Growing banana from seed

I picked up some drawf musa blue java seeds; just thought they would be an interesting variety to try and grow.

I ordered 30 seeds, soaked 6 seeds for 12 hours as recommended, put 3 seeds each in two large pots of vermicompost. 10 days or so and nothing has popped up. I've read it can take 2 weeks or more but rainy season has kicked in with nice temps so hoping they will germinate. I'm starting to wonder if I need to be a bit more patient or try some of the other banana seeds I have? Never grew banana from seed so a bit clueless other than what you can get from google or youtube.

A bright side...our rain water collection tank is full, the pump I brought from Korea works like a champ and I worked our little garden area a bit today.

Our little garden area got 150 kilo of vermicompost, weeding and was only able to plant some cherry tomato and basil seeds today. Tomorrow will be Korean cucumbers (we have had great luck with them in the past), a bunch of hot peppers (seeds from the US), Korean melons (they seem do well and are nice) and garlic.

We have another 6 bags of vermicompost slated for the front of the house so that area is at least okra and perilla...the wife's choice.

Shawn

 

I have never grown them either but the internet states that it could take from 2-3 weeks up to many months! So I think you need to be patient - however, trying other varieties at the same time might be a good thing.

 

Months? I guess I really need to be patient then. I do have the other garden areas to keep me occupied.

Thanks,

Shawn

 

Still no banana seeds popping out...did put another 6 seeds into the pots hoping we will eventually see something. Will keep my patience as I am really interested in this variety.

My garden (I say that as I think of it my garden and out front as the wife's, but we both work on them) has been decimated twice by our dogs. I've actually put down 300 kilos of vermicompost so the dogs probably love the smell and our kids don't always remember to lock the gate for that area. Love the dogs and am stuck with the kids.

The cucumbers are doing well (daily picking of cucumber beetles), lost all pepper plants, have planted the seeds we brought back from Singapore and they are just starting to sprout, only 3 tomato plants survived, did direct seed some more which have also sprouted. I love cherry tomatoes, work well in a cucumber salad.

Also have some sweet corn coming up and they look to be doing good actually went with a block style as I've seen done in Korea, the wife thinks that is odd but I've see it done often in Korea with small spaces so am confident it will work.

The dogs ripped out my Korean melons so I will replant again...not sure why they did not mess with the cucumbers.

Shawn

 

I researched this and found:
https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/104425/
Propagation Methods: By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets). [It does not mention propagation from seed but does state the plant is monocarpic (sets seed and dies), which the seed collecting information seem at odds with].
Seed Collecting: N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed.

These seeds are offered on Amazon.com and one review wrote that his seeds did not germinate: "I used a propagation system that has been very successful for me with all previous seed that I have germinated. I monitored the soil temperature, soil moisture and humidity but still no growth. The soil I used was a sterile compost mixed with backfill that is blended for new seed germination, but still no growth. I bought these seeds as a project to grow with my sister who is a botanist, so I feel the experience and knowledge of germination is sufficient." 84% of reviews were negative - it is possible that some/all of the positives were reviewing the seeds and not the success in germinating them. Amazon also sells them as plants.

The bananas do look amazing and I can understand why you want to grow them. There is a site http://www.bananas.org/f30/ which focuses on germination; it has rather a lot of posts but I think the indications are, from this site and others, that the 'Blue Java' is very difficult to germinate.

The block style of planting enhances pollination as sweetcorn is wind-pollinated.

 

I also read many negatives on percentage of seeds that germinate; but really interested in that variety of banana. Never grown any bananas in the past so I only know what Mr. Google tells me. I still have 18 more banana seeds so I may try to sprout some using the paper towel and freezer bag method. At the end of the day, if I can get 3 out of the 18 seeds to germinate I won't feel like a total failure. Funny thing I don't particularly care for bananas compared to other fruits.

Like I said previously, really impressed with the cucumber plants, they really grow well in this environment. The wife will be giving many away. Just need to find a better way of dealing with those d*mn cucumber beetles.

Very impressive how fast the Indian pepper seeds we brought back from Singapore germinated and with a high germination rate from what I'm seeing. Most peppers take a week or more but these guys have popped up in just a few days. I have thousands of these pepper seeds if anyone would like some (free). Good flavor, a bit of a kick but I have a fairly high tolerance for spicy so to some others they may be quite spicy.

The cherry tomato seeds I planted last week are popping up, very good germination rate as well. They'll need to be transplanted later as more came up than I expected (got to love vermicompost).

Pleased that the sweetcorn come up so well and are looking good, they were older seeds so I had some concerns. I'll plant some sugar peas with the corn this week as they are good companion plants.

We'll be in Dumaguete tomorrow so I want to get some basil seeds, the dogs took out my first planting of them and they are a good companion for tomatoes. Once things get going (dogs staying out) I will then look at some cooler plants like bok choi to plant in the shaded areas.

It is a smaller garden area we have in the back but I think we can produce a lot. The wife has her plan for the front area, so far some okra, a few cucumber plants we transplanted, what I believe is a watermelon that we transplanted, perilla leaves (not a fan personally but she likes them so I brought some seeds from Korea) and black eyed peas she planted today.

Shawn

 

i made small mesh draw string bags for tomatoes and cukes. i can't think of the name of the material but it's the stuff tutus are made out of and OK MART has a large selection.
https://goo.gl/maps/R2MZefM9mPq3hies9

for the greens (pechay, kale, etc.) i made small CTS hoop houses which i cover with a green mesh available at JB Marketing.
https://goo.gl/maps/3xgtP14WxJEkhyGb7

i've used several things for shading and my favorite is 12ft long split bamboo slats laid on a trellis type frame above the garden. set it up so the slates can be run east and west. you can space the slates according to how much exposure you want the plants to have.

precut slates are available at the bambú places near the bridge on the north bound hiway .
https://goo.gl/maps/iJTQ5rWqvsF1uUwR6

i'm in subulan, close to the hiway, if you want to stop by for show and tell on one of your duma trips.

 

Those banana seeds were a bust...can't say 100% that the seeds were bad or if the container was not being watered while I have been away with work. Either way nothing germinated so that experiment did not go too well.

 

Got your priorities right then. Tend to agree with you there.

 

Unfortunate trying to grow those banana seeds did not work out but no worries; have some citrus seeds that are my next experiment to try and germinate. I'll be home for a couple weeks (in time for Christmas) before my next work project so looking forward to working on things around the house.

Shawn