How to Grow Plantain (Cooking Banana)
Musa × paradisiaca
Plantains are large tropical herbaceous perennials grown for their starchy cooking bananas. They need full sun, rich moist well-drained soil, shelter from wind, and generous watering and feeding throughout the growing season. In the UK they require a heated greenhouse or conservatory — minimum 15 °C year-round. Each pseudostem fruits once then is cut to the ground; suckers from the base carry on the plant. Harvest the bunch when fruits are plump and full-sized but still green, and ripen indoors.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Heavy feeder — apply a high-potassium liquid fertiliser every 2 weeks during active growth. A balanced feed monthly during establishment.
Watch For
- Panama disease (Fusarium wilt)
- Black Sigatoka leaf spot
- Aphids
- Mealybug
- Spider mites
Companions
Sweet potato, Taro, Lemongrass, Comfrey
Pet Safety
Care Requirements
Light
Full sun; maximum heat and shelter from wind
Requires full sun and the warmest position available. In temperate climates must be grown under glass with supplemental heating. Shelter from strong wind is essential as large leaves tear easily.
Watering
High water demand; keep soil consistently moist
Water deeply and frequently throughout active growth. Soil should stay consistently moist but not waterlogged. Reduce watering if growth slows or the plant enters dormancy.
Fertilizing
High-potassium feed every 2 weeks during growth
Plantains are among the heaviest-feeding fruit plants. Apply a high-potassium liquid fertiliser every 2 weeks from bud break through fruit set. A balanced feed monthly during establishment.
Pruning
Cut fruited pseudostem to ground after harvest; thin suckers monthly
Each pseudostem fruits once and must be removed after harvest. Keep 2-3 vigorous suckers per plant. Remove all others at or below soil level to concentrate energy.
Spacing
3 m between plants; 4 m between rows
Plantains need generous space for their large pseudostems and spreading canopy. Allow 3 m between plants and 4 m between rows. In containers, use the largest pot feasible (100 L+).
Overwintering
Heated greenhouse required; minimum 15 C year-round
Cannot tolerate frost or temperatures below about 10 C. In the UK, grow in a heated greenhouse or conservatory maintained at a minimum of 15 C throughout the year.
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 300 cm |
| Row spacing | 400 cm |
| Mature height | 500 cm |
| Mature spread | 300 cm |
Large herbaceous perennial with a pseudostem 2–5 m tall. Each pseudostem fruits once then is cut down; suckers from the base produce the next crop continuously in tropical climates.
