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Old 05-15-2017, 10:57 AM   #19 (permalink)
LoveR
 
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Location: Orange County, CA
Zone: 10a
Join Date: May 2017
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Default Re: Rookie needing a coach! Southern Cali zone 10a

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gabe15 View Post
Baker Creek is notorious for offering a lot of different types of products but they don't have very good quality control over them. On their seed sales, they often have poor germination and varieties which are not true to type. I know people personally who have grown seed for them and basically they just assume that whoever is providing seed is doing a good job, and keeping seed true to type is not as easy as most people would think.

I'm saying this in regards to the bananas because I highly doubt they really have a clue what they are selling. They are certainly not producing the plants themselves, and have no capacity to verify if they are true to type. They are cheap but you get what you pay for. And in this case you are paying for random tissue cultured plantlets which you are gambling are 1.) suitable for your needs and 2.) true to what they claim they are.

This is somewhat evidenced by the fact they are offering a 'Dwarf Maoli' (which is not a standard name for any cultivar) for gardeners on the US mainland. Compared to other true dwarf varieties, the shortest Maoli varieties are far from dwarf relative to other common dwarfs, and even if they were, they are relatively poorly suited to US mainland gardeners in most areas where other hardier banana varieties can be grown.

I would recommend anyone to stay clear of Baker Creek for bananas (or anything really in my opinion, unless they have something obscure which you absolutely can't find anywhere else from a more reputable dealer), and try to source your plants from members here or Going Bananas Nursery (Welcome to Going Bananas of Homestead, Florida!) where you can be confident you are getting what you pay for and getting a cultivar you have a chance at having success with.
That's been a great help and you're a wealth of knowledge. Thank you very much
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