View Full Version : Hello. New here and need advice.
HarryWho
04-03-2013, 06:13 PM
Hello all. I moved to Florida about 2 years ago (Vero) and have been enthralled by tropical plants. Anyway, last July I planted a California gold and have been fussing over it since. It was about 3' when I planted it. It did very well and grew to 8' (stem) by February. We had a cold spell in March and I lost a little over half the leaves. It warmed up 2 weeks ago and it immediately put out a short leaf. Well, it was a flag because I now have a flower. My question is, will it do okay with so few leaves? The flower looks fine.
Abnshrek
04-03-2013, 06:22 PM
It will do ok.. Probably see some pups on it if there is none and the pup leaf power will help the mother. :^)
HarryWho
04-03-2013, 06:30 PM
It will do ok.. Probably see some pups on it if there is none and the pup leaf power will help the mother. :^)
It has 4 swords of varying height. I removed 2 others and potted them.
Abnshrek
04-03-2013, 06:32 PM
It has 4 swords of varying height. I removed 2 others and potted them.
Well I'd leave the other 2, till your fruit is right.. :^)
HarryWho
04-03-2013, 06:38 PM
Well I'd leave the other 2, till your fruit is right.. :^)
No, there were 6 all together. There are still 4. I'll definitely not touch them.Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.
sunfish
04-03-2013, 06:41 PM
Hello all. I moved to Florida about 2 years ago (Vero) and have been enthralled by tropical plants. Anyway, last July I planted a California gold and have been fussing over it since. It was about 3' when I planted it. It did very well and grew to 8' (stem) by February. We had a cold spell in March and I lost a little over half the leaves. It warmed up 2 weeks ago and it immediately put out a short leaf. Well, it was a flag because I now have a flower. My question is, will it do okay with so few leaves? The flower looks fine.
With 8' p-stem I wouldn't think it is CG. Can you post pix?
Abnshrek
04-03-2013, 06:49 PM
With 8' p-stem I wouldn't think it is CG. Can you post pix?
Glad you said it Tony.. I wasn't going there even though it was on my mind.
So where did you get your CG from? :^)
HarryWho
04-03-2013, 07:18 PM
With 8' p-stem I wouldn't think it is CG. Can you post pix? I measured it to be sure. It's really about 6'6".
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/4739/photo9ek.jpg
http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/9307/photo7rq.jpg
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/8150/photo3obj.jpg
caliboy1994
04-03-2013, 07:20 PM
I think it'll do fine.
HarryWho
04-03-2013, 07:23 PM
Glad you said it Tony.. I wasn't going there even though it was on my mind.
So where did you get your CG from? :^)
Got if from a guy who grows bananas and Heliconias down in Jupiter.
robguz24
04-03-2013, 08:02 PM
Most of my fruit mature with that many or fewer leaves.
BigBananaBoy
04-03-2013, 08:13 PM
Height maybe, but I think the leaves are not Cali Gold. Mine fruited last year and naners matured a month ago, but the leaves on mine are much thicker and wider.
We will know better when you see the flower, post some pics then of the females buds when the flower starts to open.
Either way congrats on the flower its cool to watch!
I measured it to be sure. It's really about 6'6".
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/4739/photo9ek.jpg
http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/9307/photo7rq.jpg
http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/8150/photo3obj.jpg
venturabananas
04-04-2013, 12:41 AM
Height maybe, but I think the leaves are not Cali Gold. Mine fruited last year and naners matured a month ago, but the leaves on mine are much thicker and wider.
You're right, it isn't Cali Gold with those open petiole canals with pink edges. It'll probably be something that tastes much better, by the looks of it.
BigBananaBoy
04-04-2013, 01:37 AM
When I come down to your area mark in 2 weeks I am planting some in your front yard:0519: I am bring the sunfish hauling crew... :08:
(sorry for the hijack)
I was thinking maybe namwah.
You're right, it isn't Cali Gold with those open petiole canals with pink edges. It'll probably be something that tastes much better, by the looks of it.
HarryWho
04-04-2013, 10:01 AM
Flower opened in the rain this morning.
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/226/flower1au.jpg
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/1899/flower2u.jpg
The flower is horizontal and kind of wedged between two leaves. Should I give it some help or leave it alone?
Abnshrek
04-04-2013, 10:05 AM
No help required. :^)
caliboy1994
04-04-2013, 12:32 PM
Looks a bit like a plantain.
kaczercat
04-04-2013, 05:33 PM
Are you sure it's a Cali Gold? The colors don't seem right. All the pics I've seen have solid green leaves. nice looking flower tho! congrats!
HarryWho
04-04-2013, 05:47 PM
Are you sure it's a Cali Gold? The colors don't seem right. All the pics I've seen have solid green leaves. nice looking flower tho! congrats!
I have no idea. The guy who gave it to me rattled off a few kinds he had and said he'd give me a CG because it would do better where I live.
venturabananas
04-04-2013, 05:48 PM
I have no idea. The guy who gave it to me rattled off a few kinds he had and said he'd give me a CG because it would do better where I live.
That very well could be what it was sold to him as, but he wouldn't have been the first to be sold something under that name that wasn't the real deal.
Chance1945
04-04-2013, 08:39 PM
HarryWho, I'm glad you asked that question. Last fall my mystery banana put out a funky leaf which at first I thought was malformed because of the cold. Then I notice that at the top of the pstem it looked liked my plant was pregnant. It dawned on me that the malformed leaf was a flag leaf and that I had a bloom about to emerge. We had 3 or 4 cold snaps through the winter and I wrapped the bud in an old blanket.
Now that it has warmed up the bloom has emerged and I have several hands of bananas but no new leaves. Like you, I wondered if the plant could feed these new bananas because it has no leaves. It's the largest of a mat of 4 plants and the other plants are just starting to put out new leaves.
I'm anxious to read the answers to your question. Later I hope that with my description of the plant and the bananas that someone will be able to help me identify this plant. It's about 10 feet tall and the new fruit appears to be short and fat. A dessert banana perhaps? Or will I ever be able to identify it?
HarryWho
06-21-2013, 10:02 AM
As an update, I ran into a bit of a Banana expert and upon inspecting the plant and fruit he told me it's a Hua Moa. After looking it up on this site, I have to agree. I used a lot of the fruit to make tostones, which were excellent, but saved a half dozen to fully ripen. When they get ripe they're sweet and creamy.
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