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View Full Version : ANother question on how to handle fruiting bananas?


nph
06-22-2012, 08:37 AM
My flower stalk seems to ahve stopped producing bananas. Do I just it continue to grow or do I cut it off?
Seems to remember having read that the flower should be cut off once it has stopped producing new hands but at the same time I dont really see why so I am looking for some advice on this.

Thanks

Peter

TommyMacLuckie
06-22-2012, 09:09 AM
I've done both and it didn't seem to matter. As far as I'm aware the cutting of it is done commercially so the plant spends its energy on the fruit, not the bloom. I've seen bananas I've left alone (completely - no watering, pruning) that had mature fruit with the flower stalk fully grown and the fruit was fine.

robguz24
06-22-2012, 01:24 PM
My flower stalk seems to ahve stopped producing bananas. Do I just it continue to grow or do I cut it off?
Seems to remember having read that the flower should be cut off once it has stopped producing new hands but at the same time I dont really see why so I am looking for some advice on this.

Thanks

Peter

I believe Gabe posted previously about a study that looked into whether cutting off the flower made any difference in fruit size or time to mature. It didn't. Keeping it on can help in identification. Since I read that, I just leave them all on. They're pretty and I can often get a taste of nectar from the male flowers when I'm out in the yard.