Musa acuminata
Almost all commercial banana production is of just one hybrid variety, the Cavendish, and all the plants - worldwide - are clones.
The name ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ is in reference to the height the tree’s stem, not the fruit.
Bananas are low in fat, but high in potassium, magnesium, manganese and copper, fibre and vitamin B6 and C.
Bananas are thought to have been first domesticated in South East Asia, and their consumption is mentioned in early Greek, Latin, and Arab writings; Alexander the Great saw bananas on an expedition to India.
The earliest archaeological evidence of domesticated bananas was dated to 7,000 years ago.
Cavendish bananas were named after Britain’s William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire (although not the first known banana specimens in Europe, in around 1834 Cavendish received a shipment of bananas from Mauritius - his gardener, Sir Joseph Paxton, cultivated them in greenhouses, and botanically described them as Muse cavendishii, after the Duke).
Tree maintenance
Banana plants need lots of water and they should be watered every day during periods of extreme heat or drought.
Banana plants are also heavy feeders, so it’s important to feed the plants with garden lime and a balanced organic fertiliser every few months during the spring and summer months.
After the fruit has been harvested the main stem should be cut down as this is no longer viable; cull all but the strongest of the suckers to replace the main stem; cover the smaller sucker with mulch over winter to protect from the cold.
Remove dead leaves regularly.
Almost all commercial banana production is of just one hybrid variety, the Cavendish, and all the plants - worldwide - are clones.
The name ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ is in reference to the height the tree’s stem, not the fruit.
Bananas are low in fat, but high in potassium, magnesium, manganese and copper, fibre and vitamin B6 and C.
Bananas are thought to have been first domesticated in South East Asia, and their consumption is mentioned in early Greek, Latin, and Arab writings; Alexander the Great saw bananas on an expedition to India.
The earliest archaeological evidence of domesticated bananas was dated to 7,000 years ago.
Cavendish bananas were named after Britain’s William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire (although not the first known banana specimens in Europe, in around 1834 Cavendish received a shipment of bananas from Mauritius - his gardener, Sir Joseph Paxton, cultivated them in greenhouses, and botanically described them as Muse cavendishii, after the Duke).
Tree maintenance
Banana plants need lots of water and they should be watered every day during periods of extreme heat or drought.
Banana plants are also heavy feeders, so it’s important to feed the plants with garden lime and a balanced organic fertiliser every few months during the spring and summer months.
After the fruit has been harvested the main stem should be cut down as this is no longer viable; cull all but the strongest of the suckers to replace the main stem; cover the smaller sucker with mulch over winter to protect from the cold.
Remove dead leaves regularly.
August 2022
