YouGarden Hardy Japanese Banana 'musa Basjoo' 70Cm Tall

This fantastic architectural banana plant will create a great impact in any garden. Forming a dense bush with huge paddle fan-like leaves spreading gloriously out through the air, it will create wonderful shadows on your patio. Once established, the big leaves will unfurl as they emerge each year through the central trunk, and within 3-4 years you will have leaves over 1m long.

Hailing from Japan, it loves sunshine but it is hardy to -6°C when protected with fleece over winter - outside it is frost tender and will not survive being frozen. This Japanese Hardy Banana is brilliant if planted into a large pot and will create a real tropical feel to your garden.

Supplied as an established plant, approx. 1M tall in a 4L pot, although can be a little larger on dispatch as they grow rapidally as the temperatures warm.

Note - it does not actually produce edible bananas in the UK, it is a close cousin of comemrcial bananas, but they do not grow here in UK climates. Grow it for its huge impact and size as a tropcial foliage plant.

Specifications

• Availability: April to October
• Planting time: March to August
• Supplied as an established plant, approx. 1M tall in a 4L pot, although can be a little larger on dispatch as they grow rapidally as the temperatures warm.

Please note these are architectural and will not produce fruits

Top Tips

Over time, your banana will produce small offsets at the base. These can either be left to form a clump or separated off and grown on.

Care Information

Planting Advice for Banana Musa basjoo:

• When growing outdoors, choose a site that is sheltered from the wind both for winter protection and also to prevent leaves being shredded.
• Plant in late spring, in a well-drained soil, that has been enriched with plenty of organic matter.
• Once plants are established, water and feed generously through the summer as they are greedy feeders.
• Musa basjoo, can be left in situ over winter, although we do recommend that plants are wrapped to protect from cold weather.
• If this is not an option for you, then they can be grown in a large pot and moved under cover after the first frost has blackened the leaves.

When growing bananas in containers

• Grow in a soil-based compost, such as John Innes No. 3 with extra grit added to improve drainage.
• Container-grown plants need ample watering during spring and summer months plus a weekly feed during the spring and summer with a general-purpose liquid feed, or a controlled-release fertiliser.
• In autumn, over winter plants in a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory and reduce watering and feeding - watering only when on the dry side in winter.

Aftercare Advice for your Hardy Banana Musa:

• Pot on in spring either once a year, or every other year. Increase pot size by 5-7.5cm (2-3in) initially then once established in 30cm (10in) pots, increase size by 10-15cm (4-6 inches) every two to three years.

Pruning Advice for Japanese Banana

• Little pruning is needed. Just cut away old leaves near their base and, when wrapping up plants outdoors for winter, some stems may need to be cut back.