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floridagrower
06-25-2010, 11:58 AM
Why is it that plant desciptions never mention the jumbo leaves on the PH? I guess the fruit is the big attraction but the leaves are huge. I'm pretty sure it's a Saba crossed with a sweet banana. It's basically a shorter Saba with crazy looking fruit. Also, PH was hardier than Raja Puri during this 2010's brutal winter for me.

LilRaverBoi
06-25-2010, 12:04 PM
How 'jumbo' of leaves are we talking? Do you have some pictures and/or measurements?

floridagrower
06-25-2010, 12:18 PM
30-40% Bigger than other tall types. And yes, it's PH because the mama fruited last year. Very good...

sunfish
06-25-2010, 12:25 PM
How 'jumbo' of leaves are we talking? Do you have some pictures and/or measurements?


Here you go,easy 8'

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=33240&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=33240&ppuser=2868)

Abnshrek
06-25-2010, 12:29 PM
Those are huge leaves. Glad they can take some weather too. :^)

djmb74
06-25-2010, 04:37 PM
I have a praying hand right next to my front door, the leaves are huge and its very beautiful.

Love it, right now its almost as tall as my house so its gotten good wind protection....

Worm_Farmer
06-25-2010, 07:17 PM
Yes, Agree Everyone loves mine just because of its pure size. Ill post a pic tomorrow when its sunny outside.
Honestly the Cool looking bunch and hardiness is why I chose the PH. The leafs just turned out to be a cool Plus.

ron_mcb
06-25-2010, 07:50 PM
Why is it that plant desciptions never mention the jumbo leaves on the PH? I guess the fruit is the big attraction but the leaves are huge

most of the descriptions for a lot of these bananas are parroted script from one or two people.

i found it is necessary to experiment for myself.. i have discovered a lot in the short while i have been growing.. look at my gran nain..or at least i hope they are.. i dont remember anyone ever mentioning how big the leaves can get.. the leaves have grown past two feet wide as of last week.

Gabe15
06-26-2010, 03:35 AM
Good observation, 'Praying Hands' is a Saba subgroup member and very similar to 'Saba' (though there are many different varieties that are all called 'Saba' with minor differences between them).

Here is a photo of a common local Hawaii Saba known as 'Dippig'.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=33286&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=33286&ppuser=5)

LilRaverBoi
06-26-2010, 11:27 AM
Damn, you guys are tempting me to get a Saba or PH now. I'm a sucker for MASSIVE leaves.

Bananaman88
06-26-2010, 01:51 PM
Sweet! I have a Praying Hands on the way from jimmmy...also a Thousand Fingers!

Worm_Farmer
06-27-2010, 04:13 PM
Yep, Big leafs

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=33349&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=33349)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=33348&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=33348)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=33350&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=33350)

floridagrower
06-27-2010, 04:47 PM
Anyone growing PH and Saba that can give a good comparison (leafs, height, stem size)?

Gabe15
06-27-2010, 10:07 PM
I should note that, although these plants have big leaves, the reason its probably not mentioned (to address the original question directly) is because its very normal. Bananas are known for having big leaves, and even the photo I showed is not unusual at all. If you ever walk through a germplasm collection in the tropics, and you were asked to describe the varieties, you would see that big leaves quickly becomes something common among countless varieties, sure some are bigger than others, but its not unusual.

The largest leaves I have seen were on a conservatory grown M. itinerans 'Burmese Blue'. They weren't even flowering yet, and there was no way I could measure them directly, but based on the things they were next to I estimate they were about 18ft long and 4-5ft wide. The plant in reference is in the photo below at the Denver Botanic Gardens. It is hard to gauge just how big it is from the photo, but in person it was a very impressive plant and one of the largest Musa I have ever seen up close.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=33387&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=33387&ppuser=5)

floridagrower
06-27-2010, 11:04 PM
Out of the commonly available types, I've only seen larger leaves on the PH and Saba. None of the other ones I have come close, despite having several types whose overall height is greater.

Velutina
06-28-2010, 12:20 AM
This thread almost made me buy Saba and Praying hands (I had my info input at banana-tree.com), but I decided not to since the only location I could plant them is in full sun in a Las Vegas summer. 109F, 10% humidity with sun all day long probably wouldn't be appreciated by a small plant dug up and shipped form a south Florida farm.

I do have a cardaba that is growing rapidly. I think that is related to Saba somehow...

Awesome pics in this thread!! I love the Denver greenhouse!!!

Rmplmnz
06-28-2010, 12:29 PM
Out of the commonly available types, I've only seen larger leaves on the PH and Saba. None of the other ones I have come close, despite having several types whose overall height is greater.

Jeff,
Just curious what banana varieties you are growing that have overall height greater than Saba?
Thanks,
Chris

floridagrower
06-28-2010, 08:06 PM
Jeff,
Just curious what banana varieties you are growing that have overall height greater than Saba?
Thanks,
Chris

None. I was referring to the PH with regard to the height. It has the biggest leaves of all the others I have so far. But it's not the tallest.

hydroid
06-28-2010, 08:07 PM
I got some sabas a couple of years ago from Chris and the leaves look like surfboards by mid summer. Ocaisionally I have folks stop in my front yard and ask me what I'm doing to my Banana plants, he he.:ha:
Bo

MediaHound
06-28-2010, 09:07 PM
This was my PH harvest back in '08:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=12432&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=12432&si=praying&what=allfields&name=mediahound&name=mediahound)

Rmplmnz
06-28-2010, 09:18 PM
I got some sabas a couple of years ago from Chris and the leaves look like surfboards by mid summer. Ocaisionally I have folks stop in my front yard and ask me what I'm doing to my Banana plants, he he.:ha:
Bo

Hey Bo..you have good stock;-)

:nanadrink:

This was my PH harvest back in '08:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=12432&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=12432&si=praying&what=allfields&name=mediahound&name=mediahound)

Post some pics of that MONSTA Saba Mrs. MediaHound was holding;-)

:nanadrink:

floridagrower
06-28-2010, 09:58 PM
Here is the parent in June 2009, after a pretty bad winter.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=33403&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=33403&ppuser=6069)

hydroid
06-29-2010, 08:58 AM
Chris, yes thanks once again for those sabas, they're amazing. I now have 3 big mats with around 6 to 8 plants in each. The bad winter got all my bananas including the big Sabas, but the new crop are coming back very healthy and green. I should have some 20 footers by end of summer.
Bo

Rmplmnz
06-29-2010, 01:09 PM
Chris, yes thanks once again for those sabas, they're amazing. I now have 3 big mats with around 6 to 8 plants in each. The bad winter got all my bananas including the big Sabas, but the new crop are coming back very healthy and green. I should have some 20 footers by end of summer.
Bo

Sweet..thanks for the words of gratitude Bo, I am glad to have made a friend!!

Later in the Summer post some pics of those 20 footers!

Thanks for the update:nanadrink:

heynow
07-01-2010, 03:51 PM
Praying Hands 09http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=23399&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=23399)

Rmplmnz
07-01-2010, 08:35 PM
Praying Hands 09http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=23399&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=23399)

Very nice Glenn!!

Looks like you put some of those fish heads in the soil...

Rmplmnz
07-17-2010, 01:08 PM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34359&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34359)http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34360&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34360)

YouTube - Praying Hands Banana.MOV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_jfq6xknpI)

'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves..Pitoga Bloom Dwarf Red
YouTube - Praying Hands Pitoga Dwarf Red.MOV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odfsr_8MF24)

Praying Hands Banana Pups
YouTube - Praying Hands III.MOV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3bZe29qGG0)

Dean W.
07-17-2010, 03:39 PM
Excellent videos and pics!:woohoonaner::0519:

floridagrower
07-17-2010, 04:27 PM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34359&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34359)http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34360&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34360)

YouTube - Praying Hands Banana.MOV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_jfq6xknpI)

'Praying Hands' and jumbo leaves..Pitoga Bloom Dwarf Red
YouTube - Praying Hands Pitoga Dwarf Red.MOV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odfsr_8MF24)

Very nice. Can you show your Saba vs PH for scale?

kaczercat
07-17-2010, 05:05 PM
excellent is right thanks for doing this, videos are much better then pictures especially on here ! :D

Rmplmnz
07-17-2010, 08:24 PM
Very nice. Can you show your Saba vs PH for scale?

