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View Full Version : SH 3640 bunch just too darn big!!!


bananimal
06-17-2012, 07:07 PM
A bit of wind this afternoon and the weight of the SH 3640 bunch cracked the pstem.

Fingers are mostly filled in and I'm just waiting to see some yellow before harvesting. Will let it hang and it should make it as long as it stays connected.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=49345&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=49345&ppuser=820)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=49346&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=49346&ppuser=820)

Caloosamusa
06-18-2012, 07:32 AM
Good morning Dan,

By looking at the pseudostems I would not have thought those are SH 3640s. The diameter of mine are about three times as large. That is a nice bunch of bananas, that I do not wait for "a few" to ripen before harvesting. At the hint of the first fruit color change I harvest them. The reason why is they are like FHIA 18s in that they begin to break and fall off the bunch as they ripen. It is best to harvest these "mature green."

Best wishes, :jalapenonaner:

bananimal
06-18-2012, 12:59 PM
Ken ----- I harvest all the naners the same way. First sign of color change. Especially FHIA 1 which is very thin skinned. Last bunch of 3640 had much thicker skins and tasted better, IMO, than Gfinger. And that's saying something!

I know some locals who leave bunches on till mostly all yellow and the critters catch the smell and do a lot of damage. Especially tree ratz - squirrels. Have you ever seen them attack ripening mangos?

Dan

Darkman
06-18-2012, 05:21 PM
Dan,

That is a nice bunch! Must be nice to get them that big. I think your extra growing time gves you the large bunches. Up here I won't get a large bunch unless it blooms in September which is too late to fill out good much less ripen or turn color.

GreenFin
06-18-2012, 07:47 PM
Those look like spectacular fingers.

bananimal
06-18-2012, 08:33 PM
Dan,

That is a nice bunch! Must be nice to get them that big. I think your extra growing time gves you the large bunches. Up here I won't get a large bunch unless it blooms in September which is too late to fill out good much less ripen or turn color.

Charles ------ I'm thinking that the heavier yield is due to the chicken litter I started applying last year along with the regular monthly feed of 6-3-16. I put down 2 cups of Purdue chicken mix every 2 weeks along with the monthly chemical fert. And man does that stuff stink up the place for about a week.

Of course the mild winter kept things moving along. Only bunch lost was the tall PK.

Caloosamusa
06-19-2012, 06:33 AM
Good morning Dan,

Have I ever seen "tree ratz" attacking mangos? Bushytaileous treerateous (an appropriate binomial nomenclature) raid everything. They eat a holes in mangos, bananas, and anything available! The more Yellow and Red Ratsnakes around, the better. Especially large Yellow Ratsnakes, they do a good job on these bushy tailed tree rats. Yellow Ratsnakes are more effective than cats.

One thing about them is that they know better than humans when fruit is ripe. Another reason to harvest mangos, bananas, and avocados "mature green." I greatly dislike bushy-tailed tree rats.

:jalapenonaner:

Darkman
06-19-2012, 05:47 PM
Charles ------ I'm thinking that the heavier yield is due to the chicken litter I started applying last year along with the regular monthly feed of 6-3-16. I put down 2 cups of Purdue chicken mix every 2 weeks along with the monthly chemical fert. And man does that stuff stink up the place for about a week..

I used a chicken poop compost last year in the garden with no complaints other than the smell. Imagine a pile from a eight yard dump truck.

Of course the mild winter kept things moving along. Only bunch lost was the tall PK.

As in "THE" PK. the only one?

bananimal
06-19-2012, 08:52 PM
Dan,

That is a nice bunch! Must be nice to get them that big. I think your extra growing time gves you the large bunches. Up here I won't get a large bunch unless it blooms in September which is too late to fill out good much less ripen or turn color.

Charles ----- They grow that big. Longer and much fatter than Gfinger. And they taste as good or better. And disease resistant. FHIA has done some great work.

BTW ---- Death to bushytailious treerateous!!!

Bananaman88
06-22-2012, 01:46 PM
No bunch prop? Which reminds me, I need to get one under my bunch of Namwah fruit before it's too late!

bananimal
06-23-2012, 12:26 AM
Didn't think I'd need one. Never know when winds will kick up.

GreenFin
06-23-2012, 01:08 AM
How tall was the pstem before it bent over? Maybe 10 or 11 feet?

bananimal
06-27-2012, 08:31 AM
Harvested the bunch. Weighed in at 32 lbs. Looks as filled in as it's going to get. With the windgusts whacking everything I cut it down.

Come on yellow!!!

