Musa balbisiana

Musa balbisiana

Obscure but exciting 'new' Banana from North-east India, the Musa balbisiana is perhaps one of the progenitors of the commercial banana. It grows at some altitude so may tolerate cool conditions and a little frost, but its main characteristic is its huge flower. As with others in the genus, rich soil is required for maximum growth together with plenty of fertilizer and an adequate supply of water. Given these and some summer warmth, it is almost dangerously fast growing!

germination comments by our visitors
For general germination instructions click here.

Also see plant cultivation comments below.

Seeds from this species ...

...very easy to germinate and need up to 1 month to sprout.
6 out of 6 germinated 100%. Temp Day: 28 to 32°C. Temp Night: 20° to 25°C. Took only 13 days.
Submitted on 16/07/2005 by one of our visitors

...very easy to germinate and need up to 1 month to sprout.
very fast grower. put in filtered light under a window in damp peat. sprouts came up a week later and from there grew rapidly.
Submitted on 21/03/2004 by anton chuidian wutang8364@yahoo.com

...difficult to germinate and need up to 3 months to sprout.
One seed out of six germinated after about two months of greenhouse humidity and temperatures of 80-90 degrees Farenheit in the day and 65-70 degrees Farenheit at night. Still waiting for other seeds to germinate. Also, germinated before any Musa itinerans or Musa velutina planted at the same time.
Submitted on 18/06/2003 by Mike Challis challismike@hotmail.com


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plant cultivation comments by our visitors
Also see germination commnets above.

Plants from this species ...

... have not yet been commented on. Be the first to write a comment:


	• • • Write a plant cultivation comment and enter to win Euro (€) 50 worth of seeds • • • Please note: These comments are on how to cultivate the PLANTS once the seeds have germinated.

If you wish to read more on palm cultivation, we highly recommend Ornamental Palm Horticulture by Timothy K. Broschat and Alan W. Meerow, available in our bookshop.

Ratings and comments reflect individual experiences and the views of our visitors. They do not necessarily describe the most appropriate methods, nor are they necessarily valid for all seeds or plants of this species. Germination and plant cultivation success depends on many different factors; nevertheless, these experiences will hopefully aid you in your effort to get the best germination results from our seeds and the best growth results from your plants.

We recommend:

Conifers for Gardens: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
by Richard L. Bitner

Hardcover - 448 pages
More than 1500 photographs

Our Rating:

Suitable for: all

Conifers for Gardens is intended to take away the element of uncertainty when you're choosing a plant that may alter your yard for years to come. Profusely illustrated with more than 1,500 crisp photographs and brimming with concise descriptions of both species and their numerous cultivars, this meticulously researched reference provides information - including size, appearance, hardiness, preferred growing conditions and susceptibility to pests and diseases - for almost every hardy conifer you're likely to encounter in the trade, whether it's a tried-and-true favorite or a connoisseur's treasure.

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Other selected books are available in our Book Shop