How to grow a banana plant and add some tropical chic to your garden

It's a little known fact that we humans are said to share 50% of our genes with a banana – so why not keep it in the family and learn how to grow a banana plant in your own garden?

That's right; it's easy to assume that the not-so-humble banana plant is beyond our grasp as gardeners here in the UK, but that's simply not the case. In fact, you can grow them in pots or use them to add a tropical edge to your garden borders – which is brilliant news for anyone hankering for a thoroughly modern garden.

With that in mind, then, here's how to get to grips with this stylish garden trend.

How to grow a banana plant

'The important thing to remember about growing banana trees is that they usually grow in hot, sunny environments – ideally with some humidity,' says Morris Hankinson, director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

Morris Hankinson

Morris Hankinson is the founder and managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries Ltd, the UK’s only specialist grower-retailer of hedging plants. He established the thriving business in 1992, shortly after graduating with a Commercial Horticulture Degree from Writtle College, Essex.

'If you can ensure they are planted in a sunny spot (they will tolerate a little shade) which is sheltered from the winds, they can be grown outside in the UK,' he continues, noting that some overwintering will still be required to help them through the colder months.

'Otherwise, they can thrive in a greenhouse or conservatory!'

What you will need

Before diving into our How To Grow A Banana Plant 101 guide, it's best to gather all the bits and bobs you'll need in advance.

First things first, you'll need a banana plant – and it's worth noting that the experts at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) recommend two varieties in particular; the Japanese banana (aka the hardiest banana) and the Red Abyssinian banana (which has been awarded an RHS Award of Garden Merit).

As well as your banana plant, you should also grab the following...

If you're planting in garden borders:

• Plenty of well-rotted mature or garden compost
• A balanced liquid fertiliser
• A blanket of fleece or straw (depending on the variety of banana plant)
• A frost-free greenhouse or conservatory (depending on the variety of banana plant)

If you're planting in containers:

• Westland John Innes No.3 Compost from B&Q
• A balanced liquid fertiliser
• A large pot (look for one big enough to accommodate the rootball, such as the Evie terracotta pot from Crocus)
• A frost-free greenhouse or conservatory (depending on the variety of banana plant)

Step-by-step guide

Now that you have everything you need to hand, let's learn how to grow a banana plant – which also so happens to be one of the best perennial plants to buy now and enjoy forever, if you do it right!

1. To pot or not to pot

If you've chosen a Japanese banana plant, the chances are it will be able to survive being planted in the great outdoors – so long as you select a warm, sheltered spot with fertile, well-draining soil and take care to wrap it in horticultural fleece (such as the New Ambassador Frost Protection Plant Fleece from Amazon) ahead of the winter frosts.

Otherwise, your best bet is to pot yours up and make it a part of your container garden ideas, popping it outdoors in the summer sunshine and letting it cosy up indoors over the winter.

2. Location, location, location

As mentioned already, you need to find a spot in your garden that gets plenty of warmth and sunshine in the daytime. You also want to make sure there's enough room for your banana plant to show off its luscious leaves – and that it's sheltered from the wind, too.

Otherwise, it's the greenhouse/conservatory for you!

3. Prep the soil

When learning how to grow a banana plant, it's best to make like a Scout and be prepared. Which means, yes, you need to put the work in before you get planting.

'Ensure the soil is well drained, pre-prepared by digging in some well rotted organic compost and water well throughout spring and summer,' says Morris.

The RHS adds that you should opt for a loam-based compost if you're potting your banana plant up in a pot. Peat-free, of course!

4. Show it some TLC

Morris says that you will, if you want to grow a banana plant like a gardening pro, need to water it deeply and regularly over the summer months (try rain harvesting so you don't have to break any hosepipe bans).

It's also a good idea to feed your banana plants regularly, particularly if they've been potted up.

'Seaweed can be a great fertiliser to help banana trees grow and can be applied weekly throughout summer or any other organic high nitrogen fertiliser,' he adds.

5. Get overwintering

Banana plants are very unlikely to make it outside over the winter without some added protection.

If you have a hardy Musa variety, Morris says you can leave it outdoors so long as you 'give the base a thick mulch so the roots are protected, and wrap the leaves with horticultural fleece, which can also be filled with straw'.

If your banana plant is in a container, Morris adds that it's best you 'move it inside to a frost-free environment' (taking care to harden it off before you return it to the great outdoors come springtime).

FAQs

How to grow a banana plant in the UK?

The easiest way to grow a banana plant in the UK is to either opt for a hardy musa variety, taking care to plant it in a warm, sheltered spot with fertile soil, as well as mulching it and wrapping it in horticultural fleece ahead of the winter frosts.

Otherwise, your best bet is to pot your banana plant up so you can overwinter it indoors when the temperature dips.

'It’s unlikely that you will grow fruit on a banana tree in the UK, but never say never! In the meantime, they do look fantastic in the garden,' adds Morris Hankinson of Hopes Grove Nurseries.

Can you grow a banana from a banana?

If you know how to grow strawberries from shop-bought fruit, you've likely wondered if you can do the same with bananas. The answer, in short, is 'no' (despite what the little black seeds in your fruit would have you believe), as most shop-bought bananas are too immature to do so.

Now that you know how to grow a banana plant, it's time to get going on this garden project so you can enjoy its dramatic, enormous leaves in style.