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Richard
11-17-2009, 11:31 AM
A football size bud has been emerging from my dwarf Orinoco the last few weeks. Today I woke up to find it was completely pushed out and opening.

:woohoonaner:

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=26902&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=26902)

momoese
11-17-2009, 12:04 PM
Well it didn't waste any time opening! Looks like it almost choked.

austinl01
11-17-2009, 12:22 PM
Congrats! How tall is the pseudostem? It looks like about 6 feet.

mjdsinsacto
11-17-2009, 12:41 PM
Happy day!:)

Richard
11-17-2009, 01:07 PM
Congrats! How tall is the pseudostem? It looks like about 6 feet.

Although it looks tall compared to the fence, it is in a raised bed. The p-stem height is 1.3 meter (4 ft 4 in).

LilRaverBoi
11-17-2009, 01:16 PM
Woot woot! Awesome! Congrats on the bloom!

Abnshrek
11-17-2009, 01:36 PM
that is too cool, congrats :^)

sbl
11-17-2009, 06:35 PM
Congrats! Do you have to worry about getting it thru the winter now?

Richard
11-17-2009, 07:00 PM
It will require care. Here is what last winter looked like, this one is predicted to have about double the precipitation spread out over a period of months:

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=26910&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=26910)

Worm_Farmer
11-17-2009, 08:05 PM
Although it looks tall compared to the fence, it is in a raised bed. The p-stem height is 1.3 meter (4 ft 4 in).

:eek: That is awesome! I thought mine was a dwarf Orinoco but its about 7 - 8' right now. Maybe I didn't get what I wanted.

Richard
11-17-2009, 09:15 PM
:eek: That is awesome! I thought mine was a dwarf Orinoco but its about 7 - 8' right now. Maybe I didn't get what I wanted.

Mine is likely shorter from living in a container most of its life.

Kevin
11-17-2009, 09:45 PM
It will require care.

What kind of care will it need? Are you referring to rainfall?

moonboy87
11-17-2009, 10:03 PM
It will require love! Yeah? :D Congrats Richard, looks stunning :D

Richard
11-17-2009, 10:14 PM
It will require love! Yeah? :D Congrats Richard, looks stunning :D

Yes, and insuring that I don't over water it with respect to rainfall and watching the weather forecast for any unusual freeze like we had in 2007.

Kevin
11-17-2009, 10:51 PM
Isn't dwarf Orinoco hardy to zone 7? Or are you concerned about the fruit, that it can't handle freezing?

palmtree
11-18-2009, 12:03 AM
Congrats! The dwarf bananas are one of my favs because they are closer to reaching level which means easier picking, and the banana fruit are small and really convienent. But as with any fruiting banana, the sight is beautiful.

Winter may be comming, but it looks like you have something to enjoy. :)

Richard
11-18-2009, 12:26 AM
Isn't dwarf Orinoco hardy to zone 7? Or are you concerned about the fruit, that it can't handle freezing?

Frozen unripe bananas are not on the menu here. :D

Richard
11-18-2009, 12:30 AM
... and the banana fruit are small ...

Several of the shorter cultivars (under 8 foot p-stem) produce fruit as large or larger than chiquita :)

harveyc
11-18-2009, 01:09 AM
I'll guess 36 fingers ;)

bikoro child
11-18-2009, 03:33 AM
Congrats for that great flowering...In case of cold times have you imagined to overwinter the bud?I tried it here one year with a basjoo flowers(by wrapping the bud and using a Xmas lighting) and it has worked...

Richard
11-18-2009, 11:51 AM
I'll guess 36 fingers ;)

Each hand has 10 fingers, so far there are 5 hands showing.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=26945&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=26945)

harveyc
11-18-2009, 01:07 PM
Oh, I meant 72. That's impressive for a bud that developed as a potted plant!

CValentine
11-18-2009, 01:18 PM
AWESOME AND Beautiful Richard!! :) ~Cheryl

Dalmatiansoap
11-18-2009, 01:22 PM
Great looking Richard!
Still isnt too late for contest??:ha::ha:
:woohoonaner:

Richard
11-18-2009, 02:35 PM
Oh, I meant 72. That's impressive for a bud that developed as a potted plant!

It was in a 15 gallon for a year, then a 25 gallon tub, then (finally!) into the bed for the last few months.

You're expecting 8 hands, one with only 2 fingers? :confused:

harveyc
11-18-2009, 06:24 PM
Some hands may have more or less than others and often the last hand will be a mixture of female and male flowers. It's a guess and only worth the price of admission! ;)

momoese
11-18-2009, 07:48 PM
The Misi Luki from my last contest had 2 fingers on the last hand.

Greenie
11-19-2009, 08:36 PM
congrats
:bananas_b

LilRaverBoi
11-21-2009, 05:08 AM
Yeah, um....you don't wanna see that little graph from Iowa. There would have to be another one for snowfall (and a foot of snow equals an inch of rain.....so 1.5" of rain....yeah, um.....suckage). And honestly, we don't even get as much snow as MN and WI. I really give ultimate props to everyone in zone 5 or less that grows bananas for this reason!

Richard
11-24-2009, 07:30 PM
7 hands and counting!

harveyc
11-24-2009, 08:38 PM
Still 10 fingers on each hand? If so, just 2 more fingers before I win the phantom contest! :D

NANAMAN
11-25-2009, 09:17 PM
Congrats!!!!

ron_mcb
11-25-2009, 10:04 PM
congratulations on your dwarf o fruiting. all my dwarf orinoco have under 5 feet of p stem too. it has never been in a container since i bought it.its still holding the bunch fine. i just posted an updated pic today.:bananas_b

Richard
12-05-2009, 02:35 PM
It appears the male flowers are starting. I'm inclined to cut the rachis off below the first set of males so that the plant can put more resources into the fruit.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=27461&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=27461)

frog7994
12-05-2009, 11:33 PM
all ways nice to see one break through.

harveyc
12-06-2009, 01:36 PM
Looking good Richard.

Gabe once posted something about a study that showed no difference in fruit formation if the bud was cut off or not. But cutting it off does make it easier to bag the fruit and I've seen some things to support doing that (can protect from insects but also act as a mini-greenhouse). I did once read that it should be cut several inches below the last fruits as the cut can become infected. I never saw any infections on mine, but it did shrivel up an inch or so.

How many fingers did you end up with?

Richard
12-06-2009, 08:16 PM
... Gabe once posted something about a study that showed no difference in fruit formation if the bud was cut off or not. ...

I believe the study was conducted in essentially summer weather?

harveyc
12-07-2009, 12:50 AM
I believe the study was conducted in essentially summer weather?

I believe so. If no significant difference is noted in warm weather, I see no reason to expect a difference in cooler weather. If a modest difference was noted in warm weather, I might expect a bigger difference in marginal conditions. I've seen no report of a difference in cooler weather. In 2009 I had 3 bunches and left the bud on my 1 Dwarf Brazilian but it didn't ripen very well at all, but the other 2 were different varieties so it really isn't comparable. It may help to cut off the bud but it might not. It would be great to have someone with enough plants with fruit to do a comparison.

Have you counted the fingers yet?

Richard
12-09-2009, 06:23 PM
How many fingers did you end up with?

I cut the bud off below the 3rd full set of male flowers. There are currently 58 fruits on the plant.

:woohoonaner: