How do I take care of a banana plant?

To take care of a banana plant, make sure it gets plenty of sunlight, regular watering, and the right humidity. Following these basic needs will help your plant grow strong and healthy.

How much sunlight does a banana plant need?

Banana plants love sunlight! Ideally, they should get at least 6 to 8 hours of bright, indirect sunlight each day to thrive.

How often should I water my banana plant?

You should water your banana plant when the top inch of soil feels dry. Generally, this means watering it about once or twice a week, depending on the climate.

What kind of soil is best for banana plants?

Banana plants prefer well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. A mix of potting soil with compost or peat moss is a great option.

Do banana plants need extra humidity?

Yes, banana plants love humidity! Keeping the air around them moist by misting the leaves or placing a humidifier nearby helps them flourish.

What temperature is best for growing banana plants?

Banana plants thrive in warm temperatures, ideally between 65°F to 85°F (18°C to 95°C). They don't like cold weather, so keep them indoors during chilly months.

How do I know if my banana plant is getting too much water?

If the leaves of your banana plant start to turn yellow or brown, and the soil feels soggy, it might be getting too much water. Let the soil dry out a bit before watering again.

Can banana plants grow indoors?

Yes, banana plants can grow indoors as long as they receive enough light, warmth, and humidity. They make great houseplants with the right care!

How long does it take for banana plants to bear fruit?

Banana plants typically take about 9 to 12 months to produce fruit after planting. With patience and proper care, you'll enjoy delicious bananas in no time!

What pests should I watch out for with banana plants?

Keep an eye out for pests like aphids and spider mites, which can hurt your banana plant. Regularly checking the leaves and keeping them clean can help keep pests away.

This is how you take care of a Banana Plant (without letting it die)

Learn how to grow and care for a beautiful, healthy banana plant with these expert tips. From light and water requirements to humidity and temperature, we've got you covered. Follow our simple guide and enjoy the lush foliage and delicious fruit of your own banana plant.

If you've taken care of a Banana plant before and you've struggled to keep it alive, you're definitely not alone! This plant care be tough to take care of. But, I'm here to share some banana plant growing tips with you that will help you to keep this plant alive and thriving!

In this plant care guide, I'll give you tips on how you can help your banana plant grow and how to keep it healthy for many years! These are the topics I'll cover:

Check the soil before watering

Soil for a Banana plant

Creating your own soil mix

Fertilizing a banana plant

Overfertilization

Common pests and diseases for a Banana plant

Common problems and solutions for a Banana plant

Steps to repotting a banana plant

Seasonal care for a Banana plant

Conclusion

Before I tell you everything you need to know to properly take care of this amazing plant, I do have to mention that these tips come from personal experience. I live in the Netherlands, where it's warm for about 2 weeks in the summer, rainy and gray in spring and autumn, and somewhat cold in the winter, with again, lots of rain. If you live in a place where it's warm all year round, or it's very dry, you should adjust your care a little to what I'm describing here. Don't worry, I'll let you know how!

So now, let's dive in the banana plant care tips!

Common Banana plants

In this plant care guide I'm sharing tips with you about taking care of your Banana plant. However, there are a few different varieties that can be called a "banana plant".

In this plant care guide, I'm talking about the Musa acuminata, also known as the dwarf Cavendish banana. This plant is much smaller than the banana plant that's used for fruit production, so can be kept as a houseplant. This plant is native to Southeast Asia, so it likes heat and humidity.

Other Musa plants that you can keep as houseplants are:

Musa basjoo: This plant is also known as the Japanese banana and is cold-hard! It can tolerate temperatures as low as -9°C (15°F).
Musa ornata: A flowering banana plant from India. This variety grows variegated leaves and red flowers.
Musa velutina: This plant is also known as the red banana and is native to Malaysia and Indonesia. It has velvety leaves that are reddish-purple and actually produces small, edible bananas.

If you've got a Banana plant though, it's probably the Musa Acuminata, as this is by far the most popular variety to keep as houseplants.

Basic care tips for a Banana plant

In this section, we're going to look at what your banana plant needs to stay healthy and how you can help your plant look (and feel) its best!

In the previous section, we've already learned that the Banana plant is native to Southeast Asia, where it's warm and humid, so this will help us to figure out how to properly take care of this amazing plant!

