View Full Version : Another Ice Cream Identification Question
Clare_CA
10-17-2011, 01:27 PM
I have two bananas from different nurseries that were both labeled as 'Ice Cream.' One of them has fairly blue fruit and is about 8 feet tall and pups quite a bit. Here is that one:
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/bananas/101711074.jpg
The other is about 7 feet tall and is a smaller mat:
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/bananas/100211003.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/bananas/100211002.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/bananas/100211001.jpg
If the first one is a confirmed 'Ice Cream,' then can you tell whether the second is also an 'Ice Cream' or perhaps something else. Thanks:-)
Jananas Bananas
10-17-2011, 01:44 PM
Clare I'm no expert but I have been reading all the debates about Ice Cream or not. What I have been able to ascertain is if the p-stem has pink on it and there is a pink rib when young even if it loses the "pinkness" it is not an Ice Cream I think someone said they were tall Namwah. The genuine ice cream is greenish blue p-stem with very blue bananas. I can't quickly find the thread that explained this because it has been mentioned in so many lately.
The two I bought as Ice Cream have pink, so are not Ice Cream.
Someone pipe in if I have not absorbed this info correctly and to help Clare.
Here is one picture I found where Jack Daw said the bananas on the left are Ice Cream/Blue Java.
<img src="http://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/userpics/30705/Blue-banana.jpg">
~JaNan
Clare_CA
10-17-2011, 02:02 PM
Thanks so much, JaNan, for that information. I've been away for awhile and am starting to get caught up on reading some threads for information. Those are really blue bananas in the picture! So now I'm wondering if the two bananas that I have labeled as 'Ice Cream' are really 'Ice Cream' at all. I think my 'Ice Creams' do have some pink stems, but I'll have to go check on that.
Jananas Bananas
10-17-2011, 02:13 PM
Your welcome Clare! Please don't take my answer as the be all end all though. I'm still looking for that other picture for you. I think Gabe posted it, but the bananas were equally as blue. ~J
sunfish
10-17-2011, 02:51 PM
The plants I got that are suppose to be Blue Java from Quail Gardens,have no pink anywhere.The p-stem is green with black blotches,the not Ice cream as more of a yellow/ornange p-stem
Jananas Bananas
10-17-2011, 03:03 PM
Here is Gabe's photo from his gallery identified as 'Ice Cream' (ABB Ney Mannan)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=38761&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38761&ppuser=5)
This is not the picture I had in my mind, so I am still looking. Maybe it was Mitchel's or Jon's photo. I'll find it when I am NOT looking for it! :ha: ~J
Clare_CA
10-17-2011, 03:20 PM
Thanks, Tony and JaNan. My p-stem is more yellow/orange also.
JaNan, please don't trouble yourself any longer looking for that pic. I can see that my bananas are nowhere near as blue, but I'm wondering if the color has something to do with climate and growing conditions because mine are kind of blu-ish. I guess I'll have to start calling mine "Not Ice Cream" too:-)
Thanks for the help.
sunfish
10-17-2011, 03:26 PM
Thanks, Tony and JaNan. My p-stem is more yellow/orange also.
JaNan, please don't trouble yourself any longer looking for that pic. I can see that my bananas are nowhere near as blue, but I'm wondering if the color has something to do with climate and growing conditions because mine are kind of blu-ish. I guess I'll have to start calling mine "Not Ice Cream" too:-)
Thanks for the help.
My not Ice Cream had the largest fruit of any I've grown and good flavor ,it's worth keeping
Natureboy
10-17-2011, 08:36 PM
I got an Ice Cream from Going Bananas in S. Florida; p-stem is green with white powdery coating when young, bananas are mostly green but have a slight bluish tinge. They look very much like the bananas identified by Gabe as Ice Cream/Blue Java in this thread: http://www.bananas.org/f12/blue-java-13016.html
I suspect the Ice Cream coloring may be dependent to some extent on climate?
Anyhow, my "Ice Cream" is one of my favorite; very cool-tolerant and consistent producer of quality bananas.
Nate
palmtree
10-18-2011, 12:17 AM
I guess I cant say for sure if my Ice Cream is an ice cream, but mine has powdery undersides under the leaves. If you rub your finger under the leaf, some of the powder will actually come off. Irs about 9-10 feet tall now and is making its first pup, just to give you an idea of when it decided to pup.
