Images Courtesy Tali Burke

What varieties can I grow?

The only varieties we currently stock are Ladyfinger, Dwarf Ducasse, Pisang Ceylan, Blue Java, Bluggoe, and Goldfinger. Ladyfinger are allowed in the Southern Buffer, Special and Southern Zones only. A permit to grow them IS required. These are the only varieties currently approved by Biosecurity QLD for backyard cultivation.

How many can I have?

A maximum of 10 plants are allowed per non-commercial property.

Why can’t I grow Cavendish (Williams)?

Because the Government want to protect Australia’s multi million dollar banana industry from outbreaks of disease. And backyard plantings of Cavendish have the potential for lots of different diseases which can be very easily spread via air-borne or soil-borne spores. Tissue cultured banana plants were created in sterile laboratories and grown- on in soil free potting mix (it may look very much like dirt but it is not.)

Why can’t I just dig a sucker out of a friend’s garden? 

For a start, you may be contravening Queensland legislation under the Plant Protection Act (1989) and the Plant Protection Regulation (2002)administered by Biosecurity Queensland regarding the removal and movement of banana plant material, if you have not obtained a permit, and you can be fined. Also the plant may be diseased and you may then introduce the disease to your garden.  If you follow our guidelines and nurture a sucker or two for the following year, you should get a FREE plant every year for the next 5-7 years!

How does the plant come to me? 

The plants are sun-hardened, in 120mm forestry tubes and approximately 300mm – 900mm tall.  We send them via Australia Post in postal tubes.

How do I obtain a permit?

Refer to the Pest Quarantine Area map for your area.  As a QBAN accredited nursery, we are covered by Inspector's Approval 1.2 from Biosecurity Queensland to supply banana plants to residential growers and retail nurseries in the Northern Pest Quarantine Area (from just south of Cooktown to just north of St Lawrence and west to the Burdekin River), and therefore you do not need to apply for a permit if you are planting in this zone.

If you are a residential grower OUTSIDE of this zone, you are also able to purchase banana plants, providing you first obtain a permit from Biosecurity Queensland on 132523.  The process is very simple and the permit is FREE.

Plants WILL NOT be posted until a copy of the permit has been sighted. Keep a copy of our invoice and the permit in your files, to confirm your plant was obtained from a legitimate source. Click here for some handy tips.

Check your zone - Click to enlarge

PERMIT REQUIRED

PERMIT REQUIRED