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View Full Version : How to protect fruit and what is a digging bar?


nph
10-15-2012, 09:09 AM
I am trying to protect my Nam Wah (not IC unfortunately) from what I believe is the birds opening up the ripe bananas I have. Once they turn really yellow something else eats them, especially the ones visible from the air so I assume it is birds that like my bananas.

What is the best way to protect them?
I have a bird net I can set up but it is a pain in the neck to set up and make sure it protects properly. But I remember reading that commercial growers use big plastic bags to help them ripe a little faster and protect them so can I use a plastic bag and if so what size and color should I use? Seem to remember that is was blue they used but maybe it doesn't matter? Btw, I live in Dallas Texas so they are still growing and ripening.

Also for my Dwarf Brazilian that only flowered a few weeks back I read that i better trim it down to a few hands. When and how should I do that? Definitely plan to put a plastic bag around that bunch. But since I read they might take damage from trimming I am wondering how I should do it? I have cut off the male flower on my bananas once I have a food of just flower stalk below the last bananas. In this case should I cut off the once lowest on the stalk or highest up of the bunch?

Last quick question what is a digging bar? Currently I use a regular shovel to dig them up and that is quite hard...

sunfish
10-15-2012, 09:33 AM
Don't let the bananas ripen on the plant. Cut at first sign of yellow and let ripen indoors

Abnshrek
10-15-2012, 10:07 AM
a shooter spade works better if you don't have a digging bar. It has a blade (2 or more inches in width) on the end of the bar of various widths. I think Nick has a foot-peg on his so he don't have to beat w/ a mallet or manually. :^)

venturabananas
10-15-2012, 10:47 AM
I hate to sound like GW, but Google "digging bar" and you will see what they are. :ha:

Dalmatiansoap
10-15-2012, 11:02 AM
I have some different impressions on digging bars:ha:

nph
10-15-2012, 11:25 AM
But I read several posts about NamWah and Dwarf Orinoco benefitting greatly by ripen on the plant and not indoors. Or am I off here when I thought to keep them on the tree until really ripe?

Abnshrek
10-15-2012, 11:32 AM
But I read several posts about NamWah and Dwarf Orinoco benefitting greatly by ripen on the plant and not indoors. Or am I off here when I thought to keep them on the tree until really ripe?

If want to keep feeding the wildlife instead your tummy.. :^)

venturabananas
10-15-2012, 11:45 AM
But I read several posts about NamWah and Dwarf Orinoco benefitting greatly by ripen on the plant and not indoors. Or am I off here when I thought to keep them on the tree until really ripe?

I wonder if you are mixing up letting them fully mature on the plant (that is, fill out completely and start to yellow), and then harvest and let them fully ripen indoors, with letting them get really ripe on the plant. Namwah and Orinoco are definitely best (if you are eating them a dessert fruit) when really ripe. But in my limited experience, you don't need to let them get that way on the plant. I can't tell the difference in flavor between those that were let to yellow on the plant with those that were picked green but fully mature and then allowed to ripen indoors -- away from the greedy neighborhood animals! Good luck.

sunfish
10-15-2012, 01:04 PM
Fruit Growth and Ripening (http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/ibc99/koning/fruitgrowripe.html)

bananimal
10-15-2012, 03:35 PM
But I read several posts about NamWah and Dwarf Orinoco benefitting greatly by ripen on the plant and not indoors. Or am I off here when I thought to keep them on the tree until really ripe?

You will be sharing them with the neighborhood fauna if you do! First yellow - cut the fellow.

Digging bars - 6 ft long with 2" blade and pommel on top -- Lowes or HD. Use a fulcrum also.

sunfish
10-15-2012, 04:34 PM
70 in. Tamper Head Digging Bar-GXB-441 at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202531238/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=digging+bar&storeId=10051#.UHx_PYZ4o2w)

For my soil a flat blade shovel and sledge works better

Abnshrek
10-15-2012, 05:11 PM
70 in. Tamper Head Digging Bar-GXB-441 at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202531238/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=digging+bar&storeId=10051#.UHx_PYZ4o2w)

For my soil a flat blade shovel and sledge works better
The handle is to long on the 70". I have short stainless handle that makes mine a beast.. I think I put a better tamper on my skinny digger, since its rounded like baseball bat.. 1/4" steel works good, but 3/8's is better..
I need the foot-peg on mine. I wish they had a motorcycle junkyard around here.. lol
Mine goes into the ground good enough due to the weight of the stainless handle. A couple palm taps its where it needs to be, no sledge required. :^)

sunfish
10-16-2012, 07:20 AM
http://www.bananas.org/f2/banana-bags-15502-post192824.html?highlight=bags#post192824

sunfish
10-16-2012, 07:22 AM
http://www.bananas.org/f2/i-finally-figured-out-how-produce-15477-post192575.html?highlight=cutting+bunch#post192575

pitangadiego
10-16-2012, 10:01 AM
http://webebananas.com/bpix/BP952-23.jpg

Digging bar

bananimal
10-16-2012, 11:01 PM
More better digging bar

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50990&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50990&ppuser=820)

Julian
10-17-2012, 02:21 AM
I use this. I like it.

