The pink dwarf banana is also known as the kenya banana or the velvet banana. It is enjoying increasing popularity with hobby gardeners. In summer it delights with its beautiful exotic flowers. Even in our latitudes, the small banana plant produces sweet, aromatic fruits. So that it can develop well on your terrace or in your garden, we have put together the most important care tips for you.
Characteristics
- Height: one to two meters
- Plant family: Banana family (Musaceae)
- Origin: Africa and Asia
- Flower: yellow center of the flower, surrounded by slender, pink to pink colored bracts
- Flowering time: Summer, flowering already in two to three year old plants
- Harvest time: late summer to autumn
- Location: outdoors from April, sunny to partially shaded, sheltered from the wind
- Fruits: pink mini bananas, edible, tasty, covered with hair fluff
- Flowers: very decorative, yellow center, bracts pink to pink
- Use: container plant, houseplant, garden plant
Location
The pink dwarf banana, which is native to the tropical regions of Africa and Asia, needs a warm, sunny, sheltered location. Direct sunlight should be avoided, especially with young plants. The Musa velutina is ideal as a container plant and can be cultivated on the terrace, on the balcony or in the winter garden. The little banana also thrives outdoors. However, it is not winter hardy. With a safe winter protection, the decorative plant can also overwinter outdoors in our latitudes.
Multiplication
Once you are amazed by the beauty of the plant, you will try to grow the plant yourself from seeds. Growing your own is a real adventure.
Growing from seeds
The banana seeds are very hard and require special treatment in order to germinate.
- Roughen the hard seeds with sandpaper
- Let it soak in lukewarm water for 12 to 24 hours
- Fill the seed tray with potting soil or coconut fiber
- cover with a glass plate or foil, ventilate from time to time
- Put in the soaked seeds, cover with some soil
- place in a warm location (approx. 25 degrees Celsius)
- Germination after two to three weeks
- Carefully move small plants into pots with a layer of gravel and nutrient-rich soil
- water sufficiently, absolutely avoid waterlogging
Tip: The use of coconut fiber has proven effective for growing kenya bananas from seeds. This is air-permeable and poor in nutrients and meets the requirements of the plant very well.
Use of germ bags
Experts recommend cultivating kenya bananas from seeds in a seed bag. After soaking, place four to five banana seeds on a damp cotton pad about three inches in diameter.
Cover the seeds with a thin layer of cotton wool. Now put the germination pad with the seeds in a sealable plastic bag. The cotton wool must be damp, it must not be wet. Place the germ bag in a place about 25 degrees warm. As soon as the seedlings are visible, place them in containers with potting soil.
Propagate by offshoots
If your pink dwarf banana has developed well, it will form more and more offshoots, so-called kindles. You can grow new plants from these as soon as they have formed at least five leaves.
- Remove the banana plant from the bucket
- Free the roots of soil
- Break off offshoots forcefully
- Place cuttings in glasses of water until roots form
- put in pots with nutrient-rich soil
- Water regularly after two days without watering
Substrate
The kenya banana thrives in buckets and pots in humus-rich soil. It is recommended to mix this with gravel in order to achieve good permeability.
In the field, the plant needs loose, permeable, nutrient-rich soil, which is enriched with compost in spring.
Repot
The pink dwarf banana grows very quickly. It forms an extensive root system. It is important to regularly repot potted plants into larger pots with sufficient substrate.
to water
The Musa velutina needs sufficient moisture. It grows very quickly and uses a lot of water. In the case of potted plants, make sure that no waterlogging can build up. Waterlogging can cause the thick fleshed roots to rot and the plant to die. In the garden, the small banana should be watered extensively every three days during the summer months.
Fertilize
Kenya bananas thrive outdoors if they are provided with nutrient-rich compost soil in spring and fertilized with an organic fertilizer every one to two months until autumn. Weekly fertilization with a complete fertilizer is required in the bucket from spring to autumn. Fertilizer sticks are a good alternative.
Tip: If your plant is weak or its leaves turn yellow, stop fertilizing for a week or two.
Hibernate as container plants
The pink dwarf banana is not hardy. As a container plant, it needs a protected location with a room temperature of at least 8 degrees Celsius in winter. At the same time, it needs sun. Choose a sunny location for your plant in the winter garden or on the veranda. A high level of humidity is required for the banana, even in winter. You can achieve this by spraying with a water spray bottle every day. Use stale, lime-free water. Ensure even moisture in the pot.
Note: The kenya banana is very sensitive to heating air. Under no circumstances should it hibernate near a heater.
Overwinter outdoors
Bananas in the open can also overwinter outside with special protection.
- Remove all leaves before the onset of the first frost.
- Cut back the banana plant vigorously.
- Pile up the trunk with soil and sticks.
- Make a circle of rabbit wire about one meter in diameter around the plant.
- Fill this loosely with fall leaves or straw.
- Cover this cylinder with foil, with coconut or raffia mats.
- Make sure that no water can accumulate inside the cylinder.
- Be sure to leave the sides open so as not to obstruct air circulation.
Tip: Alternatively, you can use small resp. Cover strongly cut back plants with brushwood and leaves and put a wooden box over them.
Cut back
Potted plants that have grown too big should be shortened to around 30 centimeters after hibernation. Cut the trunk horizontally. New shoots form from the middle. Banana trees that overwinter outdoors are cut back vigorously before being wrapped in straw, sticks, leaves or jute. It is enough to leave 20 to 30 centimeters. Always remove all leaves before hibernation, as they would die off anyway.
Support
The dwarf banana has large, heavy leaves. Make sure that the plant does not collapse under the weight of the leaves. Supports made from bamboo sticks have proven effective. Tie three sticks together in the upper area and use them to gently support the leaves without damaging them. You can purchase the sticks in various sizes from hardware stores or gardeners.
Tip: Regularly remove the withered leaves of the dwarf banana, which put unnecessary strain on the plant.
Pests
Spider mites
The pink dwarf banana is often attacked by spider mites, especially during hibernation. You can recognize the infestation by whitish webs in the area of the leaves. For potted and container plants, make sure there is sufficient humidity even in winter, this protects against pest infestation.
Mealybug
If the dwarf banana is too cold in winter, it will quickly be attacked by mealybugs. The first visible signs are a yellowish discoloration of the leaves and cotton-like, white webs all over the plant. Oily agents for combating pests are available on the market.
Care errors
Brown, withered leaves: Care errors such as too little light or too little water are often shown by the leaves turning brown and falling off. Remove the affected leaves and make sure they are well placed and moist.
