Banana is an entire genus (musa) and not a single species.

The number of leafs that a plant grows before flowering is genetically predetermined.

Culture

Over watering plants in winter will cause them to rot from the bottom up. Let the soil dry between watering. Just not bone dry.

Curling leafs mean that the plant needs more water.

Pups will burn if not shaded in the afternoon. Pups should be at least 2 feet tall before transplanting. When transplanting pups, let the wound dry before replanting. Limit a cluster to 4-5 pups.

Bananas are heavy feeders. Fertilize a lot every month or so. Foliar feeding is effective.

Fruit sun burns. The easy way to protect plants from western sun is by planting with an eastern exposure. Fruit frost burns. Protect from late frost with frost cloth or heaters. Cut the flower off 4-5 inches after male flowers start forming so that energy is not spent on useless flowers. The part cut off can be used as a vegetable. After the stem will die, but don’t cut it down until it is brown so that all possible energy is put back into the corm.

Varieties taller than ~7 feet get blown over in the wind. They can be supported to work around this, but planting short varieties with fat trunks is easier.

Cultivars

• Namwa^R  (easy in PHX)
• FHIA-18 (easy in PHX)
• Lakatan (easy in PHX)
• Raja Puri (easy in PHX)
• Vietnamese (easy in PHX)
• Tiny Tim (3ft tall)
• pisang raja (Doug likes this variety)
• Grand Nain
• Pisang Keling

Plant Logs

• Vietnamese

Links

• Bananas Don’t Grow in Arizona (CRFG talk)