Most of the more than 100 edible banana varieties and subvarieties as well as a dozen ornamental varieties grow well in Hawaii. They grow best in tropical environments below 2,000 feet with temperature ranges between 65 and 80 degrees and humidity of 50 percent or greater. They prefer full sun locations, soil that drains well and rainfall or irrigation supplying between 75 and 100 inches annually. Their health is greatly improved by the addition of organic matter and they require regular fertility to produce full stalks. They also produce better in the company and shelter of other banana plants. Mats of about five to seven plants are optimal.
Most of the more than 100 edible banana varieties and subvarieties as well as a dozen ornamental varieties grow well in Hawaii. They grow best in tropical environments below 2,000 feet with temperature ranges between 65 and 80 degrees and humidity of 50 percent or greater. They prefer full sun locations, soil that drains well and rainfall or irrigation supplying between 75 and 100 inches annually. Their health is greatly improved by the addition of organic matter and they require regular fertility to produce full stalks. They also produce better in the company and shelter of other banana plants. Mats of about five to seven plants are optimal.
Though these conditions are not hard to find or create in Hawaii, going beyond the basics of banana culture can help you produce more and better fruit. Feed Hawaii has been offering gardening and food related classes for about four years in South Kona, as a nonprofit organization committed to food security in Hawaii. Recently, Feed Hawaii and the Kohala Village Food Hub have started working together to expand their educational goals. The upcoming Just Bananas workshop is a collaboration of the two organizations. Feed Hawaii is offering it doing business as Kohala Village Food Hub.
Just Bananas is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Kuaiwi Farm in Captain Cook. Gabriel Sachter-Smith is teaching the workshop and will cover information on banana cultivation for farmers and home gardeners. Sachter-Smith started growing bananas in containers in his home in Colorado when he was 14. He went on to study tropical plant science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa where he worked in the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources’ banana propagation lab and interned at a banana breeding project in Uganda. In his master’s program he focused on Banana Bunchy Top Virus susceptibility in different cultivars.
While living on Oahu, Sachter-Smith continued his research while consulting with farmers and gardeners about growing bananas. He also consulted with Gardens for Health International in Rwanda and helped to document the numerous banana varieties in the Solomon Islands.
Sachter-Smith is now living in Kohala and developing a banana nursery where he will continue his research. He hopes to breed disease-resistant cultivars that are well-suited to cultivation on small farms or in home gardens.
In the workshop, Sachter-Smith will discuss important biological information about bananas that can help in producing a better crop. He will also present some of his research on variety selection. For example, though we all know apple bananas are favored in local markets; they may not be the easiest to grow or the most disease-resistant. His research on the Cavendish cultivars, Williams and Chinese that have global market appeal, finds them very sensitive to BBTV and should only be grown where the virus is not present. He will also share his research on cultivars that might be better choices and present techniques for growing desirable varieties that are sensitive to corm borers and nematodes.
Sachter-Smith recommends that banana plants not be considered trees that stay in the same place over time. Since they are herbaceous plants with no woody tissue that grow, fruit and die in a short period of time, he advises treating them like giant, medium-term vegetables. They usually benefit from frequent replanting cycles and keiki removal to keep the mats small and manageable.
The Just Bananas workshop will also include information on site selection and preparation for banana planting as well as maintenance of the plants in both farm and garden locations. Intercropping ideas will be discussed as will propagation techniques and disease and pest management. Harvesting and post-harvest handling methods will be offered as well as the many uses for the plants and their fruit that he has found.
If growing bananas well is of interest to you, do not miss this opportunity to meet and learn from Sachter-Smith next Saturday at Kuaiwi Farm in Captain Cook. The workshop goes from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for a fee of $30. Bring a bag lunch and material to take lots of notes. For more information and to register online, visit www.kohalavillage.com. Maps to the farm will be provided upon registration.
Tropical gardening helpline
Holly asks: I planted a few kamani trees on my property several years ago and this year they are producing flowers and fruit. I want to grow more trees. Can I propagate from the seeds in the fruit? If so, how? If not, is there another way to propagate kamani?
Answer: Propagating kamani is fairly easy from seed. The round, green fruit (called a drupe) that follows flowering, contains a single seed or nut. For the best germination rate, allow the fruit to ripen on the tree until the skin is brown and wrinkled. At this point, the seeds will often fall off the tree and you can collect them off the ground.
Remove the thin pulp on the outside as well as the shell and corky inner layer to reveal the naked seed kernel. Plant the seed about one inch into a moist seeding medium and maintain a moist (not wet) medium until you see the seedling come up. It’s best to plant in either a 1 gallon or a tall (tree) seeding pot. Germination can sometimes take more than a month so be patient. The plant’s initial growth is also slow. When the seedlings are 8 to 12 inches tall or in about six months, you can plant them out or put them in a much larger pot. They usually will adapt quickly to a suitable location in full sun.
New seedlings may grow about 3 feet in height and 2 feet in canopy spread each year for the first five years. After that, their growth will slow considerably and you can begin pruning into a desired shape.
Air layering is another propagation method that might work on kamani trees but if you have lots of seeds, planting them is an easier way to go.
Email plant questions to konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu for answers by certified master gardeners. Some questions will be chosen for inclusion in this column.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living on an organic farm in Captain Cook.
Gardening events
Monday: Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers monthly meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. at 81-6393 Mamalahoa Highway in Kealakekua. Ken Love and Brian Lievens will discuss ways to irrigate fruit trees. Contact Lievens at 895-8753 or greenwizard@hawaii.rr.com for more information.
Farmers markets
Wednesday: Hooulu Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Sheraton Kona Resort &Spa at Keauhou Bay
Wednesday: Sunset Farmers Market, 2 p.m. to sunset at the north makai corner of the Kmart parking lot
Saturday: Keauhou Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon at Keauhou Shopping Center
Sunday: South Kona Green Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook
Monday to Saturday: U-Pick greens and produce, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tropical Edibles Nursery in Captain Cook
Plant advice lines
Anytime: konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu
Thursday: 9 a.m. to noon at UH Cooperative Extension Service in Kainaliu, 322-4892.
Monday, Tuesday and Friday: 9 a.m. to noon at UH CES at Komohana in Hilo, 981-5199 or himga@hawaii.edu.