View Full Version : Could it be???
amantedelenguaje
11-27-2012, 11:04 PM
:drum:
I think my 2-year-old DC is trying to push out a flag leaf. The last two leaves have been significantly smaller than the previous leaves. I thought the reduced size may have been attributed to my chopping the pseudostem in half to lower the banana from my ceiling; however, I have chopped pseudostems in half before, and the next leaves emerged normal size. The leaf emerging from the center of this banana seems different than any other cigar leaf that I have seen. If this plant flowers, it will be my first banana flower EVER. OMG!!! I hope this is the big one, Elizabeth!!!
My nanner now: The alleged flowering banana is the chopped one in the background center closer to the window. The taller banana in the foreground is actually its pup. The banana off to the right is its pup (although repotted) also.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mw4NBPuCQno/ULWDvzAcSOI/AAAAAAAACH4/nk7c7W4tnO8/s320/002%2B%2528600x800%2529.jpg
This is the center leaf of the alleged flowering banana: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fJi4vh-mjUE/ULWDwgwJggI/AAAAAAAACIE/CmR7JJ0pMt8/s320/003%2B%2528800x600%2529.jpg
Compare the un-emerged potential flag leaf to the emerged cigar leaf of another banana below. The cigar leaf below has several layers of leaf tissue as evidenced by the few rings around the top of the leaf. The potential flag leaf lacks these rings. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vI_eAhvlALw/ULWDyd1lg2I/AAAAAAAACIc/Skn20TN_vfs/s320/004%2B%2528600x800%2529.jpg
This is the banana on October 11, 2012 just before I gave her an extreme hair cut. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tl2KTgAnu0E/UHc5r1wkYdI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/HUg562Qwj8U/s320/001%2B%2528600x800%2529.jpg
caliboy1994
11-27-2012, 11:16 PM
It looks like that could be it! I'm not sure how big the bunch will be though since it's in a container and you trimmed it back. But bananas are bananas nonetheless.
2woodensticks
11-28-2012, 12:02 PM
fingers are crossed for you..let us know
Hammocked Banana
11-28-2012, 06:54 PM
Ouch looks like u shouldn't have chopped afterall. Either way it will be sweet to see it flower. My fingers are also crossed
caliboy1994
11-28-2012, 08:56 PM
It still has some green leaves, which is good. Give it as much light as you possibly can so that it has enough energy to get the fruit to mature nicely.
edzone9
11-28-2012, 09:05 PM
Good Luck !
I am Too Awaiting My 1st Bloom !
amantedelenguaje
12-02-2012, 12:42 PM
It's been five days, and this is what the potential flag leaf looks like now. I think its the real deal. Finally! Guess I picked an unfortunate time to prune her. I hope the remaining two leaves and the pup will be able to gather enough energy for the corm to make and ripen the bananas. Caliboy I am doing as you suggested; I put the plant in my sunniest window, and I run grow lights between 6-7 am and 6-10 pm. Thanks for the advice.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pdfshnFnZDE/ULuOzrMQpkI/AAAAAAAACJo/573lByer-xo/s320/2012-12-02%2B12.16.05-769961.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gUbS-OniwPo/ULuOy42rL3I/AAAAAAAACJc/NhlBIyJxdC4/s320/2012-12-02%2B12.17.25-767086.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dSDlAW9GX3Y/ULuO0PNETHI/AAAAAAAACJ0/oNbm7L8KBbo/s320/2012-12-02%2B12.15.41-772456.jpg
Hammocked Banana
12-02-2012, 03:00 PM
Gunna be cool to see what comes out of that thing!!!
venturabananas
12-02-2012, 05:23 PM
Yep, that's definitely a flag leaf. It will indeed be interesting to see how many hands are produced and how big the fruit are. Regardless, the first flowering is pretty darn exciting. Congrats.
You might consider putting a heat mat under the pot. Not that it is necessary, but it might help this winter bloomer reach its full potential. Warm roots make for a happy banana plant.
amantedelenguaje
12-02-2012, 05:56 PM
You might consider putting a heat mat under the pot. Not that it is necessary, but it might help this winter bloomer reach its full potential. Warm roots make for a happy banana plant.
Got it covered. The pot is on top of a heat register emanating from the floor. I'm babying her as much as I can to make up for my terrible hair cut. Thanks for the tip!
