Description
Red bananas are also known as “Red Dacca” bananas have a reddish-purple skin. These bananas are smaller and plumper than the regular banana. Once ripe the red banana reveals a flesh that is cream to light pink in colour. The flesh is also soft and very sweet with a slight raspberry-banana flavour. The length of the bananas ranges between 16-18 cm.
Make banana smoothies, add them to pancakes, fry them up with bacon and eggs for a hearty breakfast, or bake them into a gorgeous banana bread loaf. Bananas are a popular way to sweeten dishes for those who are trying to keep their sugar (sucrose) intake down without missing out on sweet treats.
Banana flowers are hermaphroditic, meaning they have both male and female reproductive parts. The male and female flowers are located close together on the same inflorescence, making it easy for pollen to transfer from one to the other.
Position
They are hardy trees that can tolerate a range of climates, but they generally do best in temperate regions. They are relatively cold hardy but will die back at temperatures below freezing (to -5) and should recover in spring.
Red Bananas will do well in full sun or partial shade. Ensure that the soil is rich with organic matter like compost and well-drained.
Size
A mature red banana tree can grow to between 4 and 6 metres tall with a spread of up to 3 metres.
Soil
Your tree needs well-draining, slightly acidic soil with a pH range of between 5.5 and 6.5. Use a couple of bags of acid compost in your soil to achieve the correct pH
Watering
Water the plant weekly, often during hot summer. Well-established plants can handle the drought but will not look their best without adequate water.
Fertilising
Banana Trees require heavy fertilising during their growth. Use our slow-release nitrogen-rich Berry/All-plant Fertiliser For young plants, apply 1 teaspoon every 4-5 months.
Pruning
Pruning is recommended to maintain the tree’s shape, remove dead wood, and encourage healthy growth
Harvesting
From the time the flowers appear to when the fruit is mature is usually 75 to 80 days. When ripe, these bananas will have a deep red to maroon rind with a slightly soft touch. Remember that bananas can be used at various stages – even green bananas.
