Bananas

Is this the time of year for bananas to start fruiting. I plant several types last year and while looking out my home office window, I notice that one the trees is fruiting. How long does it take for fruit to mature?

budgie
i am not really sure if there is a specific time of year for bananas to fruit. it seems to me they fruit all year. i have bananas, plaintains, praying hands, ornametal bananas, and the little finger bananas. it has been my experience that when ever it starts to fruit like your picture above it takes another 4 months or so to reach maturity. (or maybe it just feels like 4 months.) you might want to try to stake the plant up now because once the bananas start growing they get quite heavy and the entire plant my bend or topple over.
oooh they look delicious. do you know what kind they are. i like to take the bananas off when they are green and boil them like a potatoe.
cassandra

Thanks for the staking info. All I know if they're supposed to be the "Chiquita" type. LOL.
I do have some others including a Namwah which is supposed to be a dwarf dessert banana but I only planted it this summer when it was about 2 ft tall. It is now about 7-8 ft with 2 pups, about 18" and 3 ft next to it. I suppose I should separate them soon.

budgie,
also i usually just take bananas as i need them from the top (most ripe) some people cut the entire stem off. after you get all the fruit i cut it back to the ground and cut the stalk up and compost it.
enjoy you naners
cass

Thanks. Good Idea.
Jan...

jan,
sorry if a bit off the topic but i was just wondering by your name do you have birds? i have a canary outside that sings all day.

I use to raise many kinds of parrots and did some exhibiting of english budgies but it got to be very expensive and time consuming (had upwards of 300 birds at one time). Decided I wanted to explore other avenues like travel and gardening so now I only keep one pair of cocktiels that I hand raised from 2 weeks old. They are now breeding and I expect eggs within a month or so. I enjoy feeding and playing with baby birds and I will place the babies in homes, preferably to senior citizens or disabled who need companionship.
I also have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 hamsters (probably soon to be parents as my son doesn't like cleaning 2 cages (LOL) 8 red ear slider turtles and a tank of fish. Sure got my freedom didn't I?
Jan...

Budgie,
Plan on 90 days from bloom to ripe, with bananas....there isnt really a
"time" of year that they bloom, mine bloom anywhere from April until November, so just try and remember the dates that your bloom first started on that particular cluster.
MerryMary

I didn't notice them until they were at the stage in the picture so I'll just have to figure around the beginning of March. or so.

That would be about correct (March or April)....each petaal opens and exposes another hand of bananas, not all will actually develop, but you should get a few good ones. I leave mine on the tree as long as possible, I know many cut them and then hang them in the garage, but as long as your pest free, it should be ok for you too in zone 9b.

Thanks Mary.