20 liters;
• when transplanting, deciduous soil should be used: add 1 liter of humus (biohumus), 2 liters of river sand, 500 g of ash or wood ash to a bucket of earth.

The scientist recommends watering the tree only after the top layer of the soil dries out, so that the roots do not rot, with warm, settled water (+ 25 ... + 30 ° C). Bananas are less watered during the winter months. In summer, it is better to take the plant out to the balcony or in a shady place in the garden.

Fertilizers should be applied many times:

• in winter - monthly;
• in spring and summer - weekly "feed" green manure (cut green grass pour boiling water in a ratio of 1: 5 and insist for a day), vermicompost, ash (alternately), introducing them into moist soil;
• to enhance fruiting, it is recommended to water with fish broth cooked from 200 g of waste or small unsalted fish in 2 liters of water (boil for 30 minutes, strain, dilute with water in equal proportions and mix with vermicompost).

Plants grow up to 1.5-1.7 m, and fruits ripen in bunches of bananas up to 15 cm in length and weighing 150 g. These varieties can be kept in an apartment or at home.

Diseases and pests

Like every plant, bananas can be sore and damaged by pests. The most common ones are:

• small beetles, larvae, which are called nematodes - they penetrate the middle of the stems and begin to gnaw them;
• black weevils - crawl into the base of the stem, gnawing through the passages, from which juice begins to flow in the form of jelly;
• due to the lack of renewal of the gene pool of plants, cultivars have low resistance to fungal diseases.

For pest control, you can use special means for disinfecting plants. For prevention, one should not forget to moisten the earth. In case of severe damage to plantations, the infected plants have to be destroyed.

Possible growing problems

There are a number of problems that prevent a home plant from fully growing and developing:

• The plant stops growing. This can be due to a lack of lighting and a too cramped pot.
• Dried leaves at the edges appear due to low air humidity.
• Black-brown spots on the leaves appear due to excess moisture, as a result of which the roots begin to rot. The plant is transplanted into a new substrate, the damaged roots are cut off.
• Mucous rot on the aerial part appears due to excess moisture in combination with a low temperature. In order to revive life in the tree, damaged roots are removed, the cuts are processed with charcoal, watering and temperature regimes are regulated.

Rarely, pests can appear on a banana tree, which most often get there from neighboring plants. Insecticides sold in flower shops will help fight them.

Growing a homemade banana is a complex, time-consuming process. This plant needs special conditions that must be maintained constantly. But if there is a desire, there will be opportunities. The result is a gorgeous plant with amazing flowers or edible, home grown bananas.