Topic: Growing Bananas and Palms from Seed

[Garden Manager]

When on holiday in Tenerife last october i bought seeds of a banana and a palm (canary island palm naturaly) for a bit of fun. I have now got around to sowing them and was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks for getting them to germinate. I remembered something about soaking in warm water for 24 hours (or whatever) before sowing and have today put one seed of each to soak in this way. I only have 3 seeds of each so not much chance to experiment. Have i done the right thing?

Guidance needed please.

[Andy H]

Not sure, they are slow!

I gently cracked the shell of a Chilean wine palm in the vice! the peeled and germinated in propagator, took ages.
% years of hardening off and then out side for a few years, greenhouse in winter then this year it was dead!
Bugger! Too old to do another one, should have started it while I was 21... ;D

[PurpleHeather]

You have been conned.

The remarks you are getting here are winding you up.

Bananas have no seed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58y0Jg7vdVc

[grawrc]

You have been conned.

The remarks you are getting here are winding you up.

Bananas have no seed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58y0Jg7vdVc

M
Total b**llocks! Have a look here GM:
http://www.bananas.org/f30/fresh-seeds-germination-guaranteed-13050.html
.. and there are loads of other sites if you google. Just not sure which variety you have.  Good luck!!

[Andy H]

How can I be on allotments for all one minute reading about banana seeds then end up
reading topics about banana transportation then ethylene then PP(KMNO4) leading to T-Stoff then high test peroxide and messerschmitt propellant!!!

Oh well back to the bananas!

[grawrc]

Could it be the magic mushrooms?  ;)

[Andy H]

Oh give me some then I might understand it all or I might just sit and giggle about it all ;D

[grawrc]

 ;D ;D ;D

[PurpleHeather]

Perhaps if you want the truth you should read this

http://bananasweb.com/bananas/Do+bananas+have+seeds%3F

I, unlike others do not tell lies . Perhaps I should have said that Bananas do not have 'viable' seeds but the 'seeds' they may have are of no use reproductively.

South American plant life, it has been suggested, was genetically altered or modified in a period of human development which was halted and lost in the distant past. Others say that the development of the plants was a natural phenomena.

Certainly the banana was once a fruit with a seed. Unlike the banana we eat.

The banana we know can only be propagated by cuttings. The seed does not ripen and develop to the point where it can be used for reproducing the plant.

Naturally, holiday makers are unlikely to return to complain.

Having been to these places on holiday I have also seen seeds for growing money and lotions for growing hair on bald heads. All deliberately made and sold, as a joke for holiday makers to take home to give as gifts to friends, for a laugh.
 
Not every one has growing skills or knowledge and it is always possible that some one will think that these seeds are likely to grow.  No doubt much to the amusement of others.

My view is to do a double on it. Grow something odd or even buy a weird plant and show the seed giver the plant and say. ' look what I have got from the seeds you gave me'.

Better still, tell the seed giver that the police have confistcated the plant and asked you for the address of the person who gave you the seeds.

[Andy H]

ok no seeds that are useable, have to get a cutting. How do people grow them then, are the seeds from another part of the plant that are bigger?

[grawrc]

Surely it depends on what you are trying to grow?? "Banana" covers a multitude of sins!!
Also please note it comes under non-edible plants!!

[Jeannine]

  PH,  perhaps, perhapsd not.....................  but you are very wrong.

The bananas we buy in the stores have been designed to be seedless just like many of the watermelons. But we cannot say watermelon are seedless either...even if every one you buy has no seeds.

Bananas as a species certainly do have seeds,just as the watermelons do but food fashion decrees we don't get to see them .

If you had the opportunity to see beyond the grocery store bananas it is not unusual.

XX Jeannine

[Andy H]

meaning...................?

[Jeannine]

What I meant was. Bananas as a species do have seeds.

The edible bananas that we all know do not but wild bananas do.If in a position to see wild bananas the seeds are very visible.

There are a great many  types of banana and lots of seed is available to grow them.

The original poster diod not say edible banana, so the word covers the whole species.

Edible bananas are grown from off shoots from the parent plant or cultivated in a petri dish.

All others can be grown from seed.  I  have some but have never planted them. I supect they  have had it. I would think they have a shelf life not very long,planting them fresh is probably best but I am basing this on only a very small bit of knowledge .I have grown Papaya from seed too and that worksbest for me when straight from the fruit , I have never germintaed it when dried out. I suspect the banana seeds may be the same..but I repeat a very little bit oif knowledge in my head from way back.

Anyway back to the topic..do bananas have seed..

[Andy H]

I will chuck a banana in some soil and see if it happens!

[rugbypost]

Couple years back tesco were  selling bannana plants I think they were about £5 a mate of mine bought 2 but the winter done for them not sure myself if our climate is up to them yet even with global warming ;D ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

If you want one that might stand our winters (not sure about last winter, mind!), then there's a specific species you want. I'm not sure what it is, but I seem to remember someone here had fruit off one a few years back.

[raisedbedted]

Have grown loads of banana* plants from seeds, they germinate easily, plenty of heat and moisture and get ready to pot, pot and pot again.  I found a cheap supplier of banana* seeds in the US and used to grow them like bedding plants.

I did chortle when I read that bananas* dont have seed  ;D

Note Banana refers to Musa species here and may not necessarily be found in your fruit bowl.

[Garden Manager]

Thanks for replies. Conflicting thoughts there though. I should have said the name ofn the packet of banana seed was Ensete ventricosum not a Musa species. Does this have viable seed? Perhaps i should have bought a plant back at home. Have to admit the seed i bought is starting to look a little dubious now, The tomato seeds i bought at the same time turned out to be carrot or parlsey!

[Jeannine]

  False banana, very apt for this post ;D Go for it, you should be able to grow that one XX Jeannine