WHO says bananas can’t be grown outdoors in Britain?

Several of the tropical fruit trees thriving in the Test Valley.

Helen Morey from Lockerley has to clamber up a step ladder to reach the fruit on one of her plants which is about eight feet tall. “I bought one plant for my brother about 12 years ago and when he died. This year it has produced the best crop ever. It has four or five hands of bananas on it,” said Mrs Morey.

She said this year’s fruit didn’t start to appear until late-August and the bananas are now several inches long.

Mrs Morey says she has been watering the plants regularly but otherwise they tend to look after themselves.

However, bananas are tender plants and they don’t like really cold conditions.

“I wrap them up in fleece and polythene during the winter months to protect them,” added Mrs Morey.

Bananas require moist and well drained soil and thrive in temperatures of about 27C or 80F.

In countries where bananas are normally grown it takes nine to 12 months from planting a rhizome to harvesting the first fruit.

Flowers normally appear in the sixth and seventh month on the plants which don’t have a growing season.