The first pic of the fruit kind of looks like an ice cream to me, but the second looks like Namwah.
Good luck!
oakshadows
10-18-2011, 06:42 AM
I got an Ice Cream from Going Bananas in S. Florida; p-stem is green with white powdery coating when young, bananas are mostly green but have a slight bluish tinge. They look very much like the bananas identified by Gabe as Ice Cream/Blue Java in this thread: http://www.bananas.org/f12/blue-java-13016.html
I suspect the Ice Cream coloring may be dependent to some extent on climate?
Anyhow, my "Ice Cream" is one of my favorite; very cool-tolerant and consistent producer of quality bananas.
Nate
Also in 9b, how often and how long does it take for the Ice Cream to get to harvest? We are trying to get to the bananas that will fruit in under a year but still produce a decent harvest. Thanks
Natureboy
10-18-2011, 08:23 AM
It's possible that IC could flower within a year from planting in 9b. Once it flowers, it does seem to take longer than most to mature (if maturity is defined as actually turning yellow on the stalk). I've had bananas on the plant for over 5 months and finally cut them off because they were not getting any plumper. As long as they are on for about 4 months or so and are plump enough, they have always tasted great after harvesting.
IC have proved to be the most consistent producers that I have. Part of this is due to the fact that they are very cool-tolerant. They have never died to the ground in the winter here, even 2 winters ago when we had sub-freezing temps in the evenings for a week. It got down to 24F and the p-stems were fine in the spring. I definitely recommend IC for Central Florida.
venturabananas
10-18-2011, 10:24 AM
Clare, both of yours are not the true "Blue Java / Ice Cream", they are both some kind of Pisang Awak cultivar. Like Tony says, that "Pseudo-Ice Cream" cultivar is a good one for Southern California, so be glad you have it.
Here are the key features that distinguish "Pseudo-Ice Cream" from "Blue Java" that I notice and that Gabe has commented on:
Blue Java: fruit are usually quite blue, a little angular, not normally packed really tight on the bunch; bracts sort of a normal dark purple.
Pseudo-Ice Cream (Pisang Awak): fruit are not really blue (maybe a slight tinge) though very powdery, completed rounded in cross section when ripe, and densely packed on the bunch; bracts are more pink than dark purple.
There's been talk about whether the pink borders on the leaves and petioles can distinguish the two (pink on Pseudo Ice Cream). I know Tony's observations of his plants are correct since I've seen them, but since I got my true Blue Java from him, new leaves they've put out have initially had pink borders. It could have to do with the light environment, temperature, or who knows? So, I don't think the presence of a pink border is a definitive characteristic.
Gabe also says the blue color of the fruit is not definitive, though I think it is safe to say that if the fruit are really blue, they are Blue Java; but you can also have fruit that aren't all the blue that are also Blue Java.
I've only eaten the Pseudo Ice Cream and they are very good. Not sure if the true Blue Java is worth all the hype, but I hope to find out eventually. Based on how it fares at Quail Gardens in Encinitas, it is a tough, reliable plant.
sunfish
10-18-2011, 11:33 AM
Are you seeing any pink on mid -rib ?
caliboy1994
10-18-2011, 12:11 PM
I have a Not Ice Cream too, but I have no idea as to what it is. It obviously isn't Tall Namwah because the petioles are open. I'm also thinking it's dwarf because it hasn't gained a significant ammount of height since I planted it in July, it's only about doubled in height. And it still pushed out over 10 leaves. When I first bought it, it was pretty much all green, but as it matured, the p-stem turned a yellowish pink. Before, Tony suggested that it might be a plantain of some sort. I'll post some pics later.
Clare_CA
10-18-2011, 01:04 PM
Thanks so much, everyone, for that information. That is really great to know this. They are definite keepers, but I will have to relocate my Pseudo Ice Cream to a different place as it's become too tall for where it is currently. I'm going to wait until all the big stalks flower first. One is just starting to flower and produce fruit now. I think the first clump of fruit has been on the stalk for at least six months. I've just been waiting to see some yellow before I cut it down.
Palmtree, there is definitely lots of powder underneath the leaves on mine too (the first one). I'm not sure about the powder on the second one.
