Broken Banana Stalk with Fruit? Hang It Upside Down to Ripen

Critters snapped a 20-foot banana tree, leaving a half-ripe bunch hanging near the ground. The stalk is broken in a V-shape. Can the bananas be saved, or is it a total loss?

Salvage the Fruit, Then Remove the Mother Plant

Nick advises cutting the bunch off immediately and hanging it upside down in a cool, dark place (garage, laundry room). The bananas will ripen fully within a week or two. Do not leave them on the broken stalk—they'll rot or be eaten.

Banana Plant Life Cycle

Bananas fruit once per stalk. After fruiting, the mother plant dies. New shoots (pups) emerge from the underground rhizome to continue the clump. Cut the broken trunk down, chop it up, and wait for the next pup to mature.

Pro Tip

For best flavor, harvest bananas when they're plump and rounded but still green. Ripening off the plant yields better texture and sweetness than tree-ripened fruit.