Sunlight requirements

First up, let's look at how much sunlight this plant need to stay happy!

A Banana plant needs bright, indirect sunlight to thrive. Some direct sunlight is fine as well, especially if you live in a colder climate (like me) or it's currently spring, autumn, or winter.

Too much direct sunlight in the summer can scorch the leaves, so make sure to protect your plant from this type of light during the hot summer months. This same sunlight exposure goes for plants that grow indoors and outdoors.

If you're growing this plant outdoors, make sure to keep it in a spot that's in the partial shade during the hot afternoons in the summer.

The ideal temperature range

To find the ideal temperature range for your Banana plant, let's look at it's native growing environment: The warmth of Southeast Asia. It shouldn't be much of a surprise to find out that this plant likes higher temperatures.

Ideally, you should find a spot that has constant temperatures between 18-29 °C (65-85 °F). If the temperature drops below that for a short time, that's okay. However, the temperature should never be below 10 °C (50 °F), as these "cold" temperatures can damage the plant.

The maximum temperature for this plant is around 35 °C (95 °F).

Humidity levels for your Banana plant

When you're looking for the ideal humidity levels for your Banana plant, we can also look at its native growing environment: This plant loves high humidity levels!

Humidity levels between 50% and 70% are perfect for this plant. Too little humidity and the plant will become dry and crispy, but too much humidity and you'll start to notice fungal growth, mold on the soil, and even root rot.

So make sure to give this plant high humidity levels, but also make sure to keep the air circulating, so the air doesn't become stagnant and fungal growth won't happen as easily. You can achieve this by opening a window, making sure you don't place plants too close together, and pruning dense growth a little.

If you're house (or climate outside) is too dry, you can mist your plant daily to increase the humidity levels around your Banana plant a little.

Watering a Banana plant

One of the most difficult things to get right with a Banana plant is to water it enough, but not too much. This plant loves growing in moist soil, but also doesn't like wet soil.

The easiest way to figure out if you should water your banana plant is by checking the soil with your finger or a moisture meter. The top 2.5 cm (1 inch) should be dry before you water your plant again. If you water your plant when the soil is still moist, you risk overwatering it.

Check the soil before watering

Earlier, I mentioned that you should adjust some of your care routine if you live in a place that's warm or dry most of the year, and that's important for watering. I live in a (relatively) cold climate with lots of rain, so the humidity levels are high, but the temperature is moderate. I water this plant every 7-10 days, because this is when the top of the soil is dry. However, you'll have to check the soil regularly to figure out how long it takes for the soil to dry out like that where you live. This could be much more quickly if you live in a dry climate, or could take longer if you live in a humid climate.

When you find out it's time to water your plant, make sure to water the soil only and avoid getting water on the leaves. This could cause fungal growth if the leaves stay wet for too long (a few hours or more).

Soil for a Banana plant

Like most other tropical plants, the banana plant like well-draining soil that has a lot of organic matter. This type of soil mix holds onto moisture for a few days, but drains any excess water to the bottom of the pot quite quickly. If you've got a pH meter, look for a soil mixture that has a pH range between 5.5 and 6.5, which is slightly acidic.

Creating your own soil mix

To create your own soil mix, mix equal parts of these ingredients together:

General potting soil: holds onto moisture and fertilizer
Peat moss: improves water retention, soil structure, and makes the soil more acidic
Perlite: improves drainage and soil structure

By using equal parts of these ingredients, you get the perfect mix to water your plant enough, but not too much. It is, however, very important that you use a pot with a drainage hole at the bottom. This soil will drain excess moisture to the bottom quickly, and that moisture shouldn't stay behind in the pot. The drainage hole helps to keep the plant happy and prevents root rot.

Fertilizing a banana plant

In the previous section I briefly mentioned fertilizer. Fertilizing your banana plant is very important, as this plant is a heavy feeder. You will have to fertilize it regularly during the growing season (spring and summer).

The best type of fertilizer is a balanced (10-10-10 NPK) liquid fertilizer you can mix in with the water you use to water your plant. Make sure to read and follow the instructions on the label of your fertilizer, as they're not all the same. Most liquid fertilizers should be used every time you water your plant, but make sure to check the manufacturer's instructions.