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=49485&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=49485&ppuser=820)

TommyMacLuckie
06-27-2012, 09:29 AM
Wow, that's awesome!

bananimal
06-27-2012, 11:09 AM
This is the 2nd bunch from the mat. For me, this is one of the heaviest bunches. At NANAMANS place it probably is twice that. I haven't put down mulch yet. That and strictly organic ferts and amendments make a big big difference! And plenty of horse poop in the mulch:2729::2729::2729: (3 horse poop nanaers)

bananimal
06-27-2012, 01:31 PM
Because of limited space I run only one fruiting pstem at a time now. Tried 2 stems at a time 2 years ago and last year had pups out the wazoo. Had several plant sales to get rid of them all. Like 75 extra pups. And that was done on only 3 of my mats - DB, RP and DN. Unbelievable how many pups the Dwarf Namwah alone spewed out.

Will post pics when the D PR super plantain bunch has filled in. It will be harvested green. Tostones time! :bananas_b

venturabananas
06-27-2012, 03:18 PM
Tried 2 stems at a time 2 years ago and last year had pups out the wazoo. Had several plant sales to get rid of them all. Like 75 extra pups. And that was done on only 3 of my mats - DB, RP and DN. Unbelievable how many pups the Dwarf Namwah alone spewed out.

You're telling me! Last year I planted two Dwarf Namwah within a foot of each other to "fake" a mat. And then I didn't remove pups. There's dozens of them now. It's hard to even get at them to remove them now. I should have listened to Mitchel's warning! :ha:

bananimal
06-29-2012, 10:52 AM
48 hours later--------------

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=49510&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=49510&ppuser=820)

Caloosamusa
06-29-2012, 02:23 PM
Congratulations Dan,

That's a very nice bunch of bananas. I've never had to prop my SH 3640s. Last year and this year I've not taken off many pups and let the mat have multiple pseudostems. As a result I get three bunches of fruit off one mat per year. I've harvested one bunch of each of my SH3640 mats so far this year.

I suggest that you prune pups so that you maintain two or three bearing, three medium, and four small pseudostems on each mat. Water when its dry but not cold. Organics help, but for smell and good growth always maintain mulch on the organics.

Once again, great looking Bunch! :jalapenonaner:

bananimal
06-30-2012, 09:24 PM
Today I cut off all but the bottom 2 hands - still half green. This bunch ripened fast. Began neighborhood dispersal. Will freeze the rest for smoothies and Foster. And the follow on pup looks like it will flower in 1 to 2 months. Amazing what you get when you have a frost free winter.

RAINFOREZT
06-30-2012, 10:16 PM
Everything is good. but everyone should learn a lesson from this. That is the key.

How to support a banana plant with fruit?
Your support should carry the weight of the bunch of bananas at the highest point of the stem, so that you are in effect hanging the bunch. With the weight supported there is no stress on the pseudostem.

If you support it anywhere lower, you are only moving the stress point when it is likely to snap off. ( pitangadiego )

Caloosamusa
07-01-2012, 09:34 AM
With the last two bunches we've had, my wife has made pasteles. I picked them mature green, and the consensus of my in-laws was that those were the best pasteles they've ever had. I thought they were good also. I like to put a green salsa on them (tamatillo & Jalapeneos). :jalapenonaner:

bananimal
07-01-2012, 07:26 PM
I like to put a green salsa on them (tamatillo & Jalapeneos). :jalapenonaner:

That's heresy among the Puerto Ricans I know. LOLOL:ha::ha::ha:
They don't smoke M J in Muscogee, and they don't eat Jalapenos in PR (with their pasteles, that is).:nanadrink:
Me, I eat everything. :03:

bananimal
07-01-2012, 07:28 PM
Double post, sorry

Nicolas Naranja
07-02-2012, 08:22 PM
Just about every restaurant I went to in puerto rico they gave us a mix of ketchup and mayo to go with our tostones. Actually, they gave us the same sauce with sorullitos de maíz as well.

That's heresy among the Puerto Ricans I know. LOLOL:ha::ha::ha:
They don't smoke M J in Muscogee, and they don't eat Jalapenos in PR (with their pasteles, that is).:nanadrink:
Me, I eat everything. :03:

Caloosamusa
07-03-2012, 06:58 AM
My inlaws (Puerto Ricans) did not put "Green Salsa" on their Pasteles. I am not Puerto Rican so I tried it. It is fantastic. Now some of them (not many)actually enjoy Green Salsa on their Pasteles, as I do.

The pasteles my wife made with the SH 3640s were the best pasteles some of our family "experts" have ever had, or so they said. I do not deny being a "Heretic" when eating traditional ethnic dishes. :jalapenonaner:

bananimal
07-03-2012, 09:44 AM
Ken ---- Thanks for the tip on using home grown green bananas for the masa. Trouble is, making pasteles yourself is a long drawn out laborius task.

Will see come the fall and winter holidays.