View Single Post
Old 07-11-2020, 11:00 AM   #15 (permalink)
LukeSkyWRX
 
Location: Phoenix AZ
Zone: 9b
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 44
BananaBucks : 7,458
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was Thanked 58 Times in 37 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
Default Re: Building a desert banana patch, Phoenix AZ

It has been around 3 months since most of these plants went into the ground. currently we are over 110F most every day and it really shows what varieties like the heat. Most of these came from sddarkman619 and Going Bananas, along with some from local gardens and one from Ty


On the right is a generic icecream banana that I will probably have to move to a more shady spot as it just can't handle the heat. The left is a tall Namwah that I got from a local grower and it is really doing well, with almost no heat stress until temps started hitting +115F. Thinking of replacing the Ice cream with an Indian Hill Banana from Ty after seeing how well the Brazilian is doing, but that will have to wait till after peak summer heat.


Mostly smaller varieties in this group, left to right: D Brazilian, Goldfinger, Sweetheart, a small California Gold is in the back) all started as TCs indoor around January. D. Brazilian seems to really be doing well with the high heat and started stretching in the last weeks.


Front to back is Pisang Ceylon, Monthan, and Pisang Raja. the Raja is really impressing me as it started as a 6in tissue culture that went into the ground in March and quickly took the lead in growth. This might be a real winner in the hot climate here. The interplanted watermelons are also loving the heat and taking over providing some ground cover. All the plants in this planting started as the same height so it is interesting to see the difference after 3 months.



A separate planting in a different micro climate with a large shade tree nearby and a wall to the west to block late afternoon sun. These are doing really well and you can tell the stress level on them is lower in the high heat time. They grow slower in the milder times of year but more in the summer heat so it is interesting to see the difference. Left to Right: Local assumed D. Orinoco, D. Cavendish and Raja Puri. The RP was a corm in march with only 2inches of growth so it has really taken off and I think is also another strong variety for the area. I will likely move the Ice Cream over to this planting area in early fall so I can put a stronger plant in its current spot.
LukeSkyWRX is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To LukeSkyWRX
Said thanks: