Hi – I live in the desert & my SOBs grows outside. The stems are thicker, which makes them less delicate. My String Of Bananas grows moderate to fast outdoors. You can expect a moderate growth rate indoors given the plant has enough light. Winds, cold temperatures and frost can all damage your banana. You can see tiny roots forming off a few of the mature stems. I’m currently using Worm Gold Plus. I read from your post to not put it above a register vent. Like outdoor banana plants, an indoor plant … This 1 is easier to keep alive and just as attractive; in my humble opinion anyway. A good, organic succulent & cactus mix is best for this plant. Let me introduce you to or reacquaint you with the String Of Bananas houseplant and how to grow it. You want to water your String Of Bananas thoroughly & then let dry out before watering again. I just got my string of bananas & I left a regular light on, and the top my bananas, the new growth look like it was burnt ?. It’s fast & easy. Too much of an application of either can burn the roots of a houseplant. I water my plants weekly in the summer and barely ever in the winter. You may want to up the ante on the drainage factor which lessens the chance of rot by adding some pumice or perlite. Nell. I have you covered in this post & video. It depends on how badly it’s burned. Don’t keep it constantly moist but don’t let it go dry for too long. If you can’t find a mix locally, here’s a mix you can buy online. If you want a banana leaf plant (or two) in your home, follow these need-to-know tips with some help from the plant experts at The Joy of Plants. This plant always makes me smile! My String Of Bananas never flowered indoors but it does outdoors. Here’s why I think growing String Of Bananas as a houseplant is easier than its Senecio relative String Of Pearls. Your cost for the products will be no higher but Joy Us garden receives a small commission. So, keep it in a place that receives enough sunlight. Read about my worm compost/compost feeding right here. Yes, it’ best to keep it away from any heating or cooling vents. Move the plant outdoors when all danger of frost has passed in the spring. To grow a banana plant inside, first of all you will need a pot, large and deep enough to accommodate its roots. Come early spring, I top them with 1/4″ of worm compost & 1/4″ of compost over that. Hi Shirlene – It’s hard to tell without seeing it. How To Grow A String Of Bananas Plant Outdoors, Propagating My String Of Bananas Plant Is Fast And Easy, Aloe Vera 101: A Round Up of Aloe Vera Plant Care Guides, You can find more houseplant info in my simple and easy to digest houseplant care guide: Keep Your Houseplants Alive. I live in a dry climate and with my first SOB, the “bananas” grew thinner and thinner. This post may contain affiliate links. Just be sure to keep it out of hot, direct sun (especially in the summer months) & make sure it’s not touching any hot glass. Bananas grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 11, depending on the species. If it’s in lower light, it won’t grow much if at all. Be sure to click on the link so you can identify them & see the methods of control. I’ve had readers say that SOBs is much easier for them to keep alive and have had zero luck with String Of Pearls. Worm compost is my favorite amendment which I use sparingly because it’s rich. They don’t like hot or cold drafts. Keeping the plant in a container that is too small, not feeding or generally being "cruel" will mean the maximum height will never be achieved (which might be your intention if space is sparse). A more serious possibility are gophers, whose digging could cause the plant to fall over. Typically associated with the tropics, banana trees are some of the most popular trees for gardeners to grow. Samantha – Mine flowered profusely this year too. Well that’s where I put it. 05/29/2018. Potted bananas may flower or fruit if you provide them with adequate light and care, but note that bananas require 10 to 15 months of uninterrupted growth to flower, and another four to eight to set fruit. Dilute any of these to half strength & apply in spring. Nell. Either way, it’ll burn. As soon as frosts are predicted, remove the banana and its root ball from the container. This I’m not 100% sure of because SOBs isn’t on the ASPCA list. Here’s why I like it so much. If it’s not getting light from all sides, you’ll have to rotate it every 3-6 months so it does. Whether inside or out, potted bananas need full sun, with six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day. Mine is strictly indoors and is a prolific grower and flowerer. We also didn’t get very much rain this summer. If your banana is too large to fit inside, you have two options: Except for the potential of root rot from overwatering, banana plants have no significant pest or disease problems. Keep the soil in the container constantly moist, and do not let it dry out. A hanging pot (here’s the hanging pot mine is in – I sprayed it purple) suits this succulent to a tee. My String Of Bananas have never gotten any infestations but they can be susceptible to aphids & mealybugs. As I always say: if your home is comfortable for you, then your plants will be happy too. Nell. It’s hard to say exactly because so many factors play into this (you can see what I mean in houseplant watering 101) but every 2-3 weeks is good ballpark. Place the roots in a plastic bag, leaving the foliage outside the bag, and store the plant in the basement or garage. Unless they have very bright indoor lighting, indoor bananas are usually treated as foliage plants. The bananas don’t dry out like some of the pearls and their stems tend to. Or, add a layer of organic mulch over the top of the soil to help it retain moisture and to provide additional nutrients for the plant. For protection against cold temperatures, set the container in the warmest part of your yard or deck, such as next to a building or near to an asphalt driveway. This is what happens when you prune a stem. Here are care and growing tips for the String Of Bananas houseplant. is that String Of Pearls and Burro’s Tail Sedums are more commonly found to be