Trim the leaves and pseudostem of the banana plant down to 6 to 8 inches after the first frost of the fall. Right before or after the first frost you should cut the tree back to about one foot tall. You can expect that some of the foliage will have been affected by these light frosts and may look a little blackened or scorched. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. This will prevent any further fruit production as the process requires energy that the plant no longer possesses. Cutting the tree down allows for new, productive trees to grow from the creeping underground stem or rhizome. A word of warning when cutting down banana plants, do not use a chain saw. If your soil is poor, your tree may grow fine but not produce fruit. If you are lucky enough to have a banana tree of your own, you may wonder when to pick the bananas. During the spring and summer months, it is especially important to ensure that the soil surrounding them remains adequately moistened; watering on a daily basis might be necessary during particularly hot weather. As it opens, clusters of white flowers are revealed. While some of these trees will give you fruit, some people use them just as decoration. After the main pseudostem produces a bunch ofbananas, you should cut it to the ground because it will never produce, fruit again, and even if you leave it in place, a light frost will kill it to the ground anyway. Why Does The Chrous Flower Look Different. Mulch to conserve soil moisture and protect shallow roots. How long does it take for a banana tree to produce fruit? 1. Your soil should be rich, non-saline, and have a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. The best time to prune a banana tree is during the active growing season and after it bears fruit. Then simply plant this new pup in a container or in the ground. Banana stalks only produce fruit once, so its important to cut them back for new fruit to grow. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. What happens to banana tree after harvest? More answers below Bananas still have tiny seeds in their centers. Just removing the damaged foliage ensures that your banana trees stay tall and recover from the cold faster. Some banana trees can live for up to 10 years, but once a banana tree has flowered and its fruit has been harvested, it is time to cut the tree down. Cover the cut portion of the banana plant with a thick layer of mulch to protect it from the cold for the rest of the winter. Banana trees differ from other trees in that they lack a proper trunk or branches. Suckers continually spring up around the main plant with the oldest sucker replacing the main plant as it fruits and dies. After all the bananas have been picked off the tree, it slowly starts to wither away until nothing is left but its bare trunk. As they continue to mature, these trees can reach heights of up to 20 feet tall with a spread of 10-15 feet wide at their base. All you need to do is to trim off the damaged, unattractive foliage. In the spring, the banana will regrow from the rhizome once the soil warms. Originating in East Asia, The Banana Tree is relatively easy to care for, but does require ample humidity. Young plants may need as much as to pound of fertilizer per month. This cycle repeats itself until the last banana is harvested or frost kills off the plants during wintertime when they are not hardy enough to survive in cold temperatures. Sometimes it can be beneficial to cut the trunks of banana trees that have already produced a bunch of fruit. If you want to maximize the production of your banana tree, cutting off the plant after it fruits encourages new growth that will grow faster. Jun 16, 2022 / Should I cut down my banana tree? As you do this, you will need to cut through some of the outside roots. Any remaining pieces should then be dug out of the ground so that there is enough space for any new shoots coming through from beneath. In addition, long aerial roots help anchor them into place during high winds and storms. You do not want to prune the mother plant before it produces bananas. However, the plant itself will remain alive. How Long Does It Take For A Banana Spider Egg Sac To Hatch? Why do we cut banana tree after fruiting? Banana trees do die after harvest. If you live in an area that gets plenty of rainwater, you will not need to give your tree any additional water. They will suffer leaf damage at 32F, and their underground rhizomes will die at sustained temperatures of 22F or lower. How many bananas does a banana tree produce? Remove the rest of the stem in a few . Do not cut the tree down because new growth will emerge from the tip of the trunk. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Banana trees are quick to establish and produce heaps of fruit. Dig the banana plant out of the ground with a pitchfork. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/89\/Prune-Banana-Trees-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Prune-Banana-Trees-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/89\/Prune-Banana-Trees-Step-1.jpg\/aid10156228-v4-728px-Prune-Banana-Trees-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"