As you know, there is a lot of heat in our regions these days. I als brought most of my bananas outside and they are all like that. It's simply that the plant cannot take up enough water. As a reaction to the large amount of sunshine, a bananaplant folds its leaves to stop the vapourating water. It's normal behaviour.
A little more shade would be appreciated.
Simon

Hi Simon. Thank you for that prompt reply. I'm so pleased to know that I'm not doing anything wrong! I have moved it to a more shady position now and will keep it well watered until I come to plant it out in the garden. When the time comes to plant out, will it still need a shady position as I thought that banana's liked lots of sunlight? Any help you can give would be grately appreciated.

Thank you.

Only small plants need some shade and some types like a lot of shade (itinerans ex.). Normally pups grow in the shade of the motherplant.
A larger one can take a lot of sun, if it has enough water around.
(again a .... advertisement from i-village....)
Simon

Hi again. Thanks for that. My plant has four pups growing at the moment in its pot which is encouraging. I will start looking for a suitable spot in the garden for it. Sorry for all the questions but I'm a complete novice. How long do you think I should leave my plant in its pot outside for (to aclimatise) before planting out?

You've been a real help - thank you!

Whereabouts in the UK are you? Unless you're getting extremely cold nights, you'll be fine to keep it outdoors day and night now. The only thing to watch out for is that plants that are moved from the much lower light levels of an indoor position into a sunny position outdoors can suffer leaf-scorch. However, you've been putting it outdoors during the day anyway, so that won't be a problem for you.

Hi again. I'm in Kent, so it dosn't get too cold at night especially at the moment. I'm just not sure how long to wait for it to aclimatise before actually planting it in the garden. What would you suggest?

Also, concerning finding the right position in the garden for the plant, does anyone know how far the roots spread out? I have a plot in mind for it but it is close to a very deep bedded stone wall. Would the plant cause any damage?

Thank you.

I worry more about the leaves sunburning. Once the leaves are OK with the sun, you can plant into the ground unless it's really cold and soggy.

I have a musa basjoo - actually a grove now, in a skinny spot between my foundation wall and my pond. So far so good. Bananas have surprisingly small root systems, although the musa does spread over time to become a mat that extends several feet, presumably more over time (I'm only on year two here).

My advice is go get it in the ground as soon as possible (with the proviso, as mentioned above, that it needs to be acclimatised to the amount of sunlight it will receive in its final planting site). You'll be amazed at how much faster it grows and how much happier it will look! My young basjoo went in the ground in mid-April. Try to site it somewhere that is sheltered from the wind, or the leaves might end up a bit tattered. I've never heard of banana roots causing structural damage (perhaps others with more knowledge can advise?) Banana roots are fairly fleshy, not like the hard, woody roots of shrubs.

Thats excellent. Thank you so much for your help. I'm very grateful.

Take care now.

I agree - getting it in the ground should make it happier. The root system is not trivial, but will just grow around any obstacles it finds. Your wall should not be a problem.

Keep us updated on your bananas in Kent.
s.