Log in

View Full Version : Helen's Hybrid


the flying dutchman
04-10-2007, 02:08 PM
Does anyone have pictures of this banana as we like to use them for
the WIKI.
Any other info about this banana is also very welcome. (Cold hardiness etc.)

Ron

Tropicallvr
04-10-2007, 05:56 PM
My one survived this cold zone 8 winter in a one gallon pot. It came back from the stem with vigor, and now is showing some red splashes on the leafs which it didn't show last year. I'm not banking on it being edible, but the sikkimensis hybrids should be great for the cold climate banana grower.

the flying dutchman
04-10-2007, 06:35 PM
Thanks a lot, I hope to receive a lot info from other growers. As it is a new
banana we can learn from members growing it and share the info in the WIKI.

Thanks

Ron

MediaHound
04-10-2007, 07:45 PM
I think MrBungalow grows this one.

mrbungalow
04-11-2007, 08:59 AM
Yes, I do!

The one outside got centre-rot. I cut it at the base a couple of weeks ago, and I am hoping it will come back with some pups. It would probably do better if kept dryer, but both my other sikkimensis and musa basjoo look as if they are growing and didn't loose their stems.

The conclusion is that more testing is needed, before we can say if it's as hardy as sikkimensis/basjoo, remember, this was only one plant tested outside in very wet/cold conditions. And the outside of the stems were green, only the inside got rot.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=2535&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2535&ppuser=187)

MediaHound
04-11-2007, 09:33 AM
http://www.bananas.org/wiki/Musa_Helen's_Hybrid (http://www.bananas.org/wiki/Musa_Helen%27s_Hybrid)
Erland, I added your photo and location.

the flying dutchman
04-11-2007, 10:31 AM
Thanks Erland, I hope when your remaining Helen's will grow bigger you
will upload more pics and give us more info about how they are doing.

Thanks

Ron

Mark Hall
04-11-2007, 01:35 PM
Erland was it grown outside without any protection ? or did you cover it.
I am going to try one outside this year but its getting the straw and drainage pipe housing. Hopefully it will pup before the first frosts so I will have a back up.

mrbungalow
04-11-2007, 01:48 PM
It got quite tall at the end of the season actually, but I forgot to take photos at this time. The stems were kind of thin compared to height.

This winter, I covered it together with the sikkim and the basjoo next to it. With a big pile of straw inside a chicken-wire fence. Nothing to keep the rain out, so it did get wet inside. This didn't even affect basjoo, the sikkims didnęt like it but survived, and this musa helen rotted inside..

I am hoping the corm is big enough to have atleast one or two eyes so that new plants will pop up sometime in early summer.

the flying dutchman
04-11-2007, 01:57 PM
Really interesting, maybe it is less hardy than Sikkimensis/Basjoo, the
future will tell. Can't wait for the day someone succeeds to get
bananas from this plant.
Mine is only 2 inches so it will definitely not be me.

ron

bigdog
04-11-2007, 08:10 PM
Mine isn'y really picture-worthy at this time. It finally has recovered from me nearly killing it, and is putting out some big, beautiful leaves. It's also growing very quickly again, so I should be able to get a nice picture here in a month or so. Nice, dark green leaves on this one. Can't wait to see how it does once I put it in the ground!

chrisltropical
07-08-2007, 09:37 PM
Any new pics of this potentially Zone 6 hardy banana?

:0488:

bigdog
07-08-2007, 10:00 PM
Chris, here's a picture I took a week or two ago of several of my bananas. Musa 'Helen's Hybrid' is on the left.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=3825&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3825&ppuser=49)

A couple of the leaves are burnt in that pic because I let it dry out one time before I planted it. Since that picture, the main pseudostem has grown a full leaf and is unfurling another. Here's the latest leaf. They keep getting more and more colorful with each one that opens!

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=4034&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=4034&ppuser=49)

chrisltropical
07-09-2007, 06:01 PM
Thanks bigdog! My brother wants me to get a hardy banana that produces edible fruit. I'm hopeful this is the one....

mrbungalow
07-10-2007, 12:54 AM
I have not seen helens' hyrbid fruit, but if it is anything like sikkimensis, I would rather go for d. Orinoco or d. brazilian - if edible fruit is the goal.

xyzzy
07-10-2007, 04:13 AM
I have some but mine are grown bent due to growing all leaves on one side because of wind direction.

MediaHound
07-10-2007, 09:51 AM
Bigdog, I added your location to the "Members growing this banana" map in the wiki.
If you ever want to add your location to the members growing this banana map you can use this code:
35.97915222700156, -84.02719259262085, [[User:bigdog]]
xyzzy, I got you in there too, if you want to go through the wiki and pin yourself for any other bananas, you can use this code for your location:
50.3734961443035, -3.5595703125, [[User:xyzzy]]
To see what I'm talking about, you can view this URL:
http://www.bananas.org/w/index.php?title=Musa_Helen%27s_Hybrid&action=edit&section=11
Thats the edit link for the Helen's Hybrid map. You can view it to see the format to add new entries on new lines.

I would add your location, Tropicallvr, but I dont know your latitude and longitude. If your interested, could you fill out the member map so I can get your lat and long? That map is this one: http://www.bananas.org/vbgooglemapme.php

:2747:

xyzzy
07-10-2007, 10:43 AM
I've added a few, will add some more.

I can't find my Musa ×paradisiaca L (French Plantain ) on your list. Where should I put that? - and Williams Hybrid?

MediaHound
07-10-2007, 12:18 PM
http://www.bananas.org/wiki/Musa_Green_French
http://www.bananas.org/wiki/Musa_Williams_Hybrid

xyzzy
07-10-2007, 03:09 PM
I've added quite a few of mine.

Is normal M cavendish the same thing as M Giant Cavendish? I have normal M Cavendish (Not dwarf)?

Any ideas what M Violet is - is it a form of M Ornata?

asacomm
07-10-2007, 05:54 PM
Hi all,
This Helen's Hybrid was germinated in July,06 and overwintered outside
without winter protecion here in zone 9. It was equally cold hardy as
Sikkimensis, basjoo, velutina & Chinese Yellow.
If everything goes well, the flowing could be expected nest spring and the
fruits could be tasted/tested in fall nest year.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=3661&size=1