Do you remember the song, "Yes, we have no bananas"?

Must need huge glasses to fit a wedge of that?

I have 4 different kinds of lemons here. Make lemon pies, eat alot of fish comes in handy for that and if you cook at all those big ones come in handy for the zest.

Now I need the help of a banana grower.

What do I do?

Sit and wait for yellow to appear?

Cut the whole stalk down and hang it -- or lay it down?

Cut off one "hand" and put it in a bag with apple peels?

I sure wish these things came with directions.

FBF,
I would wait until the bananas ripen (start to turn yellow) on the plant since they will be much sweeter that way.

The bananas that are available in the grocery store are picked green so they can be transported to their final destination.without rotting.

Patience, grasshopper, patience. (:o)

Flyboy ...
I'm watching your progress with your banana so keep reporting what you do, please. I have a Musa cavendish ‘Super Dwarf’ I'm babying right now. It's beautiful but no banana yet. I had to move it in the house due to some chilly nights here. Remember my DH's exercise program I told you about? Well, I'm keeping him nice and fit. ☺

If anyone has any specific info on this banana, please let me know. :-)
~Susan

treelover3~

Your advice seems to agree with most I've gotten locally. I am now waiting, and watching, for the first sign of "yellow."

io1` How old is it? (The musa, not the DH.)

Be well

(o_O)

flyboy,
I just checked my receipt, and I ordered it on 2-18 of this year. Will try to post a pic. It's not as happy in the house, but I'll let the DH get his exercise again LOL and put it out. I think our temps will be okay for a couple of days. Then I'm sure he'll need some exercise again. hahaha

Flyboy, leave them until they are ripe(YELLOW). You can pick them green but they'll be better if let to ripen on the tree.

Susan you are going to have problems getting bananas off your Cavendish. First and number one problem is when it flowers, if it flowers in your house you'll not get it pollinated. Also I think that banana simply won't get enough sunlight and probably will go dormant which isn't a problem. Just don't cut any of the stem and put it back outside as soon as possible. I've been trying to get bananas for a couple of years and no success yet. I also have a few fiber bananas for show and they flowered this year but didn't get pollinated, I guess bats should have done it but the bats were lazy this year I guess.

You can see that mine started growing in my yard in June 2008 -- the blossom appeared in the end of July, this year.

Wishing can make it grow Wasn't there an old song like that?

and CORE~

I hear and I obey.

Be well

(o_O)

CoreHHI
If it stays outside most of the time except on the coldest of nights/days, what are my chances at bananas?

You're going to need about 18 months all together. Add to that cold and it's probably more like two years. I'm on the coast and we grow bananas but for show not go. LOL. Even people right on the water have trouble ever getting a banana so it's worth while to play with but chances are not in your favor. Right now 'Viente Cohol banana' is all the rage with the cold climate people. Supposed to ripen in 6 months and be a sweet banana, can't confirm that but I know someone growing one this year. http://www.going-bananas.com/bananaplantdescriptions.htm They sell the Viente Cohol, look around that web site.

If any of you dear readers are really interested, write to:

Scot Nelson

He is with the University there, and will send you a CD (free.) Ask for one. It is most interesting.

Bananas are a big crop over there -- and they are very serious about them.

Be well

(o_O)

I just ended six years of banana cultivation.
At this time last year I had over twenty trees,
many of which bore lots of fruit with beautiful
flowers. The bananas tasted lousy...starchy...
but cooked well.

Then it didn't rain for about six months and
I was busy watering things I like better, like
papaya trees. Every banana tree bit the dust.
No suckers, seedlings, offshoots...like
totally dead.

I really didn't think anything would kill them.
But they are history without water.

Well, I have eaten one -- and it was (almost) delicious. I had to force ripen it -- which was probably wrong. I am still, patiently, waiting for those on the tree to start turning yellow.

It throws pups like -- you fill in the word. It is hard to conceive anything killing them.

But we do have water -- so that's good. And we are right on the water -- which probably helps.

Be well

(o_O)

Now it's getting serious.

The winds have started, and the main tree is leaning.

The stalk is getting closer to the ground.

