Hello, I’m new to this site and new to growing fruit. I’m excited to learn from your experience. I’m located in zone 7 and I’m wondering if I can grow edible banana trees here.
We also inherited two fruiting cherry trees, fruiting apple trees, and fruiting peaches. I’ll need to learn proper pruning techniques and how to protect and care for the trees.
Any advice is welcome and appreciated.
Thanks all!
I don’t know anything about bananas, but welcome to the group anyway!
As for advice I’ll just suggest that you familiarize yourself with the “search” function. Lots of times there have been great discussions of different subjects, and you can check those out before asking anew. And be sure to check out the “About this forum” and “References” sections.
Aside from that just dive in and have fun. Oh, and don’t be surprised if it takes a while for your queries to get a response. This time of year is pretty busy for lots of the members and it’s not at all uncommon for stuff to get overlooked.
Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I’ll check out the search tool and references. What do you grow, if you don’t mind my asking?
My favorite obsession is my fruit trees - a single multigraft apple, one multigraft pear, a prune plum on its own roots and a cutting from that plum on nanking cherry rootstock. And I grow a few veggies - a little salad garden.
What about you? Sounds like you have a tidy little orchard started. Any other goodies?
I live in zone 9a and can’t get bananas to fruit unless they are protected in something like a greenhouse. The problem lies in the fact that bananas are really herbs that produce on the second year stalk. They grow here but the stalk freezes every year. So they never make fruit.
We bought a property that has cherries, apples and peaches. The cherry tree is exploding with cherries. I already made a cherry pie. The apples and peaches are just starting to fruit. My husband I just planted a fig tree, blueberries and asparagus, we just have to keep the dogs out. I need to put some chicken wire around the new plants but the local stores are out. I’m have to have some shipped. I would love any advice for pruning and grafting. You seem very knowledgeable on the subject. What zone are you in? warm cold or middle?
We moved from Zone 4a to 7a. It’s so nice to have fruit trees. Does 9a get cold enough to freeze? I lived in NOLA where they had lots of banana trees but they never had fruit. I just thought it was because you had to do something ‘special’ to get them to fruit or have the ‘fruiting’ kind.
NOT that knowledgeable (but yes, I do talk a good talk, thanks for noticing 
) I’m in Western Montana, Zone 4ish-5ish. So my experience will be quite different from yours.
As far as pruning is concerned, I’m not good at it. It’s a year after year challenge to get it figured out. But usually my trees have been very forgiving, so I get by. And the grafting I do is on easy things, i.e., pear, apple and a bit of plum - the easiest three. Most of the serious grafters here can help you much more than I. What I will tell you about grafting is that if I can do it you can do it. It seems like brain surgery when you start, but it’s really more a matter of timing, patience, and paying attention to details.
Plant pawpaws! 
We get below freezing 5 to 10 days out of the year at least. They can get bananas to fruit in Houston but they have to cover the stalks with insulation to keep them from freezing. It can be done there but it is not easy. The crown will grow back every year and grow a stalk without protection. But going 16 to 18 months with no freezing temperatures is not going to happen around Houston, thus the need to protect the stalks. Figs, satsumas, loquats, and lemons grow here pretty easy.
First you need to maintain your fruit trees else pests will take over. Lot’s of threads on that subject Also on grafting or go to youtube search cleft graft, whip and tongue graft, bark graft. Search here too! On pruning watch the Dave Wilson videos on pruning and backyard orchard culture.
https://www.davewilson.com/community-and-resources/videos-list