I will put something together to compare the two...Sabas are significantly bigger....

I got hit pretty hard this past winter and some of the mattes are still making a comeback...so I may have to dig out some old pics...

Ok...who can ID the Saba in this pic??? First response gets 100 Banana Bucks!!:nanadrink:
I call this pic the Transformer Banana
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34387&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34387)


Easy to spot the three sabas...
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34388&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34388)

Randy4ut
07-17-2010, 09:34 PM
Great videos, Chris!!! My praying hands is really starting to expode from overwintering under my house. I was able to overwinter only about 5' of pstem and it rotted down to about 2' before I was able to get it to kick start this spring. It put out about 4 decent sized leaves and then, BOOM, the last three are HUGE!!! I did not realize just how much larger the leaves are than most of my other bananas this year... Yours are no exception... Again, thanks for sharing the video... I especially love the dwarf reds!!!

Rmplmnz
07-17-2010, 09:44 PM
Saba Banana Integrated Development Program
YouTube - Saba Banana Integrated Development Program (AVP) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2avRYaJkVM)


TURON
YouTube - TURON (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpVFK6gSWT0)

momoese
07-17-2010, 11:03 PM
Looks good! Can you explain what's in those, how you season them, what is used as a condiment for them etc.

Rmplmnz
07-17-2010, 11:18 PM
Looks good! Can you explain what's in those, how you season them, what is used as a condiment for them etc.

Thanks Mitchel!

Nothing special..I focus on creating the "Forest Floor"...I have been in the same house for 18 years and growing bananas for over 40 years.....I have never used chemical fertilizers (and I am not knowledgeable enough on this topic to debate those that do..just stating my experience)....I have had some trial and error....one time I was sitting in the back yard and it was like someone came through with a saw and cut everything down...I had added too much horse manure too close to the mattes and everything just fell over..."Live and Learn"

I add about 5 tons of leaves a year
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34392&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34392)
5 tons of tree mulch
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34390&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34390)
5 tons of horse manure a year
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34391&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34391)
and that is the bulk of it
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34389&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34389)
..sorta speak:nanadrink:

And "We" keep the rodent population in check:
Squirrel Patrol:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34393&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34393)http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34394&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34394)http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34396&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34396)http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34395&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34395)

Rat Patrol:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34397&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34397)http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34401&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34401)

Mosquito Control:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34441&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34441)

Bug Control:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34443&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34443)http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34444&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34444)

Lil' help from Mrs. Rmplmnz
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34400&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34400)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34399&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34399)http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34398&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34398)

Dalmatiansoap
07-18-2010, 03:06 AM
Great video and foto report. Man, thats a lot of shoveling there, but the plants are realy paying that hardwork back to You. Bravo!
:nanadrink:

Rmplmnz
07-18-2010, 07:32 AM
Great video and foto report. Man, thats a lot of shoveling there, but the plants are realy paying that hardwork back to You. Bravo!
:nanadrink:

Thanks..about 20 loads (ten tree mulch/ten horse manure) a year.

The leaves are a lot of work also....just creating the "Forrest Floor"....Probably more like the "Jungle Floor"...lol:nanadrink:

Abnshrek
07-18-2010, 08:33 AM
Some very nice photo's you edited in; Great update! You've raised your yard & self how many feet above your neighbors? :^)

Rmplmnz
07-18-2010, 08:38 AM
Some very nice photo's you edited in; Great update! You've raised your yard & self how many feet above your neighbors? :^)

Ha ha...several..then it just seems to sink back down....lol....

Current raised bed project:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34014&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34014)

Jananas Bananas
07-18-2010, 09:34 AM
That honkin' corm is bigger than Mrs. Rmplmnz!!! No wonder her arms and shoulders are cut! Love the varmit patrol. And I don't see where anyone else has guessed, so I will say the obvious, the saba is the tall one in the middle of the picture! HA HA!

~JaNan

Abnshrek
07-18-2010, 09:57 AM
Oh yeah we're suppose to guess. Since they were taken back a lil by the winter I'm going to guess the closest on the left. :^)
Like Janana's said, looks like Mrs. Rmplmnz bench presses & curls monster corms on a regular basis. :^)

DaveE
07-18-2010, 10:08 AM
Thanks for taking the time to post all the video and photos, we love it!