Illia
12-02-2012, 07:11 PM
Congrats anyway to you!! I'm so happy and proud seeing that. Definitely keep us updated. I love seeing people in zones 5-8 with successfully flowering (edible) bananas.
amantedelenguaje
12-07-2012, 11:30 PM
The bud is still emerging. Slow but steady wins the race.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nHPnKtm3IlQ/UMJ8dsRr10I/AAAAAAAACQY/06vKT8GLf-E/s1600/2012-12-07%2B16.59.56-725890.jpg
caliboy1994
12-08-2012, 04:35 AM
I love how you're marking it. :ha:
Magilla Gorilla
12-08-2012, 04:55 AM
Very cool. Congratulations!!!!
amantedelenguaje
12-08-2012, 08:27 AM
I love how you're marking it. :ha:
That's the nerd in me. I've always got to study and learn about something.
edzone9
12-08-2012, 09:36 AM
:08:Congrats !
Illia
12-08-2012, 12:57 PM
Congratulations! Love the markings as well.
Romul
12-09-2012, 08:32 AM
Cool! Congratulations to you! This marks the hourly growth? What is the volume pot from you? A good method to reduce pseudostem. It is not very exhausting plant? Dear friends, there is a topic about it on the forum? My banana leaves is already hitting the ceiling.:banana_pi
amantedelenguaje
12-09-2012, 02:58 PM
Cool! Congratulations to you! This marks the hourly growth? What is the volume pot from you? A good method to reduce pseudostem. It is not very exhausting plant? Dear friends, there is a topic about it on the forum? My banana leaves is already hitting the ceiling.:banana_pi
The markings measure 24 hours growth of the bud/inflorescence. The growing conditions are not ideal, and it seemed to me that the bud was not emerging fast enough. I was concerned the plant might choke. The markings allowed me to see that the plant was growing and that I just needed to be a little more patient.
The pot is 22 inches/56 cm in diameter by 20 inches/51 cm deep and tapers slightly towards the bottom. I am not positive about the volume.
To keep my bananas more manageable, when the pseudostem is about 5-6 feet tall and the plant is about 8-9 feet tall, I chop the pseudostem back to about 2.5-3 feet. I know that my actions stress the plant, but I feel it is better to stress the plant so that I can bring it indoors than let it die in the freezing temperatures of winter. If I notice that the leaves are stacking or have any inclination that the plant is about to flower, then I try to be very careful when pruning the plant so as not to sever the inflorescence. I don't know how much my extreme pruning has affected the plant's ability to fruit, but I am about to figure that out in a few months. The plant in this thread has been extreme pruned twice since I purchased it in November of 2010. The bud emerged in 2 years.
Dec. 29, 2011http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WvFmS4Ec8K8/TvzkXPFMGXI/AAAAAAAAABo/_yVh_uGb-Lg/s320/2011-12-29%2B14.17.07-780775.jpg
Apr. 1 2012http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZNsLW28m3Q/T3jp3iV2kSI/AAAAAAAABD0/EtFWqo6j8u8/s320/PB130001%2B%2528Medium%2529.JPG
Jun. 3, 2012http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WV7KYVsNf1g/T8uL2sWdi2I/AAAAAAAABZI/1OqCJmdmgqI/s320/011%2B%2528600x800%2529.jpg
Jun. 17, 2012http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q5YNLH-ZYjM/T933xQ3PNNI/AAAAAAAABdk/CGX986opWD0/s320/001%2B%2528640x480%2529.jpg
Aug. 25, 2012http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bWFzRB_N11k/UDlCUZHt59I/AAAAAAAAB48/y9jnPKj9uEk/s320/031%2B%2528800x600%2529.jpg
Oct. 9, 2012http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tl2KTgAnu0E/UHc5r1wkYdI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/HUg562Qwj8U/s320/001%2B%2528600x800%2529.jpg
Oct. 11, 2012http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CoT56OA6qAQ/UHdhdB47p5I/AAAAAAAAB-w/Zabkc7lru5U/s320/002%2B%2528600x800%2529.jpg
Dec. 9, 2012http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RPQLlJ606tQ/UMUHFWb8pdI/AAAAAAAACVo/g-Pm-gBMckc/s1600/2012-12-09%2B16.42.26-784081.jpg
Romul
12-10-2012, 03:00 AM
Great! Many thanks for the complete answer. You really did a great job. We will wait for you next photo.
amantedelenguaje
12-20-2012, 06:33 PM
My decapitated dwarf cavendish is trying her best to mature her fruit. It has been overcast here nearly the whole month of December. I can't even offer her some sun. Even so, with the help of 5000K grow lights the inflorescence continues to grow--slowly but surely.
