View Full Version : I Think I Scored a Coup
Olafhenny
03-13-2011, 03:49 PM
Toward the latter part of our trip we ended up in a park, which surrounded a gorgeous waterfall/river landscape about
1hr drive from Nha Trang and with no other town nearby.
This is where I saw this banana plant:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40756&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40756&ppuser=7269)
The top of this flower is barely 4’off the ground. You
can also see some fruit developing
In order to have proof of that I asked my wife on the way back to stand beside it to give a scale to the plant:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40754&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40754&ppuser=7269)
She appears not too happy with this subordinate role to a banana plant :)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40757&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40757&ppuser=7269)
Obviously she is much happier in a rock crevice below a waterfall :)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40755&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40755&ppuser=7269)
Turning around I noticed a couple more of these dwarf bananas, just to proof that the first one was not
an exceptional case of stunted growth
Stay tuned more to come!
The Hollyberry Lady
03-13-2011, 05:02 PM
Very nice pictures, Olaf! ;)
Please show us more...
: )
Dean W.
03-13-2011, 09:47 PM
Great pics!:bananas_b
Gabe15
03-14-2011, 01:47 AM
That banana is Musa ornata, they (as well as other closely related species such as M. laterita, M. velutina and M. mannii) are typically around that height.
Olafhenny
03-14-2011, 02:41 PM
That banana is Musa ornata, they (as well as other closely related species such as M. laterita, M. velutina and M. mannii) are typically around that height.
Thank you, Gabe, I wondered how well known this species was. Also I had not heard about it on this board, even
though I thought this plant to be a cat’s meow for us seasonally-warmth-deprived northerners. It can thrive in
the summer outside, and when it gets too cold for it we just make it a house plant for the winter.
Anyway, to get on with my story, I was pondering all this on my way back ‘home’ from the Yang Bay Park to
Nha Trang, and decided, that I wanted a pup of one of these. I asked the staff in our hotel, if they knew a nursery,
which might have such a thing and, of course, they didn’t. They were city folks, who went for flowers and greenery
to the ‘store down the road’. Nevertheless they were Vietnamese and therefore always extremely helpful.
They organized an ‘expedition’ on two motorcycles. I on the backseat behind one fellow and one of the
concierges, who spoke English, behind her boyfriend. We visited four nurseries. Nobody had ever heard of such
a small banana plant. As a consolation I was also looking for a pup of one of these ‘frazzled’ bananas (see:
http://www.bananas.org/f2/vietnam-bananas-13380.html#post156314 ), but Nha Trang was
too far south for those. I found one, which was ‘borderline frazzled’ and got a pup, just to bring something home
beside this awful picture of my bedraggled self:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40789&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40789&ppuser=7269)
Trying not to be shabby in my disappointment, I tipped each of the other 3 members of that little expedition about
$10.-. This might appear rather modest for 2 hours of effort by our standards, but in Vietnam it was almost obscene.
A concierge in another hotel, who spoke English (big asset) told us that she earned $50.-/month. For that she
worked 12/7 – 30 days steady ($1.67/day). Therefore these $10.- were the equivalent of 3 to 6 days pay.
My relative generosity turned into a well placed incentive and paid off the next day, when “my” driver had called the hotel,
that he had found a plant and would bring it. My pleading, to just bring me a pup fell on deaf ears. So here he was,
proudly displaying his find:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40788&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40788&ppuser=7269)
He charged me $15 for this plant (probably 3X what he paid) and I gave him another $10 tip
Grand total for this plant c/w pup came to $55.-, but if I can make it grow, it will clearly have been worth it.
This was our last day in Nha Trang and we had only two more days in Saigon before our thirty and some odd
hours trip home. So in the evening I severed the top off the corms of the plant and the pup, wrapped the whole in
plastic bags and packed it.
Unwrapping and potting comes next, so stick around.
Olafhenny
03-16-2011, 10:27 PM
When I finally unwrapped the two corms four days after packing them, I was surprised to see, that some growth
had taken place in my suitcase. I had sliced mother and pup straight across and now some leaf bases had pushed
up from the centre. Prior of taking these pictures I had separated the pup from the mother
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40812&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40812&ppuser=7269)
You can see the leaf bases protruding from the mother corm.
Some of the 7 nodes for new pups are also showing
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40809&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40809&ppuser=7269)
The new growth of the pup is even further advanced
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40808&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40808&ppuser=7269)
Though there are no new nodes for pups visible yet
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40810&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40810&ppuser=7269)
And this is, what they looked like potted
Now about <4 days in the pots, the same amount of time they spent in my suitcase, there is absolutely no
further progress in the mama banana and in the bambina banana it is limited to another leaf base pushing
out from the centre of the first one by about 5mm (¼“). That is a whole lot less than the progress in the
suitcase.
I ascribe that to the temperature. The corms were packed at tropical temperatures in the centre of the
suitcase, surrounded by insulation (my dirty laundry :)) at tropical temperatures, which were well
preserved during all but the last few hours of transit.
