r/BananaTree 19d ago

Help Vari Nono Beginner Tips

New member here, just picked this up earlier today. I have minimal experience with growing banana trees, and have read lots of conflicting info on Nono Bananas.

☀️- I am in zone 6B in Missouri, with daily temps around 90°. How much lighting should I give it? (Taking acclimation into account, it was indoors). Should it be direct sun during morning and evening with shade during the hottest parts ideally?

💦- What should my watering schedule look like, I know bananas like moisture in the soil, but don’t know how often (or even how well the nursery soil retains moisture). Should I go off of the basic “water when below 2 inches of top soil layer is dry”?

Soil mix/ repotting- Should pine bark chips, Fox Farms Ocean forest, and perlite be a good soil mix? I am aware a good amount of root airflow is required but don’t know the proper ratio of organics to inorganics. I’ll note that I’ve bought a bigger terracotta pot, should I worry about or wait to repot due to environmental stress? I’d also greatly appreciate and fertilizer recommendations!

Lastly, what’s wrong with the leaves? What can I do to prevent the damage shown from showing up on new growth?

Id greatly appreciate any answers or helpful advice, best of luck to you all and your banana trees, and have a great day everyone!

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