When you think of herbs, which herbs come to mind? If you are a Simon and Garfunkel fan you may immediately think of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Herbs are generally classified because of their medicinal, aromatic and culinary uses. Botanically, herbs are herbaceous plant material that cannot develop woody plant material.
Herbs come in different colors, sizes and textures, and offer different smells and flavors. Down the street from my home is my favorite herb. When strolling around the neighborhood with my family, my son loves hiding behind and exploring this herb. He is very excited because it is starting to grow back after dying-back from our cool winter temperatures. This widely-known plant is commonly referred to as a tree, but in fact, is the largest herb: banana.
Bananas form from an underground pseudostem, rhizome and fibrous root system. As a banana matures through the year it never develops woody plant material and dies back in our cooler time of year. Their tropical aesthetic is attractive for many homeowners. Bananas can be grown for their ornamental and edible quality. All banana cultivars originate from two species: Musa acuminate and M. balbisiana. For the tasty fruits, we recommend growing the Lady Finger, Apple or Ice Cream cultivars. For readily-available ornamental bananas try the Black Thai, Japanese Fiber Banana and Dwarf Cavendish.
In North Florida, we can expect frost damage to our bananas. To help them thrive in our landscapes, we recommend following the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program’s first principle, “Right Plant, Right Place.” Bananas love full sun, fertile ground and moist-soils.
Due to its fertile soil requirements and our sandy soils, bananas require regular fertilizer applications. Bananas need high amounts of potassium, which is highly mobile in our soils. Without appropriate nutrition, the banana will have underdeveloped fruit. An annual fertilizer application with high potassium will not be sufficient for bananas. A fertilizer with a ratio of 3-0-6 (or 3-1-6 if a soil test shows you are deficient in phosphorous), should be applied every 4 to 8 weeks throughout the growing season. UF/IFAS extension highly encourages an annual micro-nutrient spray too.
Your bananas will require large amounts of water, need good soil drainage, and will be sensitive to droughts. They will need approximately 1 to 1.5 inches of water each week to produce. Too little water and your banana will suffer immensely, but too much water and poor drainage can encourage rot and fungal issues.
A banana’s pseudostem only produces fruit once and new pseudostems grow from the herb’s rhizomes. Thinning planting clusters and removing suckers will help eliminate competition for water and nutrients.
Protecting the banana’s pseudostem is very important. String trimmers and lawnmowers commonly damage bananas. Maintaining a 3-foot grass-free zone around each banana will help protect the plant’s pseudostem. As the banana mat grows, you will need to expand your “no turf” area or control the spread of bananas. Mulching around the banana will help improve soil moisture retention, reduce weed pressure, and add further protection from landscaping equipment.
Bananas are wonderful, tropical-looking plants for any landscape that can produce super tasty fruits. With proper management, your tropical herb addition to your landscape will be productive enough to make Harry Chapin proud.
To learn more about maintaining your Olmsted-like garden and the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program, natural resource management, or vegetable gardening, reach out to UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County’s office to speak with a Master Gardener Volunteer at 955-2402 or mag@alachuacounty.us. You may also check out Alachua County’s new Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program webpage for a list of resources at https://ift.tt/34tf9lx
— Dr. Taylor Clem is the Environmental & Community Horticulture Extension Agent for UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County. Contact him at tclem@alachuacounty.us or 955-2402.
The Link LonkMarch 20, 2021 at 05:00PM
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Our largest herb - Gainesville Sun
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Herb
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