Accordingly I removed them tonight from the window sill, which was surprisingly cool and placed them
on my electric throw (without any leaves to catch it, the light on the window sill won't do any good
anyhow). I hope, that we will see more progress during the next 4 days
Kostas
03-17-2011, 01:27 AM
Well done Olaf! :woohoonaner:
Cut bananas show a growth burst at first,after cutting but this soon stops and they continue slower growth from then on till they unfold their first leaf. 20+C temperatures will help them grow faster after a few days but they do need light as well to help them produce a good first leaf. You can place them under artificial but strong preferably, light till the first leaf unfolds or even till warmer temperatures at which point the windowsil may be ok. They need to grow roots as well so growth won't necessarily be fast at first.
Enjoy them!!!! Looks like they are gonna be beauties! How tall fo you think this variety gets from what you saw during your trip?
Olafhenny
03-17-2011, 01:55 AM
Thank you Kostas, you are providing the kind of help and support I need as a neophyte in banana culture. The plants I have seen in that park, and that is the only place, where I have seen them, all topped out in the flower spike at 4 feet or under (see my pictures at the bottom of the thread). That made the plant IMOEO so desirable for us northerners: When it gets cold, you just bring them in. They are small enough to fit into any home. And if they behave like other bananas, the mother will die after fruiting. So they are unlikely to get any bigger.
Best,
Olaf
Kostas
03-17-2011, 02:04 AM
You are very much welcome:)
So these are pups of a Musa ornata like the one you showed at the top of the post,not of the ''frazzled leaf'' bananas you talked about in your ''Vietnam bananas'' thread?
Best regards,
-Konstantinos
Olafhenny
03-17-2011, 11:03 AM
Yes, Kostas, that is correct. I valued the Ornata much higher than the frazzled one, especially since the one, I picked in Nha Trang, did not seem to come from a fully frazzled mother such as I had seen in the north. I discarded that one on the way back in the airport, since I did not want to hurt the feelings of the staff at the hotel, who helped me to obtain it. But I could not keep them both.
Best,
Olaf
Olafhenny
04-14-2011, 05:56 PM
Yippeeeh!
At least one of my Ornata has survived, - the mother. The pup I separated after our arrival back here
initially seemed to show more oomph by growing more in the suitcase, but thereafter slowly deteriorated.
I had originally kept the soil moisture level fairly low, but not dry, because there was no green and I
wanted to prevent root rot. When 4 weeks after planting there was no new sign of life I changed that
and flooded the well draining pot with water and – voila - ...
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=41821&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=41821&ppuser=7269)
...another six days later see the photo!
Obviously one of the seven nodes for pups, I counted before planting, has sprouted and thus assured me,
that the Musa Ornata will prevail within my reach. :)
I have no idea, if my change of watering procedure triggered the sudden growth, or if it was in the
works anyway.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=41820&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=41820&ppuser=7269)
The pup looks kinda sad, but I have not given up on it yet, especially with the new growth on Mama :)
Olafhenny
04-19-2011, 02:19 PM
Although 'Mama' still shows no sign of recuperating, this morning the second pup 'broke surface'
:)
Hopefully the leaves on the new pups will be able to support 'Mom' enough, so that she too can revive.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=41946&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=41946&ppuser=7269)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=41947&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=41947&ppuser=7269)
Unfortunately I was unable to focus properly on the emerging pup,
but you can see it is there :)
cheson74
04-20-2011, 05:04 PM
Thank you for the update. I was born in Vietnam so this thread is definitely very interesting for me.
Olafhenny
04-20-2011, 10:18 PM
Hi Cheson,
you were born in a beautiful country. Unfortunately the war stories we are used to seeing
distort Vietnam's image badly.
I hope, that you will have time and opportunity to go there for occasional visits. It is very
affordable, once you are there.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=41988 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=41988&ppuser=7269)
These images are hand embroidered on fine cloth. This one is about 2 1/2 by 2 feet
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=41989 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=41989&ppuser=7269)
You can see some of the fine needle work in this detail
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=41987 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=41987&ppuser=7269)
The landscaping is often fantastic
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=41986 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=41986&ppuser=7269)
And there are Flowers (and motorcycles) everywhere.
Best,
Olaf
Olafhenny
04-29-2011, 01:07 PM
Only three days ago, more than six weeks after planting, the pup of the M. Ornata looked more dead
than just dying. The last vestiges of green, still evident in the photo from April 14 (below) had
disappeared and I had all but given up hope for its survival. But look what I found this morning!
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=42274&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=42274&ppuser=7269)
The black shell had split away and the rather healthy looking start of
a new leaf had sprouted up
Meanwhile the first pup of the mother is growing nicely, but the second one has progressed
no further.
tucsonplumeriaz
05-01-2011, 11:37 AM
thanks olaf for documenting so well the comeback of the musa ornata and also your patience. i will wait longer for my ice creams.
now i wonder where i can find m. ornata? hmmm...
your photos of vietnam are very nice. it make the place look very inviting.
