Hey, like cherries and peaches.
Fruits have seeds, but bananas don’t, right?
How do they grow them?
That’s because, you know, bananas are not grown by planting seeds.
What, what do you mean?
Let me explain.
Bananas are not grown by seed.
Do you know how to grow bananas without seeds?
It is grown using
Side shoots emerge from the sides of the stem and are used to grow the next generation of bananas.
The side shoots grow as shown in the image.
If you actually want to grow more bananas, select only the good shoots and grow the seedlings in pots for about two months.
After about two months of growing in pots, the seedlings will grow to a fine size and can be replanted in a large field for further growth.
After about six months, a huge reddish-purple bulge appears.
This next image is quite shocking when you first see it (lol)
When these bracts turn outwards one by one, small banana fruits and white flowers at the tips of the bracts emerge.
One by one, the bracts turn over to reveal banana fruits, with each tree producing about 10-15 bunches of bananas.
The banana fruit starts out facing downwards, but gradually bends upwards and grows.
I see.
So this is how you grow bananas!
Yeah, interesting.
It’s just, you know, you’ve always said that there are no seeds.
The original species had seeds!
Oh, is that right?
Let me explain.
Does a banana have seeds?
If you slice a banana into round slices and look closely, you will see a small black spot in the centre.
Today, bananas are the top fruit of the world.
In the old days, when they were still wild, they were packed with large, hard seeds the size of soya beans.
So why are bananas now seedless?
It was a mutationin the banana gene that led to the seedless banana.
It is thought that seedless bananas were carefully cultivated and seedless bananas became established because they had a large portion to eat, were ideal for nutrition and were convenient in many ways.
I see!
The bananas we usually eat are the result of a mutation!
Thank God for mutations (lol)
Yes, it does.
You can eat delicious bananas without worrying about the seeds!
Talking about bananas makes me want to eat bananas.
Author : Yamaguri
Source
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/heya/kodomo_sodan/0608/01.html
