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View Full Version : Jungle Roadside Bananas - No Fertilizer & Not Much Sunlight


PR-Giants
09-29-2012, 10:48 AM
This mat has been growing there for over 15 years and is more than 100' long.
It does not get much sunlight and the spacing is very close, but it produces good size bunches without any fertilizers.
Normally a mat expands downhill more quickly and this mat has tried but there is just not enough sunlight,
so it has expanded along the roadside.
There was more than 40 bunches of fruit, that will probably never get harvested.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50702&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50702)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50704&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50704)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50703&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50703)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50707&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50707)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50706&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50706)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50705&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50705)

Sun Dried Banana Bunch

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50710&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50710)

These were other plants growing with the bananas.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50709&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50709)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50708&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50708)

Worm_Farmer
09-29-2012, 11:38 AM
Wow, that just looks awesome!

brothertom2020
09-29-2012, 02:16 PM
Wow: Wish that was in Portland, OR. I'd take good care of them! Where is my machete? :-) Tom

2woodensticks
09-29-2012, 03:01 PM
and you know they are great tasting..love finding the old mats here in florida{few and far between now}

brod
09-29-2012, 05:26 PM
What variety are they

Olafhenny
09-29-2012, 05:27 PM
Hi K J,

I have made similar observations when travelling in the topics and this shade tolerance or
preference seems to be especially true here in HZ6, semi-arid, with an annual precip. of about
14 inches. My ornatas have done better indoors, at least until X-mas, then during the summer
outside, even though I provided some shade there too, at least during the second half. So far it
is IMOEO inconclusive, if it is the sun (up to 16 ¼ hrs daylight and 9 ½ hrs average sunshine) or
the dry wind, which they do not appreciate.

By mid May, when all risk of frost is past, and I put out the indoor potted bananas, they are
immediately exposed to 15 ½ hrs of daylight with 7.6 hrs of average sunshine. They do not
seem to take it too well, at least initially, but relocation/replanting shock may also play a role.

In any case, they seem to do quite well when bunched up into a tight mat outdoors, where they
can shade each other or protect each other from the wind.

It is altogether a very interesting subject, which could use a whole lot of observation and input.

Best,
Olaf

PR-Giants
09-29-2012, 06:39 PM
What variety are they

They looked like a mix of some Manzano and some Cavendish.

pushak513
09-29-2012, 08:13 PM
since it is a public road if someone was to climb up and cut down a bunch of fruit would anyone have any problem with that? I mean people go and get stuff off the roadside here all the time.

scottu
09-29-2012, 10:59 PM
where is that? I'm hungry!

PR-Giants
09-30-2012, 12:10 AM
since it is a public road if someone was to climb up and cut down a bunch of fruit would anyone have any problem with that? I mean people go and get stuff off the roadside here all the time.

I would pay to see someone climb a pseudostem and then try to climb down with a 100 lb bunch. It sure would make a funny video.

Thankfully no one drove by while I was taking the photos, they probably would have thought I was nuts taking photos of bananas, but I wanted to give you guys an idea of what Puerto Rico is like.

Bananas here are basically big weeds and platanos are the money plant.

If those bunches were platanos, there wouldn't be any fruit in my photos.

Dalmatiansoap
09-30-2012, 02:29 AM
Is that becouse they last longer or?

Yuri Barros
10-01-2012, 06:15 AM
This is the proof that bananas do very well associated with Forest..........

As the same manner as Cocoa Farms..................

The most important thing to do when a place like this is founde is to measure PAR..............Photosynthetically Active Radiation................

A PAR Meter is a cheap device....................and one can measure the Light intensity.................

This device is commonly used by Coral Reef Keepers............to fix their Corals in best position in an aquarium...................

The Optimum for Bananas................as we see is not in the Full Sun............but they like shaded places....................

So........going in a more scientific approach..................knowing the PAR of these places may help to choose better places for our Banana trees...........

I like this thread................it looks like and old farm that was abandoned..........and the plants grows freely.................

PR-Giants
10-01-2012, 08:22 AM
................it looks like and old farm that was abandoned...........

Sorry about that, I suppose my photos aren't worth a 1000 words.

Looks can be deceiving, this is a mountain road and the bananas are on the downhill side of the road. The slope beyond the bananas is about 60 degrees with a drop in that area of about 50 -60 feet, at the bottom there is a washout. The trees behind the bananas are much taller than they appear.

If you were to farm on a 60 degree slope, you're better off with the road at the bottom rather than the top.

G.W.
10-01-2012, 08:41 AM
Is that becouse they last longer or?

because someone would have taken them

actually that reminds me to go take a pic of a bunch on some roadside nanners here before someone lifts the bunch

Yuri Barros
10-01-2012, 09:11 AM
Ok.........the old fram is discharge.................

But..........here in Brazil............there are a lot of Bannana sellers along the Roads.....................when these roads pass throgh Banana Plantations Regions...............mainly in Atlantic Coastal Forst.................

bananas a venda | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/soso/104812220/in/photostream)


There are few of them that plant some Banana Trees at the back side of the tent............the above pic show a Papaya...........but also we see bananas..................

???




Maybe when they leave the place the Banana trees grow freeely.............