Overfertilization

During the dormancy period (autumn and winter) make sure to not fertilize your banana plant, because this could cause overfertilizing.

When a plant is overfertilized, the excess fertilizer salts build up in the soil and can damage the plant's roots. This damage can prevent the plant from absorbing water and nutrients from the soil, which can lead to stunted growth, yellowing leaves, and wilting. In severe cases, overfertilizing can kill the plant.

If you think this is happening to your plant, you can flush out the soil by watering it it deeply and drain the salts out of the drainage hole. You'll have to water your plant a lot longer than normal, to make sure the salts are all flushed out of the pot/soil.

Common pests and diseases for a Banana plant

Taking care of plants doesn't come without challenges, unfortunately. The banana plant can face a few different problems, from pests, diseases, to dropping leaves. In this section, we'll have a look at the problems you could face when taking care of this amazing plant. Let's start with pests and diseases!

Pests

Like most tropical houseplants, the banana plant is prone to a few common pests:

Aphids: Small insects that suck the sap from leaves.
Mealybugs: White insects that feed on the sap of leaves and stems. They can produce a sticky honeydew that attracts ants.
Spider mites: Tiny, spider-like pests that feed on the sap of leaves.
Scales: Small, armored insects that attach themselves to leaves and stems.
Nematodes: Microscopic worms that live in the soil and feed on the roots of plants.

Any of these pests will make the leaves of your banana plant to turn wilt, yellow, and eventually drop off. Because the leaves turn yellow, it's quite easy to spot something is wrong. The pests themselves can be a bit more difficult to spot, so take your time when looking for them.

If you're looking for more information about treating these pests, have a look at this guide about treating the most common houseplant pests.

Diseases

There are a few common diseases your banana plant might encounter, but they're all fungal diseases. These diseases will cause yellow or black spots on its leaves or cause root rot, and wilting. You can treat these diseases by using fungal sprays and treat the affected areas on your banana plants.

One of the best ways to prevent these diseases is by making sure there is enough air circulation around your plant.

Common problems and solutions for a Banana plant

Now we'll look at a few symptoms you might notice when taking care of your plant. These symptoms can be quite difficult to decypher from time to time, so I'll give you the most likely causes. This should help you to find out if you need to move your plant to a lighter or darker spot, water it more or less, or change something about the temperature.

When I tell you the possible causes, always check your plant in this order of importance:

Watering issues
Lighting issues
Temperature issues

Watering issues are the most common issues when your plant is not doing well, so check that first. Now let's look at a few problems!

The leaves are turning brown or look scorched

If your banana plant's leaves are turning brown or they look burned, these could be the causes:

Too little water
Too much (direct) sunlight
Temperature too high

If the soil is bone dry, make sure to water your plant quickly. If your plant is in direct sunlight, move it to a spot with more shade. If the temperature is too high, either water your plant more often (if it dries too quickly) or more it to a cooler spot.

Leaves turning yellow or pale green

If the leaves of your banana plant are turning yellow or pale green, your banana plant is probably not getting enough sunlight. Another symptom that should happen with this is the case is that your plant starts to lean towards the light.

When you notice this, make sure to move your plant to a brighter spot.

The leaves stay small

If you notice your banana plant is putting out new leaves, but they're not growing as large as they used to, there are 4 things to check:

Too little water (should also cause brown, crispy edges on the leaves)
Too little sunlight
Temperature too low
Too little fertilizer

When the leaves don't grow as large as they used to, your banana plant simply doesn't have enough energy to grow them any larger. Make sure to regularly fertilize your plant, water it when it needs it, and give it plenty of bright indirect sunlight. It will start to grow larger leaves again when you change your care routine.

Dropping leaves

When the worst thing happens and your banana plant starts to drop leaves, you'll have to look at these 3 potential causes:

Overwatering
Temperature too low: lower than 10 °C (50 °F) for a day or so
Pests

When you've overwatered your plant, root rot will happen and your plant will go into survival mode. It will drop any leaves to try and preserve some energy to recover. Because root rot happens, it also can't absorb more nutrients to take care of itself, so the plant will die if you don't do something about it.

You can learn more about recognizing and treating root rot in this plant care guide.

