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View Full Version : Help! Plant bent in half!!


Cheryl
08-18-2013, 10:38 AM
Help! I am in Houston and my little house has maaaaany large banana plants on 3 sides. The fronds are taller than my house.. My question is this: I had 8 plants with green bananas on them, half of them quite large already, BUT they have ALL BENT IN HALF! We've had storms/rain lately and the weight of the fruit apparently pulled the plants over. Some are on utility lines, one on a fence and one on the roof. The plants are way too heavy to pick up (and am not able anyway).
Is there ANY WAY to preserve the bananas or even the plants WITH the fruit intact? If I leave them "as is" will the bananas continue to mature or are they a lost cause?

Abnshrek
08-18-2013, 10:49 AM
I'd just prop it a bit w/ like Dan did.. keeping the fruit off the ground.. I'm sure someone will post the thread link.. :^)

momoese
08-18-2013, 11:57 AM
Jon in San Diego has successfully fruited many bent plants over the years. If you can provide any sort of a prop it will help.

LilRaverBoi
08-18-2013, 11:59 AM
I would cut down the ones that are over power lines....it's probably a terrible idea to do anything else. The others, you can try to prop up and they might finish filling/ripening. How far along are the fruit?

Cheryl
08-18-2013, 12:43 PM
Thank you everyone!!
Yea, Bryan, I had reluctantly cut the ones on the lines but most all the fruit is pretty big. If it were yellow, I'd pick and eat! Largest are 5" x 1 1/2"... some are still small.
Thanks again everyone...I have some hope now.. Just don't know HOW I'll prop them up but I'm pretty inventive. I have to leave them again while I go to work and hope it doesn't worsen in the meantime.
Cheryl in Houston

Nancy
08-18-2013, 05:16 PM
If the fruit is mature when you cut it down, it should ripen off the tree, so perhaps all is not lost.