There are 4 hands. The first hand has 17 fingers (2 fingers are fused). The second hand has 11 fingers. The third and fourth hands both have 10 fingers.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U28AOhblCoA/UNObQNHFCjI/AAAAAAAACZQ/AZd3WVG4pa0/s320/PC170001%2B%2528800x600%2529.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YKgCay33YpM/UNObQt3IO2I/AAAAAAAACZc/4QX7YyxN15c/s320/PC170002%2B%2528800x600%2529.jpg
Illia
12-20-2012, 07:34 PM
I am really enjoying these photos and updates! This is great to see for anyone who is or plans to grow bananas in non-tropical settings or without yard space.
amantedelenguaje
12-23-2012, 10:40 PM
I cut off the bell so that the plant can put its energy into maturing the fruit. We had two consecutive sunny days, and I can tell that they made a huge difference for the plant. Grow lights are just not sufficient.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cch34F75UO8/UNfK2P_qDlI/AAAAAAAACbQ/bTnaC-Mgijw/s320/PC210007%2B%2528600x800%2529.jpg http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mOZzyX5TKyE/UNfK1QAMcSI/AAAAAAAACbE/CtCm20R6mMs/s320/PC210005%2B%2528800x600%2529.jpg
Notice the fused fingers in the center.http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pBPcx4bbih4/UNfK2icjKqI/AAAAAAAACbc/hzt-f3q2xDg/s320/PC210009%2B%2528800x600%2529.jpg
pushak513
12-24-2012, 12:52 AM
gives me hope I can fruit some in pots in zone 6.. did it start making male flowers and you cut it off or you were worried about its health so you went ahead and took what you could and cut it off? maybe a nice HPS grow light would have helped but those are costly. great work and even better with a cav. as some say there not the best to grow. nice pineapple also I got mine to fruit once last summer hoping for a few this summer!
amantedelenguaje
12-24-2012, 08:39 AM
did it start making male flowers and you cut it off or you were worried about its health so you went ahead and took what you could and cut it off?
Yes, it started making the male flowers. I didn't want the plant to waste energy, so I cut the bell off.
Hammocked Banana
12-24-2012, 10:21 AM
Was it done making bananas when u chopped the flower? Hopefully u left enough length that it doesn't die back to the bananas.
Edit: just saw the last 2 posts. Hopefully ull be eating bananas come spring! :woohoonaner:
kaczercat
12-24-2012, 06:35 PM
i think you cut it off too short hope it's okay
Illia
12-24-2012, 10:13 PM
Yep, I would've personally waited a little longer, but hey - You've still got quite a bit of fruit there. :)
amantedelenguaje
01-12-2013, 05:56 PM
How's the bunch doing, any new photos?
The bunch is fine. No new photos. They are not growing much because they have less than ideal conditions. I have the plant by my largest south facing window, but the skies have been overcast or raining since the beginning of December. January is turning out to be much the same. I hope the bananas hang on till spring so I can put them outdoors. I will update if there is any progress. Thanks for inquiring.
amantedelenguaje
01-20-2013, 10:01 AM
It's been about a month since my nanners first appeared. They do not seem to be growing much, but at least they're still hanging on. I've got 3 more DC that should be able to bloom this spring or summer. Hopefully I'll get better results than my winter bloomer.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAXxxSVtxEE/UPv_mbDXh8I/AAAAAAAACpc/GKKSwFBr4oU/s1600/P1170001%2B%2528800x600%2529-748567.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D9_70Ciq_O0/UPv_nJ5KnNI/AAAAAAAACp0/Yhurj8h6dok/s1600/P1170004%2B%2528800x600%2529-752009.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_ut75XZYKXg/UPv_mgQe7lI/AAAAAAAACpo/XuPpyR4BwGo/s1600/P1170003%2B%2528800x600%2529-750133.jpg
I think this one should bloom around June or July. Don't be deceived by the pseudostem height. I chopped 2-3 feet off of this one. The little nanner on the rright is a gros michel I purchased this past spring from Chance1945. Thanks Terry!
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gl0kwxtrk_Y/UPwLyx6D-sI/AAAAAAAACq0/J5m20yHHBPk/s320/P1170002%2B%2528600x800%2529%2B%25282%2529-771464.jpg
amantedelenguaje
01-21-2013, 05:40 PM
I sprayed the bunch with a neem oil/soap/water mixture. I noted a little white fungal growth where I cut off the bell. Hopefully the neem oil will discourage the fungus. Imve not tried it on bananas before,, but the oil works decently on cucurbits with powdery white mildew.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6LzKAbWViFE/UP2_MXx3EsI/AAAAAAAACvw/SMjcAtizhm8/s320/2013-01-21%2B17.12.59-732652.jpg
edzone9
01-21-2013, 05:42 PM
Looking Good !
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