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MegsyInMelbs starts with ... Hi all, I’ve just bought a dwarf red Dacca and am trying to decide where to place it. The bed I was going to place it in probably doesn’t get enough direct sun, so I’m wondering if I can grow it in a pot? I have a lovely sunny north facing brick wall where I am growing a couple of frangipanis in pots, so I figure that would be a good place. My question is - if I CAN grow a dwarf red Dacca in a pot, how big would the pot need to be? I’m in Melbourne's outer Eastern suburbs. | About the Author MegsyInMelbs Croydon Hills 2nd April 2018 11:48am #UserID: 18203 Posts: 3 View All MegsyInMelbs's Edible Fruit Trees |
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People who Like this Question MegsyInMelbs Original Post was last edited: 3rd April 2018 6:55pm | |||||||
Fruitylicious1 says... Hi Megsy Bananas are top heavy plants. Look for pots that are at least as tall as the diameter of the opening. For more support, pots that have straight sides are more stable than pots with a narrower bottom than top. Increase the pot size slowly as the dwarf banana grows rather than go straight to the biggest container to avoid root rot. In the beginning, use a pot that is 2-3 inches larger than the nursery pot and repot each year, increasing pot size each year. Once your banana is in a pot that is at least 10 inches in diameter, you can increase the pot size by 4-6 inches every 2-3 years. Happy gardening :-) | About the Author Fruitylicious1 TAMWORTH,2340,NSW 2nd April 2018 5:46pm #UserID: 16885 Posts: 709 View All Fruitylicious1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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People who Like this Answer: MegsyInMelbs Original Post was last edited: 2nd April 2018 5:46pm | |||||||
Trikus says... 500lt pot made from a cut down 1000lt pod would be ideal . Bananas grow very fast , from a tiny sucker to enormous plant in only a few months. bare red dirt pic was sucker planted in june ..anther pic 6 months later .. just before being trashed in cyclone Yasi I removed to many leaves so main plant died to be replaced with 4 suckers shown in pic taken 1 year aftr planting. base of plant can be 60 cms so 10 inch pot is laughable
| About the Author Trikus Tully 16th April 2018 8:39am #UserID: 930 Posts: 749 View All Trikus's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Fruitylicious1 says... Hi Trikus You are not totally wrong. The condition your mumbling about is mostly applicable to the tropics where banana is in its optimum environment. Consider also the location of the author. Megsy is from Melbourne Vic where banana is very marginal and growth is much much slower compared to your stomping ground. All the more Megsy is considering a dwarf nana in Melbourne, Vic. I know where you are coming from Trikus. I spent more than half of my life in the tropics. In my opinion, there is no comparison whatsoever of the growing condition and growth rate of a banana plant grown in FNQ compared to one cultivated in Melbourne, Vic. No offense intended. As always....happy gardening :-) | About the Author Fruitylicious1 TAMWORTH,2340,NSW 17th April 2018 3:40pm #UserID: 16885 Posts: 709 View All Fruitylicious1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 17th April 2018 7:52pm | |||||||
MegsyInMelbs says... Thanks Trikus & Fruitylicious1. Definitely very different growing conditions down south. I would love that sort of growth, Trikus, but somehow I don’t think I’ll get it. Your reply might help someone else though. @fruitylicious, thanks for the info about avoiding root rot- I wouldn’t have considered having to scale up the pots to that extent. What sort of feeding regime would they need in pots? Cheers | About the Author MegsyInMelbs CROYDON HILLS,3136,VIC 18th April 2018 12:14pm #UserID: 18203 Posts: 3 View All MegsyInMelbs's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Trikus Tully 18th April 2018 5:55pm #UserID: 930 Posts: 749 View All Trikus's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Fruitylicious1 TAMWORTH,2340,NSW 19th April 2018 1:18pm #UserID: 16885 Posts: 709 View All Fruitylicious1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Fruitylicious1 says... Hi Megs In my opinion it is best to plant banana in Melb during spring as oppose to fall season. Bananas planted during autumn in cool areas will not grow enough to withstand the rigors of winter weather in cooler areas unless you cuddle them inside your house in a west facing sunny window or with a grow light. If you have already planted one this season you are right in positioning it in a north facing brick wall for extra warmth. When frost is forcasted since your nana is newly planted cover it with blanket or similar material to protect it from the frost. water less and mulch well. Fertilizer wise they don't need much feeding during winter because they will almost stop growing in Vic winter weather. They will use the fert in the potting mix if you bought a premium product. When the weather warms up fertilize every month with a complete balance fertilizer. When it is ready to flower lean towards more potash with your regular feed to supplement the flower and the subsequent fruit production. If you have not planted yet consider using a well draining slightly acidic potting mix. You can use a premium potting soil mix with perlite and propagating sand for improve drainage and peat moss to slightly acidify the soil. Alternatively, you can use a potting soil formulated for cacti since it is already free draining. Just add peat moss and pine bark to jack up the acidity of the soil a bit. Happy gardening :-) | About the Author Fruitylicious1 TAMWORTH,2340,NSW 19th April 2018 7:26pm #UserID: 16885 Posts: 709 View All Fruitylicious1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 20th April 2018 6:30am | |||||||
MegsyInMelbs says... Thanks for such an in-depth response, Fruitylicious! It was looking quite sad in its tiny nursery pot, so best to pot it up I think, despite the looming cooler weather. I had a little succulent and cactus mix, so combined that with premium potting mix, and a little orchid bark. I’ll bring it in under shelter over the harsher parts of winter - I do the same with my frangipanis, and they’re both doing remarkably well, and have been for a number of years now. Hopefully the nana will enjoy the same growing conditions! Thanks again for your help!
| About the Author MegsyInMelbs CROYDON HILLS,3136,VIC 25th April 2018 3:23pm #UserID: 18203 Posts: 3 View All MegsyInMelbs's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Fruitylicious1 says... Hi Megsy I'm hoping for the best with your banana. I agree with you. Just locate them together with your frangis and bring them out when the weather has start to warm up after the last frost. In their second season they will be more cold hardy. As ALWAYS....happy gardening :-) | About the Author Fruitylicious1 TAMWORTH,2340,NSW 27th April 2018 1:38pm #UserID: 16885 Posts: 709 View All Fruitylicious1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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David01 says... Hi MegsyInMelbs, You should not too worry about growing Banana in Melbourne. They will grow fine in pot or in ground. The biggest enemy of Banana is wind. You can see the Red Dacca does not look good as the leaves torn away by strong wind. 1. Dwarf Red Dacca grow in pot 6 months old. 2. Dwarf Cavendish grow in ground also 6 months old. Cheers
| About the Author David01 CRAIGIEBURN,3064,VIC 28th April 2018 1:54pm #UserID: 16671 Posts: 467 View All David01's Edible Fruit Trees |
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People who Like this Answer: Luke :) Original Post was last edited: 28th April 2018 1:58pm | |||||||
| About the Author Linton NOBLE PARK,3174,VIC 29th April 2018 5:25pm #UserID: 2286 Posts: 994 View All Linton's Edible Fruit Trees |
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David01 says... Hi Linton, Super Dwarf Cavendish is much shorter at around 1m instead of 2.5m. I am not sure whether you can get it in Aust. See the link below for more info. Cheers https://www.logees.com/banana-super-dwarf-cavendish-musa-acuminata.html | About the Author David01 CRAIGIEBURN,3064,VIC 30th April 2018 3:59pm #UserID: 16671 Posts: 467 View All David01's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Luke :) 5089 8th September 2018 3:33am #UserID: 14508 Posts: 24 View All Luke :)'s Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author JohnMc1 Wallarah 9th September 2018 9:21pm #UserID: 2743 Posts: 2043 View All JohnMc1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Luke :) says... That Cav looks beefy, I wonder if there is any quality differences between dwarf and standard varieties of banana or are they to minuscule to mention? I definitely consider the 'Red Dacca' to be a superior eating banana, a great depth of flavor, sweet and tart notes also a great texture to boot! - I would probably be looking into half wine barrels or 120 ltr grow bags to grow bananas. I think grow bags are great for establishing large plants, in the sense that they are portable, you can move them around into sun and shade for optimal growth and protection to establish them until they have hardened off. The second reason I like grow bags is the ease of transplanting large plants. You cut out a hole the size of the grow bag, wack it in the hole and the bag will mulch away! This reason is probably redundant since you live in Melbourne but... The third reason is for the root zone, using grow bags helps a plants roots stay cooler than a traditional plastic pot, as well as air pruning roots, preventing them from circling around the pot eventually strangling the plant to death. | About the Author Luke :) 5089 12th September 2018 3:12am #UserID: 14508 Posts: 24 View All Luke :)'s Edible Fruit Trees |
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