for sale. Any tips on keeping the bananas full size? Easy does it – 1/4 to 1/2? The soil should be fertile with pH levels between 5.5 to 7, and also well-drained. The white puffy flowers are borne on long stems which curve slightly upwards. Please let me know if your plant flowers indoors. Normal house temperatures are just fine. Keeping Your Banana Plant Alive. Help will it come back ?? Originating in East Asia, The Dwarf Banana Tree is relatively easy to care for, but does require … There's no need for watering, and you can expect the plant's foliage to die back. Make sure the crown of the plant (the top part where all the stems grow out of) is no further down in the pot than 1″. Now that we’re going into winter, be sure not to water it too often. I hope it has enough light and hopefully it was the register! I use a local mix which is very chunky too so the water drains right through. Spring & summer are the best times for repotting succulents. The soil should be fertile with pH levels between 5.5 to 7, and also well-drained. It can also be placed in a decorative pot & put atop a bookcase, shelf, ledge, etc so it can hang down & show off those beautiful trails. The shorter days & cooler evenings play into this. grown in a pot provides the same large, dramatic leaves and, in some cases, equally dramatic flowers, as a banana grown in the ground. Succulents need a loose mix so the roots don’t rot. It didn’t get a lot of direct sunlight so it did really well there. To grow a banana plant inside, first of all you will need a pot, large and deep enough to accommodate its roots. Multiple stems fork off of it. Everything I’ve written above applies except for  3 things I want to point out: Make sure it doesn’t get any strong, direct sun or it’ll burn in no time flat. I never heard of them before but I thought they were so cute! They practically propagate themselves! It’s the same mix which I use for my succulents growing outdoors. Like my string of banana plant. She has written about plants, garden design and gardening tips online professionally for ten years on numerous websites. With this plant, it’s easy to do because you can hang it or place it high on a bookcase or shelf. If you get a lot of rain over the summer months, you might consider placing yours under protection. Lundman belongs to numerous gardening groups, tends her home garden on 2/3 acre and volunteers with professional horticulturists at a 180 acre public garden where she lives on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. To protect against winds, place the banana's pot next to a fence or in a sheltered spot. Now its inside and the bananas are shriveling. The Dwarf Banana Tree is a tropical plant with broad paddle-shaped leaves that grow out from its stalky center. Are you looking for a hanging succulent which is easy to maintain and cool as can be? Minor problems include snails and earwigs that may crawl up the plants, and aphids, mealybugs, moths, fruit flies or spider mites that you can hose off with a strong spray of water. Oh, I love to create so you’ll find a bit of that in the mix along with lots of videos too. At the same time, don't let the plant sit in standing water in the pot's saucer, as that can cause the roots to rot. If for some reason you think your String Of Bananas needs another application, do it again in summer. You want it to be light & well drained. Everyone seems to be madly in love with that wacky and wonderful succulent String Of Pearls and rightfully so. The plant's growth will slow down over the winter indoors, so it will not need as much water or as much fertilizer as it did outdoors during the growing season. Continue to give the banana plant as much light as you can during the winter, placing it in a south-facing window with direct sunlight. This trailing succulent needs as much light as you can give it indoors; a medium to high exposure. Growing a String Of Bananas Houseplant: What You Need To Know Here’s another thing I’ve found to be true. During the […], Your email address will not be published. They grow faster which enables more propagating. When you bring your String Of Bananas back inside for the cold months, be sure to give it a good hosing down (gently – not like a firehose blast) to knock off any hitchhiking pests &/or their eggs. So sweet! Nell, […] found that succulents with thin stems & smaller leaves, such as String Of Pearls, String Of Bananas & Ruby Necklace need watering more often than succulents with thick stems & leaves such as […], […] Tips For Growing a String Of Bananas Houseplant […], […] dry out before watering. It trails down much faster than it spreads. Perhaps the most obvious way to successfully overwinter a banana tree is to grow it in a container and bring it indoors … In all my succulent shopping expeditions (& there have been a lot of them!) If you go this route, easy does it. Your email address will not be published. This plant is actually a ground cover when growing in its native environment. Give Dr. Earth’s a try if you can’t find anywhere you live. So I moved it to a different room. Here, we’ll offer three ways you can protect and preserve your banana plant over the winter months: Container Growing. Realistically … Nell. I give most of my houseplants a light application of worm compost with a light layer of compost over that every spring. A banana tree (Musa spp.) It does! Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a5abccecae42c303ea093c5c35708290" );document.getElementById("d9f777b101").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I’m Nell, and this is where I celebrate all things garden and share my passion for plants, flowers and the great outdoors. Like outdoor banana plants, an indoor plant also requires bright sunlight for about 12 hours. Re related to String of Bananas plants for sale on Etsy from these stores more! It does ll offer three ways you can expect a moderate growth rate indoors given the plant foliage... There have been a lot of succulents to have you covered in post... 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Indoor lighting, indoor Bananas are sold in 3″, 4″ & 6″ pots while living in a tropical is!