Clare_CA
05-01-2011, 12:05 PM
M. ornata is fairly easy to grow and multiplies quickly. I had some in large pots, but they outgrew them within a year, and I had to take them out: http://www.bananas.org/f355/musa-ornata-rose-blooming-12521.html
I have since gotten rid of mine since they multiply and spread so quickly, but if yours don't succeed, you can buy them from here: Going Bananas of Homestead Florida Banana & Banana Plant Descriptions (http://www.going-bananas.com/bananaplantdescriptions.htm#ORNATO) -
Good luck!
tucsonplumeriaz
05-01-2011, 12:11 PM
thanks clare! i was just going to ask where i could find one. LOL
tucsonplumeriaz
05-01-2011, 12:15 PM
i do not see any images clare.
Clare_CA
05-01-2011, 05:44 PM
Hi Dete! The pictures are on that first thread:-)
Dreaminofthetropics
05-13-2011, 08:26 PM
Very very interesting thread! I love seeing the progress! I just transplanted about 30-40 corms and was wondering how long before growth started now I know I probably better learn to be patient LOL It's been almost a week now :-):08:
Olafhenny
05-15-2011, 01:27 AM
Very very interesting thread! I love seeing the progress! I just transplanted about 30-40 corms and was wondering how long before growth started now I know I probably better learn to be patient LOL It's been almost a week now :-):08:
This is the kind of response I find very encouraging. To me equally important to achieving beautiful plants and
plantings is the experimentation with (to me at least) new approaches and to report on the failures as well as the little
triumphs. Only by evaluating all, can we expect to learn, and even to break new ground. And breaking new ground is
basically something we all want to do, by “moving the “Tropics further north”.
I have with almost all the threads, which I started, tried to report more on the procedure, than on the results.
So, to bring you up to date as far as my M. Ornata is concerned, here are a couple of pictures. Showing them as they are today:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=42757 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=42757&ppuser=7269)
This photo shows, that the primary pup of the mother is doing quite well, but the second one, visible near the upper left
corner of the pot, has not progressed at all for a couple of weeks
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=42758 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=42758&ppuser=7269)
This is the pup which I had separated in Vietnam already. After long dormancy it regenerated itself, and not
through a pup as did mama.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=42759 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=42759&ppuser=7269)
Here are the two siblings side by side. The smaller one is the older one and was, before separated from its mother, quite
a bit larger than either one is now ;). I hope that they will become the progenitors of a whole slew of M. Ornatas
I have other similar threads, which record the process and to which I will add more shortly:
http://www.bananas.org/f8/my-quest-ginger-13438.html
And:
http://www.bananas.org/f2/my-banana-experience-lack-12904.html
Dreaminofthetropics
05-15-2011, 05:12 PM
They look wonderful! I had two unnamed varieties until about a week ago when a very gracious member off of the board gave me 15 varieties and over 40 corms! So now I am blessed with bananas :D Now to patiently wait for the growth. I didn't really put much about my technique on my thread (Banana Progress) but I'm hoping to keep everything updated :-)
Olafhenny
05-15-2011, 07:06 PM
They look wonderful! I had two unnamed varieties until about a week ago when a very gracious member off of the board gave me 15 varieties and over 40 corms! So now I am blessed with bananas :D Now to patiently wait for the growth. I didn't really put much about my technique on my thread (Banana Progress) but I'm hoping to keep everything updated :-)
Hi Kat, I am looking forward to reading of your experiences. I do not know if you are into Cannas, but if so, you might
find my newest experiment interesting here:
http://www.bananas.org/f8/canna-lovers-unite-10371.html#post162579
Best,
Olaf
Romul
05-06-2014, 01:02 PM
Toward the latter part of our trip we ended up in a park, which surrounded a gorgeous waterfall/river landscape about
1hr drive from Nha Trang and with no other town nearby.
This is where I saw this banana plant:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40756&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40756&ppuser=7269)
The top of this flower is barely 4’off the ground. You
can also see some fruit developing
In order to have proof of that I asked my wife on the way back to stand beside it to give a scale to the plant:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40754&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40754&ppuser=7269)
She appears not too happy with this subordinate role to a banana plant :)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40757&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40757&ppuser=7269)
Obviously she is much happier in a rock crevice below a waterfall :)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40755&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40755&ppuser=7269)
Turning around I noticed a couple more of these dwarf bananas, just to proof that the first one was not
an exceptional case of stunted growth
Stay tuned more to come!
Olafhenny, now this is a banana.
http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/F315D632.jpeg (http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/F315D632/)
Romul
05-06-2014, 01:38 PM
http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/1F064877.jpeg (http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/1F064877/)
http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/2181E15A.jpeg (http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/2181E15A/)
http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/4D7746B2.jpeg (http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/4D7746B2/)
http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/E103E1C3.jpeg (http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/E103E1C3/)
http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/76A3B762.jpeg (http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/76A3B762/)
http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/D6C42124.jpeg (http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/D6C42124/)
http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/02A3AC23.jpeg (http://www.ostashkov.ru/foto/free/02A3AC23/)
Had to work language. Not bad taste - sweet with a slight tartness. I hope that the next picture will be sprouting.
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