How to grow and ripen bananas in a biological way
How to grow and ripen bananas in a biological way
It is good to immediately clarify that the cultivation of this plant in Italy, for production purposes, is only possible in the southern and coastal areas. Elsewhere it is an almost impossible exercise. Otherwise you will have the plant, also good from the ornamental point of view, but not the fruiting.
The climate suitable for its cultivation must be with warm summers and mild springs and, in winter, it must never fall below 10 ° C (the plant suffers damages and the vegetative and slow recovery) and must not be exposed to cold winds. and persistent.
The soil where to grow this plant must be sandy (at least sandy loam) without stagnation and, before the planting of the suckers, place some well-mature manure or other organic (like earthworm humus) on the bottom of a specially dug hole.
Banana can be multiplied by seed or by suckers. We recommend that for suckers because it is faster. This should be done in the spring, just dig the soil around the banana plant and remove the suckers with a clean and thoroughly disinfected saw. Then you can proceed to the transplant (which at first can also be in suitable vessels). It is advisable to choose small suckers as they take root better. A height of no more than 10 cm is usually preferable. When the suckers have reached one and a half meters of height they can be planted but it will take at least two years to see them in bloom.
It is a plant that has a certain need for water, so if you want a good final product, do not miss the water supplies.
For the ripening of bananas (which are matured on the market with the use of ethylene) there are totally natural methods; I prefer it, used in the past, little known but natural.
• Cut the stem of the bunch of bananas in the now straight part, cut into this stem a cavity as big as half walnut and cover it with cooking salt. At this point place the entire case of bananas hung in a dark and moisture-free place. In a short time the bananas will be ripe (without artificially added ethylene) and tasty.