How to Grow Plantain Indian Green
Wikimedia Commons
Plantain Indian Green
Musa × paradisiaca 'Indian Green'
fruitPlantain Indian Green is a cooking banana variety that produces large, starchy fruits ideal for savory culinary applications. This cultivar is particularly popular in South Asian cuisine and grows as a large herbaceous plant reaching 15-20 feet tall. The fruits are harvested green and firm, making them perfect for frying, boiling, or baking.
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Example Plantain Indian Green timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
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Plant Plantain Indian Green
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
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Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
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Harvest Plantain Indian Green
Around Nov 8≈ 270 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Plantain Indian Green dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Thrives in zones 10b-12; requires warm tropical or subtropical climates year-round
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Get my Plantain Indian Green timeline →Growth Stages
Vegetative Growth
4-8 monthsPlant rapidly produces large leaves; pseudostem thickens and extends upward
Maintain regular watering and feeding schedule. Provide windbreak protection. Remove dead or damaged leaves. Apply potassium-rich fertilizer every 6-8 weeks.
Flowering & Inflorescence
2-3 monthsPurple or reddish flower bud emerges from top; flowers bloom in sequence along the rachis
Continue fertilizing with high potassium content. Ensure steady water supply. The flower bud may require support if plant is in windy location.
Fruit Development
3-4 monthsSmall fruits (fingers) cluster together in bunches (hands); green color develops
Provide strong support for the developing bunch. Water heavily and consistently. Apply foliar potassium spray. Remove damaged fruits early.
Maturation & Harvest
Ongoing; harvest lasts 2-3 weeks as fruits mature at different ratesFruits reach full size, remain firm and green; angular edges become more rounded
Monitor for ripeness by slight color change and firmness. Harvest when fruits are plump but still green. After harvest, the main plant may produce suckers for next season.
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
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Remove and destroy affected corms; use nematodes for biological control; plant resistant varieties when available; maintain clean cultural practices
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Spray with water to dislodge; use neem oil or insecticidal soap; maintain adequate humidity
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Remove affected leaves; use sticky traps; apply neem oil spray; encourage natural predators
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Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; prune heavily infested leaves; isolate affected plants
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Prune affected leaves; spray with neem oil; maintain good air circulation; destroy fallen debris
Uses
Savory Cooking & Frying
CulinaryPlantains are staple cooking vegetables in tropical cuisines, used fried as chips, boiled, baked, or mashed into savory dishes like mofongo, tostones, and fufu. Their high starch content and neutral flavor make them ideal for both sweet and savory preparations. [source]
Nutritional Staple Carbohydrate
CulinaryRich in resistant starch, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C, plantains provide sustained energy and important minerals in traditional diets throughout Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. [source]
Traditional Digestive & Anti-inflammatory Remedy
MedicinalUsed in traditional medicine to soothe digestive systems and reduce inflammation; the high resistant starch content supports beneficial gut bacteria and digestive health. [source]
Plant Fiber Production
HouseholdThe large leaves and pseudostem fibers have been historically used to create textiles, mats, and wrappers in various cultures, with fibers showing potential for sustainable material production. [source]
Habitat & Wildlife Support
WildlifeThe tall plant structure and large leaves provide shelter and shade for wildlife, while fallen fruits and spent plant material create valuable habitat resources and organic matter in tropical agroecosystems. [source]
This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.
Harvest Tips
Harvest when fruits are full-sized and firm but still completely green; this typically occurs 9-12 months after flowering. Cut the entire bunch with a sharp machete or knife, leaving 12 inches of stem. Place bunch on supports to ripen slowly. For cooking, harvest at this green stage and use within 1-2 weeks. Individual hands can be cut as needed for ripening.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Plantain Indian Green is technically a 'cooking banana' rather than a true plantain (the distinction is based on use rather than strict botanical classification), and this variety is especially valued in South Indian cooking where it appears in curries, chips, and steamed preparations.
- 🌱 Unlike dessert bananas that sweeten as they ripen, plantains remain starchy and savory throughout ripening, making them the only choice for many traditional dishes that would be ruined by sweetness.
- 🌱 A single mature plantain plant produces only one large bunch of fruits (containing 50-150+ individual fingers), then the main pseudostem dies back, though it will regrow from underground suckers for subsequent harvests in following years.
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
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