Ice cream banana in 8a

[Hardypalms]

Hi

Last fall i bought an ice cream banana in Orlando.

I m in 8a north of Atlanta.

I m experienced with in ground bananas, i got 6 hardy varieties.

Shall i keep it in a container ? Or do i have a shot in ground for it to make it next winter well mulched (The corm that is, the plant will die).?

 

Thxs

 

Pat

Edited February 25, 2024 by Hardypalms
Typo

[kinzyjr]

On 2/25/2024 at 12:33 PM, Hardypalms said:

Shall i keep it in a container ? Or do i have a shot in ground for it to make it next winter well mulched (The corm that is, the plant will die).?

You'll probably want to keep this one in a container.

[Hardypalms]

Ok thxs

[Dartolution]

Which kind of "Ice Cream" banana is this? Namwah or Blue Java?
I have Namwah's in the ground here in south/central alabama (8a/8b) which grow fine and flower yearly.  I grew this one from tissue culture, and the first year I did keep it potted and grew it out to a 5 gallon size. The next spring in March here it was planted out, and the season after flowered and fruited (Unfortunately the deep arctic blast in Dec 22' killed the rack I had on it). 

 

I believe blue java is also ground hardy at least in 8a. 

The trick is feeding the crap out of them the first season to beef them up and grow the corm, and continuing each year to provide them with enough nutrients. 

 

Bananas are super hungry fast growing herbaceous perennials that require 3 simple things to perform well:

1) FULL SUN 

2) WATER!!!

3) FERTILIZER

 

Give them that in abundance and you'll have a big mat in no time.  

[Allen]

I know someone here that left them in ground unprotected for years.

[Hardypalms]

4 hours ago, Allen said:

I know someone here that left them in ground unprotected for years.

Ok so I might try if they do OK in TN

 

Thxs

 

Pat

[Hardypalms]

5 hours ago, Dartolution said:

Which kind of "Ice Cream" banana is this? Namwah or Blue Java?

 

Yes I have had lots of bananas inground for 20 years. I just don't have this one.

Any way to find out if it's a Namwah or Blue Java? I bought it in Jacksonville.

Thxs

Pat

 

[Dartolution]

@Hardypalms

There's a few ways to tell Namwah vs Blue Java appart. 

One of the easiest is the bananas themselves. Blue Java bananas have a sort of knuckle where they attach to the rack, whereas namwah do not. 

Namwah bananas are generally more beefy with the pseudostems being quite substantial compared to Blue Java, but BJ's and Namwahs can be exceedingly difficult to tell apparent when smaller. 

 

Those are the only ways I know off the top of my head.