Leaves are wilting or curling up

Now one of the most difficult symptoms: your banana plant has leaves that are wilting or curling up. These symptoms can unfortunately have a lot of different causes:

Overwatering
Underwatering
Sign of too much sunlight
Temperature too high
Pests

First, check if the plant has watering issues: have you changed its watering routine recently? Have you checked the soil before watering? If this is all good, check if you see any sunburns on your plant's leaves or if it's drying out too quickly because of high temperatures. If that also seems good, thoroughly check for pests.

Soft or mushy stems

From the most difficult symptoms, we move onto the easiest symptom: soft and mushy stems. This happens when your plant is overwatered or has been exposed to temperatures that are too cold for too long. At this point, the stem of your plant has started to rot and there isn't a lot you can do to save it any more, unfortunately.

Pruning a Banana plant

Now that we've looked at all the basics and the most common problems you could encounter when you take care of this tropical plant, we can look at a few more advanced topics. Let's start with pruning!

Banana plants generally don't need a lot of pruning. However, pruning is great for removing dead or damaged leaves, removing suckers that drain energy, and controlling the plant's size. The right time for pruning is during at the beginning of spring or summer when the plant is actively growing. It can recover from these cuts more easily at this time of year.

To prune banana plants, use sharp and clean pruning shears to make precise cuts. Remove leaves and suckers at their base. If you're reducing the main stem's height, make a clean cut at the height you want. When you prune, avoid pruning too much to prevent shocking the plant.

After pruning your plant, water it thoroughly to help it with recovering.

Repotting a banana plant

When you've taken great care of your banana plant for a few years, you'll start to notice that your plant's growth slows down a lot. This happens when your plant becomes rootbound.

Rootbound plants have roots that have started to circle the inside of the pot and have nowhere else to grow. This causes the plant's growth to slow down, but it also puts your plant at risk of pests and diseases. This is why your should repot your plant every 2-3 years, when the plant becomes rootbound.

The best time to repot banana plants is in the spring or summer, when the plant is actively growing. This helps your plant to recover from any shock it might encounter.

Steps to repotting a banana plant

Choose a new pot that is 2-3 inches larger in diameter than the old pot.
Fill the new pot with a well-drained potting mix.
Carefully remove the banana plant from the old pot and loosen any roots that are circling the inside of the pot.
Place the banana plant in the new pot and fill in the space around the roots with potting mix.
Water the plant deeply and place it in a warm, sunny location.

Repotting is easy, but there are a few things you can do to make it easier on your plant. The first is to avoid doing it too often to prevent shocking the plant. After repotting, water the plant deeply to help settle the soil and help the plant recover.

Seasonal care for a Banana plant

If you've taken care of plants for a while, you might have noticed that your plant has different needs throughout the year. Here are a few simple steps to keeping your banana plant thriving, no matter the season.

Spring

Water: Water regularly, but let the soil dry out a bit between waterings.
Feed: Fertilize regularly according to the instructions on the label of your fertilizer.
Light: Move your plant to a bright spot with indirect sunlight.

Summer

Water: Water deeply and regularly (check the soil to make sure the top is dry).
Feed: Fertilize regularly according to the instructions on the label of your fertilizer.
Light: Find a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade.

Autumn

Water: Reduce how often you water and let the soil dry out more.
Feed: Stop fertilizing.
Light: Move your plant to a spot with bright (direct) sunlight.

Winter

Water: Water sparingly, letting the soil dry out completely.
Feed: No fertilizer during the winter.
Light: Keep it in a bright indoor spot.

Remember, these instructions are very specific to where I live and they might be different for you. Check on your plant to see if your care routine still fits what it needs during that time of year.

Conclusion

To care for a banana plant, provide it with bright, indirect light, warm temperatures (between 65-85°F or 18-29°C), and well-draining soil. Water the plant regularly, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Fertilize the plant every two to three weeks during the growing season (spring and summer). Repot the plant every two to three years or when it becomes rootbound. Protect the plant from cold temperatures by moving it indoors or providing supplemental heat during the winter.

Thank you for reading this post! I hope it helps you to keep your plants healthy and beautiful! If you're looking for more guides on specific plants, you can always request a plant guide to get a guide for the plant you have trouble with.