Razor-Back® - 60-in San Angelo Bar (http://razorbackprofessional.com/products/detail.aspx?ProductId=1197&FamilyId=138&LineId=136)

bananimal
10-17-2012, 07:58 AM
I use this. I like it.

Razor-Back® - 60-in San Angelo Bar (http://razorbackprofessional.com/products/detail.aspx?ProductId=1197&FamilyId=138&LineId=136)

Great website --- thanks for posting! Got a big dead palm tree to dig out right now.

Dan

Yuri Barros
10-17-2012, 08:32 AM
What is the best digging bar............. concave type or straight...........I found here in Brazil both types..................so I have to choose.............

I will make a foot peg just like this.................

bananimal
10-17-2012, 06:42 PM
What is the best digging bar............. concave type or straight...........I found here in Brazil both types..................so I have to choose.............

I will make a foot peg just like this.................

Depends on what you want to use it for. My dead palm for example. The morebetter DB will get out the small pieces after the trunk and rootball are removed. Trunk --- Sawzall. Rootball --- sharp pointy shovel to sever surface roots. Rootball removal --- the truck and no stretch rope. When --- when my back injury heals up. lol

pitangadiego
10-17-2012, 07:07 PM
Digging a banana is a LOT different that digging a palm.

Yuri Barros
10-17-2012, 07:34 PM
Yes it gonna be used to extract Banana Pups especifically...........

I´m planing to weld a foot peg too...............

The Concave model seems to extract a little more corm from the Mother...............and give a little more mass to the Pup corm............specially if you like to extract not too big Pups.................

Small Pups seems to inflict small wounds...........in Mother Corm.......than the big ones.....

And I have no experience.................if extract Pups affects the yield...........???


I´m planning to save all Pups.....................and I will try to extract them as small as possible.................and for this...........I would like to prepare a special tool................

Like a Surgery..............:)

austinl01
10-17-2012, 09:26 PM
Digging a banana is a LOT different that digging a palm.

Right on. No doubt about that!

sunfish
10-17-2012, 09:30 PM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40439&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40439&ppuser=2868)

bananimal
10-18-2012, 01:04 AM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40439&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40439&ppuser=2868)

My back just twinged a little seeing this pic. That's why the truck will pull out the root ball on my palm. It's a smaller root mass on a Robellini. And the soil is sugar sand.

Tony --- how did you finish that thing off? Or did you cover it up?

G.W.
10-18-2012, 03:20 AM
I hate to sound like GW, but Google "digging bar" and you will see what they are. :ha:

What did I do?
Google (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=site:www.bananas.org+digging+bar&oq=site:www.bananas.org+digging+bar&gs_l=hp.3...1507.12707.0.13420.32.32.0.0.0.0.110.2264.30j2.32.0. les%3B..0.0...1c.1.TpPNgjuPWLU&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=6f2020f3c8b5fd38&bpcl=35440803&biw=1104&bih=706)



Digging bars are rubbish.
An ice spud bar - Google Search (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1SFXN_enUS500US500&q=ice+spud+bar&bpcl=35440803&um=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&biw=795&bih=508&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=TLl_UIHrHIP49QS304CAAw) is what you need FTW.

EDIT didn't notice if it was mentioned but that shovel stuck in the palm is a trenching shovel - Google Search (http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&rlz=1C1SFXN_enUS500US500&q=trenching%20shovel&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bpcl=35440803&biw=795&bih=508&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw&ei=Jrp_UMK1GYLI0QHu94G4BA)

If want to keep feeding the wildlife instead your tummy.. :^)

With hot lead you can do both !!!
cci cb 22 short quiet 22 - Google Search (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1SFXN_enUS500US500&q=cci+cb+22+short+quiet+22&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bpcl=35440803&biw=1104&bih=706&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=Lbx_UMr-HY7K9gSA4YGgDg)
Be sure to ring the bell with these or you'll lose your quarry.

sunfish
10-18-2012, 07:14 AM
My back just twinged a little seeing this pic. That's why the truck will pull out the root ball on my palm. It's a smaller root mass on a Robellini. And the soil is sugar sand.

Tony --- how did you finish that thing off? Or did you cover it up?

I dug two of these out by hand.

bananimal
10-18-2012, 08:30 AM
I dug two of these out by hand.

WOW! :08:

venturabananas
10-18-2012, 12:46 PM
I dug two of these out by hand.

Every part of my body hurts just thinking about doing that!