This is a closeup of the top hand.

Does anyone want to make an analysis?

When do I start cutting?

Be well

(o_O)

Thats usally what happens to mine time to cut it down or take half off to make it not so heavy

WOW.

We have finally started eating them (and distributing them to our friends and neighbors).

They are delicious. Nothing like what comes from the store.

I decided to keep my options open, so I had a ring of hands cut from the bottom of the stalk -- and I hung it inside my garage. They were still all green -- and hard.

I separated a couple and put them in a plastic bag -- with an apple.

By the time these had turned yellow, the hanging bunch in the garage also started to turn. But, unusually, one banana on the bunch had been accidentally slashed during the extraction from the tree. It had turned ripe yellow -- and the bananas around it had also turned yellow.

Last night, in a flash, the whole thing turned yellow (with some tiny patches of green.)

So -- we started eating -- and I started distributing. Two people in a family cannot possibly keep up with the produce.

Those still hanging on the tree have a couple of individual bananas starting to turn yellow -- so I think I'll pick them by hand.

As for the rest -- still green and hard -- I have to play it carefully. Our first great-grandson is coming down over Christmas and I have to co-ordinate their ripening with his stay. Nothing is simple.

But, now I consider myself a banana maven.

Wish some of you DGers were around so that I could distribute some of the baby trees.

Be well

(o_O)

I wish you knew the name of it I have 4 different named ones here we could trade. If you think you would care for a different kind. I am working with a citrus nursery selling there trees if theres a certain kind you would like let me know prices are cheap. 20 different kinds of oranges 18 different kinds of mandarins 7 lemons 6 different limes 11 different grapefruits 5 different pummelos 4 different kind of kumquats you name it they have it macadameon lychees you name it they have it 3 ft citrus for 25.00 can't beat it with a stick lol

No trades. I have no room. Any more plants I will have to move.

Be well

(o_O)

The only name I know here is that face on the coin.

He is (was) JFK.

Be well

(o_O)

I have that one got it from a member had it now year and half no babies no bananas apple monzo I think they call it

Well -- mine has had many babies -- and bountiful fruit.

Maybe I am lucky -- or it's not an Apple Monzo.

Be well

(o_O)

If one waits long enough ......

This is the top, telling my neighbors that it's time for more.

(o_O)

My mangos have the flowers coming now looks like it might be a bad year for those if they flower now and then the cold comes. Your nannners look good Merry Christmas!

And a Merry -- and Happy Christmas to you.

The bananas not only look good -- they are delicious as well. It'll be tough going back to store-bought ones when these are gone.

These little fruits, when eaten just ripe, are smooth and tasty. WOW.

I may keep two of the babies for next year.

No buds on my Carrie.

Be well

(o_O)

So, the bananas are eaten -- the now-dead pseudostem has been sent to the compost heap -- four babies have been sent out for adoption -- and this is what is remaining.

Wait until next year.

Be well

(o_O)

FB,
Is that photo current? The reason I ask is because of the freezing weather that FL experienced recently. It does not look like you got any frost or freezing temperatures at all. Is that true?
Thanks,
tl³

tl~

We are on an island, surrounded by fairly warm waters.

That made a difference.

And, the photo was taken yesterday AM.

Be well

(o_O)

Thanks!
tl³

No new blossom yet.

But I also just planted a pigmy banana to catch up with the big boys.

Be well

(o_O)

If I was you I would go for an Ae-Ae banana, the fruit is supposed to be striped as well as the leaves. I've never seen one in real life BTW. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/277159/

I am waiting for the price to come down and I will find one like the one Florida too

Uggghhh.

Pretty scary.

As for bananas, I plant only what I get for free -- and I know that it grows here.

Be well

(o_O)

lol walk on the wild side never know what your going to get!

WOW

(o_O)

Well, it finally happened!

Anybody care to bet on how long I'll have to wait for home grown Bananas Foster?

Be well

(o_O)

Mine just started too noticed the start of little bananas started too late in the year I'm afraid Winter was too hard on them

Hope the winter starts off gently.

These propbably won't be ripe until Xmas..

Be well

(o_O)

They're coming.