A Rare Banana

[Moose]

Next task is to chunk up the trunk. I used the reciprocating saw for that. I threw the chunks in my Rubber Maid cart to move them to an area in the back of the property. The ends of the cut stems were white which were quickly turning darker in color. Rapid oxidation possibly caused by exposing stored sugars in the stem to the air.

Palm crazy - I usually do keep the leaves. I throw them down in a secluded area and cover with mulch. Since there was no mulch on hand I elected to toss them. Going into the dry season. I did not want the leaves covering a large area blocking water penetration. When I cover the leaves with mulch they break down very rapidly.

[Moose]

[The stem removal continues which quickly fills a second cart load. The stem is in the second photo. Angular cut working around the sucker trying to do them any harm. Smaller pieces of the stem are now removed navigating around the suckers, the stem is now cut down as far as I'm gonna go. The last cart of banana stem debris, these are all the whittling down pieces.

[Moose]

All the stem pieces were hauled to the back and placed on older mulch that has very active microbial activity going on. The Fiji dwarf Coconut and Corypha umbraculifera will surely appreciate all this rich organic material getting down into the soil. The earthworms will be having a big party soon.

[Moose]

Using the serrated steak knife again all the fruit are separated from the main fruit stalk. The harvest yield is 134 salvageable bananas. The bag is full of those which fell off. They are heading to a family friend who will cook them green, just like a plantain. The bottle is for scale on some of the larger bananas. I've grown much larger AeAe bananas but those where grown during the hot rainy season. This is my first winter harvest of these bananas.

Elvis has left the building ...

[Cindy Adair]

Yours is amazing Ron! Thanks so much for all the photos and information!

I am still in Puerto Rico so was able to photograph one I bought in NC at the farmer's market and planted here in November. The one I posted about earlier in this topic is still fine in Virginia in a greenhouse but too big to easily move.

I hope I can get the exuberant growth that you enjoy and eat striped bananas eventually! The leaf on the left is new since November.

[SanDimas]

Hello everyone!

I cant believe PT has only one article on bananas.

I found this on the 5th page and started in 2012.

I have to admit I think Im going bananas!

Just ordered a few naners from Florida Hill Nursery.

So much drama going on @ bananas.org.

Definitely not like the cultured and well mannered PT members.

Funny thing with that hobby is that for California, we can only acquire

tissue culture if ordering from out of state.

Secondly the varieties you order are often misID/mislabelled.

I guess thats what you get if what youre growing doesnt seed

but propagated by corm/pups.

Anyone else on PT growing ice blue java cream, mona lisa,

dwarf brazilian and manzana?

Cheers everyone!

[Funkthulhu]

Hello everyone!

I cant believe PT has only one article on bananas.

I found this on the 5th page and started in 2012.

I have to admit I think Im going bananas!

Just ordered a few naners from Florida Hill Nursery.

So much drama going on @ bananas.org.

Definitely not like the cultured and well mannered PT members.

Funny thing with that hobby is that for California, we can only acquire

tissue culture if ordering from out of state.

Secondly the varieties you order are often misID/mislabelled.

I guess thats what you get if what youre growing doesnt seed

but propagated by corm/pups.

Anyone else on PT growing ice blue java cream, mona lisa,

dwarf brazilian and manzana?

Cheers everyone!

Use the search function, there are scads of banana articles!

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/45407-what-types-of-bananas-are-you-growing/?hl=banana

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/45373-musa-velutina-as-an-indoor-plant/?hl=banana

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/43613-growing-bananas-in-australia/?hl=banana

[grant b.]

Hello everyone!

I cant believe PT has only one article on bananas.

I found this on the 5th page and started in 2012.

I have to admit I think Im going bananas!

Just ordered a few naners from Florida Hill Nursery.

So much drama going on @ bananas.org.

Definitely not like the cultured and well mannered PT members.

Funny thing with that hobby is that for California, we can only acquire

tissue culture if ordering from out of state.

Secondly the varieties you order are often misID/mislabelled.

I guess thats what you get if what youre growing doesnt seed

but propagated by corm/pups.

Anyone else on PT growing ice blue java cream, mona lisa,

dwarf brazilian and manzana?

Cheers everyone!

sorry I didn't see this earlier. I am growing Mona Lisa. I have two plants I acquired from JDA about a year ago as small 1 gallon plants. they are in 15 gallon pots now and have grown quickly and problem free in full sun. from what ive been told and read, they are supposed to be disease and pest resistant, wind and cold tolerant, and delicious on top of all that.

[SanDimas]

Heres a taste report on those Ae Aes

Moose harvested back in January.

Courtesy of bananas.org

http://www.bananas.org/f2/aeae-tasting-report-ripe-out-hand-17601.html

[SanDimas]

GB

I purchased a tissue culture of MLisa from Florida Hill Nursery.

The problem with these naner retailers is that you will get the

variety you order 40-50% of the time. Its always better anyways

to purchase from pup as opposed to tissue culture.

Check this out>>>>> http://www.bananas.org/f2/what-did-you-harvest-today-bananas-10225.html