Last year I grew a "truly tiny" dwarf musa in 5-1-1 and it thrived pretty well. Started as a tiny plant (maybe 3 inches tall, with a few spindly leaves, looked half dead) in May, was about 3 ft wide and high, putting out leaves over 18" long each week by the end of August. I grew it as an annual, for fun, due to my zone and lack of space to overwinter it. I gave it lots of fertilizer and water, had to repot three times between may and september, did not realize how fast it would grow. Daniel

I have calamansi and papaya trees. The calamansi is 1 1/2 years old and about 8 inches tall. It can be grown as a container plant or grown outside. I also have a papaya from hawaii that can be grown as a large potted plant or grown outside. I think the calamansi would be a better choice. here is a link : Calamondin or Calamansi (scientific name: Citrus icrocarpa) is a fruit tree in the family Rutaceae that was developed in and is very popular throughout Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines, where it is most commonly used for cooking. In the west it is variously known as acid orange, calamondin orange, Chinese Orange or Panama orange. In the Philippines it is called calamansi/kalamansî It is a shrub or small tree growing to 3Â6 m, and bears small citrus fruit used to flavor foods and drinks. Although sometimes described as a native of the Philippines or other areas of Southeast Asia, the tree is in fact the result of a hybrid between species in the genus Citrus and unknown in the wild. Hybrids between Citrus species have been cultivated for so long that the origins of most are obscure. It is generally held that most species in cultivation are ancient apomictic hybrids and selected cultivars of these hybrids, including crosses with segregate genera such as Fortunella and Poncirus. The calamondin is usually described as a cross between Citrus reticulata (Tangerine or Mandarin orange) and Citrus japonica Oval Kumquat group.[1] If the segregate genus Fortunella is recognised the calamondin is treated as an intergeneric hybrid in the nothogenus ÃCitrofortunella. The fruit of the calamondin resembles a small, round lime, usually 25-35mm in diameter, but sometimes up to 45mm. It has the color of a tangerine with a very thin green or orange colored peel. Despite its appearance and aroma, the taste of the fruit itself is quite sour, though the peel is sweet. Putting the whole fruit into the mouth often leads to surprise from first-time tasters at the combination of sweet and sour. The fruit can be frozen whole and used as ice cubes in beverages like tea or ginger ale. The juice extracted by crushing the whole fruit makes a flavorful drink similar to lemonade, and a liqueur can also be made from the whole fruits, in combination with vodka and sugar. In Asia the juice is used to season fish, fowl, and pork. Kalamansî is commonly used as a condiment for dishes such as pancit bihon. Calamondin marmalade can be made in the same way as orange marmalade. Like other citrus fruits, the calamondin is high in vitamin C.[2] In North America, the calamondin is grown mainly as an ornamental plant; it can be especially attractive when the fruit are present. It is frost sensitive and therefore limited to warm climates (e.g., Florida, California, south Texas, and Hawaii in the U.S.). If the plant is potted, it may be brought indoors during the winter in areas with cooler climates.[3] I agree with the above except for the fact that the calamansi is not sour - it tastes like a mix between a lemon and an orange - so sour&sweet at the same time.

Thanks guys. Daryl, how do you make it go dormant? Do you keep in a cold room or cool dark basement? I overwintered my esete by watering sparingly and keeping in a bright window. Now I'm adjusting it back to outdoor sun. I did obtain some musa basjoo seeds and so far 3 out of 5 have sprouted. I look forward to growing this one as well but, the musa acuminata potted plants were in the houseplant section at the store and I couldn't resist. Thanks, Glen

They are super dwarfs.