Hello,
I posted before and I never got any answers from anyone... So I am hoping this time someone can help me...
I have a banana plant that was given me for thanksgiven from my brother in law... I dont know what kind it is... this is a pup from his trees... he digs them up every year... and brings them all in.... This is almost as big as I am....
Thank you for any help...
Susan
It isn't clear enough to tell what variety. Also alot of times you really can't tell until they fruit. The size, shape, fruit taste and texture are what we need to know. I have 11 varieties of which at least 6 look just alike.
It looks like a bigger pot is needed.
Susan, how are your new banana plants doing? Are the ants gone? Have you put them into bigger pots?
:-)
Hey Critter,
Well one has not leaves or stem but that was one I purchased and it may still be alive so I wont throw out.... You should see the one I got from HD just for the hell of it hubby and I drove there just to get out of house... is a little over an hour to get there... Well I was upset for they had no plants or so I thought...LOL Well it was a beautiful day and the man told me to take a look right outside those windows... Well there it was the banana tree with 2 VERY big stems and leaves and also a pup growing....LOL Now mind you we are on strike and money is tight but.... I knew I was going to get a good bonus for xmas so I said I deserve this...LOL so asked the man how much.... Now I really dont know if this was a bargin or not but I think it was this plant is bigger then me....
The other ones I have are doing really good... two have pups coming up... I just hope I can not kill them before the spring gets here... I am having problems with spider mites.... I really dont know what to use ... They started with one of the banana plants I got in the mail and also spread to all of my plumeria's .... Now they are not very bad as they were the first time but I saw a few on the plumeria today so now I will have to do something again...
Thank you so much for asking.... I feel funny asking for ID's here for seems not allot of people answer me... I did take a bath ya know... LOLOLOL :-) I will send a picture of the new banana which I also dont know the name of...LOL but you know I really dont care I just love them, I think they just look so nice and I can't wait for spring to come... :-)
Hope to hear back soon from ya and also could you tell me what you would have paid for this banana plant?
Susan
Hi Susan.
Spider mites are a problem for me every winter. Bananas hate winter. A variety of methods will help control spider mites. First, if you can get the banana in a place where you can spray, like a shower or tub, a sharp spray of water will do wonders. As you know, the mites like to live on the bottom of the leaf along the rib. Spray under every leaf. You could also spray with a soap spray or neem oil spray.
If you can't get the banana to a place it can be sprayed, here is another thing I sometimes do...I'll take an old towel or rag, saturate it in water or a solution of neem oil, and just wipe down the leaves by hand. This works pretty well.
I agree with cyberageous...so many of these bananas look alike at this stage that it's really hard to tell them apart.
Good luck. SB
Susan, I'm glad to hear your plants are doing well! I'm with you on figuring that as long as a banana has some green and hasn't turned mushy or dried brown, it's not dead, LOL. I have one tiny pup that hasn't grown any new leaves yet and has only one furled, half-brown leaf at the top of its stem... but it's not dead yet! :-)
I think you didn't get more responses for several reasons... (1) this is a new forum and doesn't seem to have as much traffic (yet) as some, (2) as several folks have said, it's hard to ID young plants, and (3) it wasn't clear to me in your first post if you were looking for help with identification, with growing, etc.... asking specific questions often generates more responses than asking for help generally.
...
As for your new plant, I'm sure that would be in the over-$100 range at a local nursery here that carries tropicals... but I wouldn't have paid that price tag or any other for it, as DH informs me that my inside growing space is "at capacity," and that one is too big to sneak in.... I think the banana pups in our dining room about put him over the edge this fall!
Hi Susan,
Banana mostly originated from the Tropics. I live in 7b zone, and had good-luck planting these banana out door. In the Falls, when the 1st frost browned the leaves. I cut them down to the ground, mulch them heavily with leaves, and pine straws. In early Spring (after last frost). I remove the mulch and viola! They grow right back and send out new shoots (babies). The only problem with this is; Banana needs 2-3 years to form flowers and make fruits. cut them back every falls, well you guessed it. No fruits, but only the pretty plants are left to enjoy.
P.S. I usually dig up some young shoots and keep them indoor, just in case some unforseen thing happens to my banana outdoor during the winter.
Here's a highly quoted and great link on storing bananas over winter. http://bananas.org/showthread.php?t=310
Dave.
My gosh Susan wish I had known you wanted a banana plant and i would have sent you one for the postage. They are not expensive here even in the nurseries. I am trying to kill mine and believe me it is not easy. I decided I wanted dwarf trees. Fran
Hello All,
Thank you all for your help with my banana trees... They are living so far and doing well... spider mites seem gone but can't wait to plant in the yard...
Fran I did not know you had them :-( I have my envelope going to you tomorrow for the seeds :-) Thanks again to everyone...
Susan
I chopped all my banana's down and presto I got new babies . So any of you northerers that want to grow them you can have one for the postage those flat rate boxes or send the money to cover that and I will send you one . I think its 8.15 if its still what it ws before...Fran
