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Olafhenny · 11-19-2012, 07:51 PM

Hi Carla,

While bananas are great plants and are great conversation pieces in places like Ohio and here
(HZ6), they take quite some time to develop from seed. And 13 year old boys do not have a
whole lot of attention span, especially if they are victims of ADHD.

Here is, what I would suggest instead of or concurrently with the bananas: Try castor beans
instead, more specifically the New Zealand purple.

I have received some seeds from a friend, living in Ontario, but due to a screw-up by Canada
post (their automated equipment read the sender’s address instead of the recipient’s and
promptly returned them

), they arrived quite late on May 15. I have no record when I actually
soaked/planted them, but it must have been on May 16/18 respectively or thereafter.

This picture of the sprouting plant was taken on May 25

Another shot of the same plant on June 14

And here toward the end of the season on October 24, a truly magnificent plant, 6 feet
high and seven wide, dwarfing the two year old basjoo banana behind it

A detail of some of the leaves.

Your Hardiness Zone is slightly warmer than mine. Therefore your son should have no problem
duplicating the above growth pattern. Unfortunately it will not be winter hardy in our climes.
Dave’s Plant Files specify it as hardy to -12^C (10^F), but it froze to death at -8.

If you are interested and give me your street address by private mail, I can spare 2 or 3 seeds
without costs to you (seeds I can be sure about germinating are scarce this year because of the
late planting) and if you include your email address, I can send you a copy of a write-up I did
for the local garden club, comparing the New Zealand purple with the common purple.

Good luck in your search for diversions for your son,
Olaf

11-19-2012, 07:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 272,231 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: Need some advice! Hi Carla, While bananas are great plants and are great conversation pieces in places like Ohio and here (HZ6), they take quite some time to develop from seed. And 13 year old boys do not have a whole lot of attention span, especially if they are victims of ADHD. Here is, what I would suggest instead of or concurrently with the bananas: Try castor beans instead, more specifically the New Zealand purple. I have received some seeds from a friend, living in Ontario, but due to a screw-up by Canada post (their automated equipment read the sender’s address instead of the recipient’s and promptly returned them ), they arrived quite late on May 15. I have no record when I actually soaked/planted them, but it must have been on May 16/18 respectively or thereafter. This picture of the sprouting plant was taken on May 25 Another shot of the same plant on June 14 And here toward the end of the season on October 24, a truly magnificent plant, 6 feet high and seven wide, dwarfing the two year old basjoo banana behind it A detail of some of the leaves. Your Hardiness Zone is slightly warmer than mine. Therefore your son should have no problem duplicating the above growth pattern. Unfortunately it will not be winter hardy in our climes. Dave’s Plant Files specify it as hardy to -12^C (10^F), but it froze to death at -8. If you are interested and give me your street address by private mail, I can spare 2 or 3 seeds without costs to you (seeds I can be sure about germinating are scarce this year because of the late planting) and if you include your email address, I can send you a copy of a write-up I did for the local garden club, comparing the New Zealand purple with the common purple. Good luck in your search for diversions for your son, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.