Mark, that is excellent information about the pseudo Ice Cream. Thanks so much for taking the time to write that out for me:-)
Tony, yes there is pink on the midrib of only the newest emerging leaf.
Clare_CA
10-25-2011, 01:20 PM
Here is that bunch at the very top that I harvested the other day. The bananas are creamy and pretty yummy.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/102411004.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/102411003.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/102411002.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/102411001.jpg
sunfish
10-25-2011, 01:27 PM
Here is that bunch at the very top that I harvested the other day. The bananas are creamy and pretty yummy.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/102411004.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/102411003.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/102411002.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/102411001.jpg
Are the fruit pretty big ? My not Ice Cream had fruit just as fat as store bought and about 3/4 the length as store bought.
Clare_CA
10-25-2011, 02:03 PM
Yes, I would say they are just as fat as store-bought but half the length. I clearly did not fertilize as much as I should have though so I'm wondering if that is affecting the size of the bananas that I am getting this year. I also don't do pup removal very often.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/102511005.jpg
sunfish
10-25-2011, 02:07 PM
Yes, I would say they are just as fat as store-bought but half the length. I clearly did not fertilize as much as I should have though so I'm wondering if that is affecting the size of the bananas that I am getting this year. I also don't do pup removal very often.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/102511005.jpg
They look just like Namwah in that pic.I never fertilize either
Clare_CA
10-25-2011, 02:12 PM
Well, maybe they are Namwah? I have a dwarf Namwah that I haven't tasted yet. The leaves of my Dwarf Namwah are super blue/green. I'm so confused about what I have now. I think probably most of my bananas were mislabeled. Oh, well. As long as they taste good, I guess it doesn't matter.
This is the Dwarf Namwah bunch supposedly:
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/bananas/101711070.jpg
caliboy1994
10-26-2011, 11:28 PM
Finally got around to posting some pictures! My laptop broke and I had to send it in to get it repaired, and I need this laptop in order to upload my photos. My banana plant was originally labeled 'Ice Cream,' but it's obviously not. My plant has changed color like a chameleon since I first got it. It also has put out lots of leaves but not gained much in the height department, so I'm guessing it's a dwarf of some sort.
Here's a picture from maybe a few weeks to a month after I got it and planted it in the ground:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=45615&size=1
When I got it, it was pretty much all green except for pink edges on the leaves and a little bit on the leaf midrib. Now the p-stem has turned almost completely pink, the leaves have turned lighter green, and the pink edges on the leaves and petioles have become more pronounced. The petioles have a tinge of pink on them too now. Now it has popped two sword suckers, and the tiny p-stems on the suckers are completely pink.
Entire plant:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=46529&size=1
Petioles:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=46531&size=1
P-stem (before I mulched):
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=46182&size=1
Leaf midrib (this picture is kind of out of date but oh well):
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=45746&size=1
You guys are at least lucky that your fake Ice Creams are probably Tall Namwah. I'm stuck with a mystery nanner. Hey, I have to admit it's a very beautiful plant though. Can't wait to see how big it'll be by the end of next summer! :D I know it's hard to tell before it fruits, but do you guys have any idea as to what this might be? Tony said before that it might be a plantain of some sort, but I want some more opinions. Appreciated! :)
venturabananas
10-27-2011, 02:00 AM
Caliboy, I have a dwarf Cavendish that turned pink like that and it was because I hadn't fertilized it in a long time. Apparently, a classic symptom of nitrogen deficiency in bananas is the petioles, midribs, and p-stem turning pink. Are you fertilizing yours at all?
I'd guess yours is one of the FHIA varieties, e.g., FHIA 1 (Goldfinger), FHIA 18, etc. But that is just a guess.
caliboy1994
10-27-2011, 10:14 AM
I've been fertilizing it with organic fertilizer, and I've done it twice since I got it. I think the ratio is 6-4-6 or something. I mulched it too. I'll see if I can get some fish emulsion. Maybe that will help.
venturabananas
10-27-2011, 11:47 AM
I wouldn't do anything more in terms of fertilizer. Your plant could be getting pink for other reasons. Better to underfertilze than overfertilize, in my experience. And organic fertilizers take a while to become available to the plants.
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