Dave

LilRaverBoi
07-18-2010, 04:28 PM
Thanks for all the great pictures! I kinda wonder how much the level of your yard has gone up since you've moved in! I'm sure you are improving your elevation, slowly but surely!

Bananaman88
07-19-2010, 12:53 PM
Great pics and videos! How are the Pitogos on flavor?

Rmplmnz
07-19-2010, 08:04 PM
Great pics and videos! How are the Pitogos on flavor?

Thanks Brent!

I know Pitogo is on your list.

The Pitogos are more of a novelty than anything else...but they do have a nice mild flavor.

They pup very sparingly..at least for me. I have had six or so blooms...3 of which had zero bananas....everything looked good until the leaves kept opening with no bananas?? Back to Back terrible winters took a couple of the blooms. Right now I have two mattes with blooms..one the bananas are very small..so not sure if they are going to develop. I have a few pictures of a Pitoga raceme at Going Bananas in Homestead. Katie laughed at how pathetic she thought the raceme was. I will post them later.

The Pitogo bloom in the video is doing very well and I am hoping for some nice Ping Pong shaped bananas.

Check out the following threads/link
http://www.bananas.org/f2/why-my-pitogo-flowers-dropping-1921.html#post13354

http://www.bananas.org/f2/pitogo-blooming-1882.html#post12975

Musa Pitogo - Bananas Wiki (http://www.bananas.org/wiki/Musa_Pitogo)

Bananaman88
07-30-2010, 12:04 PM
Thanks, Chris. I missed your reply the first time around.

Sailfish
07-30-2010, 04:01 PM
Bo
Whats the chances of having two Bo's on a banana forum?


PH are my favorite I have them growing 3 sides of my house.
They have weathered the cold pretty darn good.
They have fruited the easiest for me.
The leaves, I tell everyone about the leaves. Awesome leaves.

Somewhere rmplmnz has a pic of me and my first PH :-)

Rmplmnz
07-31-2010, 06:27 AM
Whats the chances of having two Bo's on a banana forum?


PH are my favorite I have them growing 3 sides of my house.
They have weathered the cold pretty darn good.
They have fruited the easiest for me.
The leaves, I tell everyone about the leaves. Awesome leaves.

Somewhere rmplmnz has a pic of me and my first PH :-)

Absolutely....two great Bo's on the board. Sailfish will forever be one of my favorite members....as he came over one day and helped me trim a few thousand pounds of bamboo...40' poles over two hundred pounds each jammed between a fence, phone lines and cable lines (thankfully those cable lines can support an incredible amount of weight..as we tested them:-).

Below are pics from the day Bo picked up a Praying Hands plant....(not a tissue culture)::0519:

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35056&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35056)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35058&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35058)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35057&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35057)

hydroid
07-31-2010, 07:05 AM
Greetings to my namesake, I guess "Bo" is a more popular name than I thought. I have also wanted to make a journey to Tampa and check out Chris's yard. I remember the get together they had awhile back.
I did'nt get to post much as I was working offshore, 28/14. But I just took a job in Bermuda and should have more time to keep up with the forum. Thanks
hydroid/Bo

Rmplmnz
11-28-2010, 07:45 PM
3 Praying Hands Racemes:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38881&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38881)http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38880&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38880)http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38879&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38879)
Number 1
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38884&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38884)
Number 2
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38887&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38887)
Number 3
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38885&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38885)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38886&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38886)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38883&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38883)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38882&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38882)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38888&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38888)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38890&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38890)
Mysore
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38889&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38889)

Bananaman88
11-30-2010, 01:31 PM
Excellent!

harveyc
07-13-2012, 12:22 AM
Okay, I'll add mine in to the mix. Though mine don't have leaves as big as some of the others posted here, they are still pretty darn big and probably the biggest banana leaves in Northern California! :) A got my pup 3-4 years ago from Jon (Pitangadiego) and that mother never flowered but now one if its pups is flowering.

http://www.chestnuts.us/images/PrayingHands20120712a.jpg

http://www.chestnuts.us/images/PrayingHands20120712b.jpg