Banana Plant Care Guide

BARRY THE MUSA TROPICANA 

Also known as the banana plant or dwarf cavendish banana plant. The banana plant is native to Southeast Asia.

LIGHTING 

Barry prefers a bright and sunny room. Place him by a south facing window or in a bright conservatory. He can even be placed outside if the weather is warm enough. Lighting-wise Barry pairs perfectly with Sasha, Roger and Marcel.

WATERING 

Water Barry several times a week in the summer months. He will need a lot more water in the summer months when there’s more sunshine to enjoy. Reduce his watering in the winter months and only ever water his soil when the first two inches of soil have dried out.

HUMIDITY 

Barry doesn’t need a humid environment to thrive. If placed outside, avoid misting his leaves as the water on his leaves will burn his foliage once the sun gets hot enough.

TEMPERATURE 

Barry will thrive in a warm room. Place him in a room that is between 18ºC-30ºC. The warmer the room, the more often he will need watering. He can be placed in the garden over the summer months provided temperatures don’t dip lower than 14ºC at night.

FERTILISER 

Barry will benefit from a houseplant fertiliser once every 2-3 weeks over the summer months. Do not fertilise him in the winter months as he will not be as actively growing.

REPOTTING 

Barry will need re-potting whenever plenty of large roots start sticking out of his nursery pot. This could be once every 2-3 years. Do not re-pot Barry in the winter months as this could cause a shock to his root system.

 

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR BANANA PLANT

Yellow spots -  Yellow spots on Barry could be from three things:

  1. Barry may have been over fertilised and it is upsetting his root system. 
  2. Water has been left on the foliage throughout the day and the sun has burned the leaves. Only mist the foliage early in the morning before the sun is too strong to warm the water and burn the leaves. 
  3. He has been overwatered. Check his soil and only water when the first two inches of soil are warm.

Leaves curling - Barry could curl his leaves for a few reasons. 

  1. When he’s ready for a drink. Check the first few inches of his soil and only water when they are dry. 
  2. If he’s suffering from cold damage. Keep Barry in a warm room otherwise he will curl his leaves from stress.

Browning edges - The browning edges could be a sign that Barry is ready for a drink. It’s important to only water him when the first two inches of soil are dry. This will help prevent overwatering and root rot.

OUR TOP 3 CARE TIPS 

Top tip 1: Barry is not toxic if ingested. He will not cause any harm if ingested by curious pets or young children. 

Top tip 2: Thoroughly soak his soil with a hose or kitchen tap a couple of times a year to wash out any bacteria, extra fertiliser or any soil lacking in nutrients.

Top tip 3:  Place Barry in a partially shady garden in the months of July and August. Make sure the temperature does not dip lower than 16ºC at night. 

barry strelitzia reggie fortifying-houseplant-fertiliser peat-free-soil