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blownz281
11-25-2012, 03:56 PM
The experimental Georgia Banana crops? Are they still growing them in the fields?I saw old photo's from 2004 were they had a Brazilian fruit!! How the world did it survive unprotected in the winter? Wondered how the VC project was going too. I would like to try one out here in NC. Anyone know a professor or student I could contact for more info? Thanks

sunfish
11-25-2012, 04:20 PM
To Grow Where No Banana Plant Has Grown Before - Homepage Spotlights Armstrong Atlantic Savannah Georgia (http://www.armstrong.edu/site/spotlight/spotlight_to_grow_where_no_banana_plant_has_grown_before)

Nicolas Naranja
11-25-2012, 05:59 PM
I met with one of the researchers working on it in Tifton, GA. They are trying to get some grant funding to look at growing Veinte Cohols on a commercial scale in GA.

blownz281
11-25-2012, 07:01 PM
That would be pretty cool!

brothertom2020
11-25-2012, 08:35 PM
YO : I'll volunteer to try one in Portland,OR> Zone 7A! :-) Does anybody have this Proff's contact info and phone # ??

Stay Warm...Tom

amantedelenguaje
11-25-2012, 10:46 PM
Are veinte cohol fruits flavorful and of a decent size? I was kind of interested in them myself, but I couldn't find much good about the plant other than its short grow cycle.

caliboy1994
11-26-2012, 12:09 AM
I tried one at Jon's place on Saturday. I can't say I was impressed, it was acid with a bit of sweetness, but overall not bad. Maybe they just needed to ripen a bit more. The ones that he had were about the size of marbles....He probably tried overwintering it instead of using it as an annual crop which resulted in really small fruit.

sunfish
11-26-2012, 07:59 AM
I tried one at Jon's place on Saturday. I can't say I was impressed, it was acid with a bit of sweetness, but overall not bad. Maybe they just needed to ripen a bit more. The ones that he had were about the size of marbles....He probably tried overwintering it instead of using it as an annual crop which resulted in really small fruit.

Please explain annual crop.:)

trebor
11-26-2012, 08:59 AM
Its interesting to think they might be a annual type of crop. I could see a grower starting them in early fall then planting them in spring to get a crop. Does seem labor intensive to me because of the double planting . But it could yield enough to provide food .. Price wise I do not see it as a good investment .
Ive have eaten them :o) I kinda liked them . But were a little different tasting . I have one growing in my yard not doing so well though..

sunfish
11-26-2012, 09:11 AM
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/26731/1/36010048.pdf


Georgia goes bananas (http://phys.org/news154880543.html)

trebor
11-26-2012, 09:32 AM
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/26731/1/36010048.pdf


Georgia goes bananas (http://phys.org/news154880543.html)

I read Second Year Banana Cultivar Trial in South Georgia.. Seems to me it says. The frost killed them ! As far as a food producing venture it was a "no go"
Perhaps had they protected the plant from freezing it would have been quite a bit different .. I suppose they only had funds for tissue cultures and then maintenance money.. These projects are usually underfunded .. Interesting read
Thanks Tony ! Ya done good

sunfish
11-26-2012, 09:45 AM
I read Second Year Banana Cultivar Trial in South Georgia.. Seems to me it says. The frost killed them ! As far as a food producing venture it was a "no go"
Perhaps had they protected the plant from freezing it would have been quite a bit different .. I suppose they only had funds for tissue cultures and then maintenance money.. These projects are usually underfunded .. Interesting read
Thanks Tony ! Ya done good

I think unless they're grown in a greenhouse year- round it ain't gonna happen

trebor
11-26-2012, 09:54 AM
I think unless they're grown in a greenhouse year- round it ain't gonna happen

maybe started in green house in Nov through until spring, then in the ground? But to expensive...

blownz281
11-26-2012, 10:16 AM
I guess they planted way to many to protect them. They should have protected like a dozen to see what would happen.

blownz281
11-26-2012, 10:19 AM
Still suprised they had a Brazilian fruit for them..

caliboy1994
11-26-2012, 12:35 PM
Please explain annual crop.:)

By that I mean that completely new plants are planted each year since VC can be grown and fruited in one season. That way you don't have to overwinter it, which will cause the plant to lose its vigor because VC isn't a fan of the cold.

sunfish
11-26-2012, 12:56 PM
By that I mean that completely new plants are planted each year since VC can be grown and fruited in one season. That way you don't have to overwinter it, which will cause the plant to lose its vigor because VC isn't a fan of the cold.

