View Full Version : Where can I get fruting bananas for zone 9-8?
Hi everyone,
My Dan Pruna I have ornamental bananas in my back yard, and was thinking if here in Sacramento Ca zone 9 How I'd be able to obtain a Ca Gold, and the Orinco. I'd try a Raja Puri but the choking, and losing the whole batch of fruit doesn't sound good. Also out of the Orinco's which one is the most cold hardiest? the tall one or the dwarf? Any advice from the group is appreciated.
If there are other cold hardy fruiting varieties that might do well in zone 9 please feel free to let me know of them, thanks.
Even though I am in zone 9 I get a lot of frost in my backyard in the winter, so maybe if a fruiting variety for zone 8 exists I could get it to work?
Thanks everyone, I truly appreciate this group.
Dan
Blake09
11-14-2010, 01:03 PM
Welcome to bananas.org Dan!!! :)
:woohoonaner:
.
Jose263
11-14-2010, 06:02 PM
Welcome Dan - this is a great place to learn about nanas
I'm doing that myself hoping for a crop next year in zone 8b.
I was lucky enough to be close to Hydroid who is very generous
I'm sure someone in your area will chime in with advice and maybe a pup or two.
Jose
nullzero
11-14-2010, 08:03 PM
Dwarf Orinoco works out pretty well for me. However I live down in a solid zone 9B. Growing Dwarf Orinoco on a sheltered southern exposure side of the home, and near the walls of the home would increase your chances of getting and holding fruit. I think Dwarf Orinoco should handle the winter fine if its giving the proper micro climatic conditions.
Wow I know the perfect southern more sheltered micro climate in my frontyard where my Queen Palm looks heathier than most in Sacramento. My Meyer lemon produces there like crazy there, and my mediterranean fan palm is invincible to the frost there. Never a brown leaf. Thanks for the suggestion nullzero I love the idea, it's a good one.
For the backyard, I would love to get my hands on a California Gold Banana.
It's nice when your garden dreams come true.
This group is awesome, already I'm getting great feedback ideas:)
Thanks again.
Dan.
ron_mcb
11-14-2010, 10:08 PM
Maybe there is a system error?? Your join date shows 2007??? anyways welcome.
LeRoy Tomes
11-15-2010, 12:47 AM
:2738: Hi Dan.
There is a Cold Hardy sweet edible banana that does just fine in zone 8. You can get the information about it and order the plants at this web site link HOOKED ON PALMS (http://www.hookedonpalms.com/hardybananas/helenshybridbanana.html). I have listied some information about it below.
HELEN'S HYBRID BANANA Chini Champa – Darjeeling Cold-tolerant, edible banana. Helen's Hybrid banana is a cross between two varieties of high altitude bananas from the foothills of the Himalayas in the Sikkim region of India. One variety, the Chini Champa, is used as food and the other is a wild type usually referred to as the Darjeeling Banana. The report is that Helen's Hybrid could possibly be the closest thing to a cold-tolerant, edible banana that has been developed. The fruit is claimed to be sweet, yet have seeds.
LeRoy
Thanks LeRoy, I love it when the world of knowledge opens up via friends of similar interests.
Dan:)
... Even though I am in zone 9 I get a lot of frost in my backyard in the winter, so maybe if a fruiting variety for zone 8 exists I could get it to work?
Dan
nullzero nailed it; We're in Sacramento too, down fairly low & almost always get tagged with frost.
Last year we just made a simple "lean-to" for the dwarf Orinocos up against the South wall of the house (right outside my office window ;) ) & we've gotten 4 (small) bunches off of them this past season.
We've also got a few Blue Javas that do GREAT up by my buddy's house in Fair Oaks (a couple hundred feet higher in elevation) but at my place, I made the mistake of sticking them back by the fence line & *usually* they get too frost bit to make it through to "final fruiting".
I got both the Dwarf Orinoco & Blue Java from Emigh's Hardware - originally they came from the wholesalers at Monterey Bay Nursery.
I figured getting "local talent" was a way of getting proven cultivars for this area.
It's getting time to slap up the "lean-to" again, I'll shoot some pics of it this time.
It's made out of scrap PVC, plastic sheeting, and duct tape. Cost about $20 to make & takes a couple hours to slap back up again.
I just checked; there's *probably* going to be a Dwarf Orinoco pup available if you're interested. It's got to get another foot or 2 taller though.
Thanks for the awesome reply, as it's for our Sacramento area so what works for you might work for me depending on my micro climate.
vBulletin® v3.6.8, Copyright ©2000-2020, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.