View Full Version : Oh, sure. Now it decides to bloom.
Bananaman88
09-15-2010, 10:03 PM
I've been thinking for the past week that my 'Ice Cream' looked like it was about to throw a bud judging by the way the leaves were looking. Well, here it was today, Sept. 15th. I'm probably about 2 1/2-3 months from our first possible frost. Don't know if it'll make it or not. Sure wish it had done this in April or May.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36665&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36665&ppuser=824)
Steve L
09-16-2010, 07:16 AM
Good deal Brent. At what pseudostem height did it top out?
Steve
MediaHound
09-16-2010, 02:26 PM
Here's to hoping some make it to your table.
hammer
09-16-2010, 03:31 PM
How tall is the plant. if its not to tall you might just save the bunch. i am planing on putting a make shift greenhouse over my dwarfcavendish. i had 4 live with no heat for a week planted in the ground it got down to 10degree f they where in my greenhouse may be we will have a warm fall and winter.
Know the feeling Brent!:ha: Still I think just to have it flower at all is pretty cool. I'm quite sure I have 3 now with a flowers well along up the Pstem and they'll be no good to chop for the winter so I'll try bare rooting them this winter and hope for the best. It's supposed to be a warm dry fall here so maybe you'll get lucky and taste those fruits yet!
Bananaman88
09-17-2010, 06:10 PM
Good deal Brent. At what pseudostem height did it top out?
Steve
Just a quick guess from looking out the window I'd say about 10' or so.
Bananaman88
09-17-2010, 06:13 PM
Know the feeling Brent!:ha: Still I think just to have it flower at all is pretty cool. I'm quite sure I have 3 now with a flowers well along up the Pstem and they'll be no good to chop for the winter so I'll try bare rooting them this winter and hope for the best. It's supposed to be a warm dry fall here so maybe you'll get lucky and taste those fruits yet!
Well, to me, anything that flowers too late is a waste. I understand your way of thinking for the area of the country in which you live; just a flower is a huge accomplishment. For me, it's the thought of what could have been if it had flowered earlier. I'll just have to hope for a late first frost.
Bananaman88
09-17-2010, 06:20 PM
More late flowering: So, I come home this afternoon from a leadership conference I've been at for the past two days to see this:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36693&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36693&ppuser=824)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36692&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36692&ppuser=824)
I thought last week that the last leaf it put out looked very short. I never expected this 'Dwarf Brazilian' to bloom this year as I just put it in the ground this spring (I think you sent this one to me, Bob). Meanwhile, my 'Raja Puri' has been in the ground for about three years and still hasn't flowered. The DB is about 8-9' tall to the tip of the tallest leaf but the bud came out of the pstem at about 6'.
jeffreyp
09-17-2010, 08:18 PM
i have the same problem with my williams, it always fruits in late fall...I guess bad timing.... Even though I am in south florida winters are not favorable for best fruit production.
bananimal
09-18-2010, 01:39 PM
Brent ----- If the fruit plumps out enough just eat them green. There's many recipes for green bananas. Just consider them as plantains.
Or cut down the whole bunch and hang em in the house to ripen. Did this with last years Goldfinger bunch.
I'd do both.
Goldfinger Jan 2010. Not real plump, but little naners better than dead frozen naners.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=28687&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=28687&ppuser=820)
Gfinger after ripening in house - several hands removed and eaten already!!
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=28899&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=28899&ppuser=820)
Dan
harveyc
09-18-2010, 02:50 PM
Brent, I'm in the same boat with my Belle which opened this week and I expect I'll probably have at least one more plant (an unknown variety) flower later this year. I've got five flowers so far this year and, fortunately, at least a couple were in July. I plan to bag them soon to help increase temperatures as I believe this may help speed up fruit development.
Last year I had one plant bloom in the second half of November and the flower never even opened before it was hit with a freeze in mid-December.
Bananaman88
09-19-2010, 01:30 PM
Brent ----- If the fruit plumps out enough just eat them green. There's many recipes for green bananas. Just consider them as plantains.
Or cut down the whole bunch and hang em in the house to ripen. Did this with last years Goldfinger bunch.
Dan
Oh don't worry, I will. I've done this in the past when my 'Orinoco' has flowered late in the year. It definitely works!
Bananaman88
09-28-2010, 08:51 PM
Here are some updated photos of my Dwarf Brazilian:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37096&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37096&ppuser=824)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37095&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37095&ppuser=824)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37094&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37094&ppuser=824)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37093&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37093&ppuser=824)
I'll try to post some updates on my Ice Cream later. The bud has only been pendant for about two days on it and it is still not revealing any fruit.
Bananaman88
10-09-2010, 01:24 PM
Here is a pic of my Dwarf Brazilian taken this morning followed by two of my Ice Cream.
Dwarf Brazilian
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37370&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37370&ppuser=824)
Here's Ice Cream- I left for Aruba on Sept. 30th and that is when I estimate that fruit started showing. So, here's the progress nine days later.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37371&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37371&ppuser=824)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=37372&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=37372&ppuser=824)
I'm still not very confident that I'll ever get viable fruit but I'm going to hang in there with them until the last possible minute. Probably about 2 months out until our first frost.
They're looking great Brent , don't give up hope till the last possible minute.
If you can get them to the point of maturity maybe you could still cut the bunch and ripen them indoors. That's the best I'm hoping for with my Ice Cream bunch at this point. It looks like I may just make it so in Texas you should have so much better success. Good luck buddy!
Dalmatiansoap
10-09-2010, 02:00 PM
Looking great Brent! How long till frost in the best case?
:woohoonaner:
Bananaman88
10-09-2010, 07:23 PM
Looking great Brent! How long till frost in the best case?
:woohoonaner:
Probably around mid-December but last year we had one in early Dec. That happens sometimes here. Burns back all the banana leaves then warms back up for few weeks just to piss me off!
Bananaman88
05-23-2011, 03:32 PM
I got side-tracked around the first of the year and never updated this post. Unfortunately, I don't have any additional photos but I wrapped the fruit on both my IC and my DB to protect them from the cold as best as possible. I eventually unwrapped them sometime the beginning of January to check on them and the fruit on both were underdeveloped due to the cold but mostly looked fine. The DB never really did much and I eventually trashed them but the IC started ripening up so I ate them and they tasted fine, though they were only about 3" long. Just wanted to update this thread.
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