Someone must overwinter them ?

sunfish
11-26-2012, 02:39 PM
Can an Inuit think of growing bananas in Alaska (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_an_Inuit_think_of_growing_bananas_in_Alaska) :08:

caliboy1994
11-26-2012, 02:51 PM
Someone must overwinter them ?

Jon said that the more tender plants tend to have less vigor after the winter. Although you can overwinter them, the resulting loss of vigor would reduce the bunch size the following year. That would explain the small fruit. :ha:

sunfish
11-26-2012, 05:34 PM
Jon said that the more tender plants tend to have less vigor after the winter. Although you can overwinter them, the resulting loss of vigor would reduce the bunch size the following year. That would explain the small fruit. :ha:

So what size pup should be planted in spring ?

caliboy1994
11-26-2012, 05:42 PM
It says 2 feet tall in the article. Probably about the same size in California.

blownz281
11-26-2012, 06:12 PM
Interesting :)

blownz281
11-26-2012, 06:50 PM
I still want to try one even if its just for one season to see if I can get fruit out of it. What do board members usually sell a nice size pup for ? Like a 2 ft?

sunfish
11-26-2012, 07:04 PM
I still want to try one even if its just for one season to see if I can get fruit out of it. What do board members usually sell a nice size pup for ? Like a 2 ft?

You have to make sure it wasn't overwintered :)

blownz281
11-26-2012, 07:07 PM
Yeah guess that's true from what was said. So I would have to start small and hope it make its to full size in one season?

Abnshrek
11-26-2012, 10:03 PM
Yeah guess that's true from what was said. So I would have to start small and hope it make its to full size in one season?

Or grow it in a pot over winter.. and hope the mother & a pup fruits in the same season.. :^)

caliboy1994
11-27-2012, 12:24 AM
I was thinking along the same lines of Abnshrek. Maybe obtain a small plant and grow it in a pot inside over the winter to as large as possible and then plant it in-ground outside. You can cut off a small pup and keep it inside for the winter for use in the next season, and so on.

Abnshrek
11-27-2012, 01:59 AM
I was thinking along the same lines of Abnshrek. Maybe obtain a small plant and grow it in a pot inside over the winter to as large as possible and then plant it in-ground outside. You can cut off a small pup and keep it inside for the winter for use in the next season, and so on.

My only problem is I need to slow down indoor growth.. :^)

Nicolas Naranja
11-27-2012, 05:02 PM
If you had a greenhouse, you could easily grow 600-700 plants to 3' tall and plant them in March in Georgia and have them fruit. You just need a banana with a fast cycle. I'm harvesting Hua Moa right now that I planted in early April. Granted, I'm in South Florida but Georgia has warm summers too.


If I had a lot of money to invest in something, I would go into growing bananas under cover like they do in the Canary Islands. You cut down on the wind and the cold.

You could easily grow Gran Nain in a high tunnel, probably well into southern Georgia.

RobG7aChattTN
11-29-2012, 06:10 PM
They were overwintering VC as pups in a greenhouse and then planting out in the spring. I "think" they were overwintered bare root with minimal heat, stacked like cord wood and then planted out in the spring. Back in the day I was really searching for one and talked to a guy at the tropical fruit testing station in Miami. He said that it was a very weak, uninteresting Musa, at best. I explained about the short fruiting time but being in Miami he was unimpressed. A friend got ahold of one and it performed so poorly he just let it die at the end of the season. It barely grew and did not fruit even though it should have been large enough. I figure as long as you have to protect it you may as well go with one of the better species.

Abnshrek
11-29-2012, 09:07 PM
If I was in Miami I wouldn't be impressed w/ VC either, since you can grow anything down there. I think they grow great in full sun w/ proper soil & care. Whether the bananas are worth eating I hope to find out in the coming year if mine don't flower in the pot before hand. :^)

blownz281
11-30-2012, 07:53 AM
I still want to try one.