View Full Version : When will it flower?
lpatelski
08-18-2013, 04:46 PM
Measuring at the end of the pstem, two of my Orinocos flowered at 7'5" and 7'10"; they both have very small hands at about 9 fingers each. The one with the largest bunch flowered at 8'8".
I keep thinking one of these will flower next. The tallest is 9'10" at the end of the pstem and the leaves reach up 7' above that. It shows no signs of letting up. Is it getting bigger in prep for a large flower?:lurk:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab122/spatelski/Going%20Bananas%20in%20June%202013/0f4a8e94-8304-4aa9-9e06-5d7cef6ce9fd.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/spatelski/media/Going%20Bananas%20in%20June%202013/0f4a8e94-8304-4aa9-9e06-5d7cef6ce9fd.jpg.html)
PR-Giants
08-18-2013, 05:02 PM
Beautiful Plants :woohoonaner:
Circumference at 1 meter and pseudostem height are useful indicators.
lpatelski
08-18-2013, 08:13 PM
So based on pstem height vs circumference at 1 meter:
first to flower: Pstem 7'10" / 13 1/2" circumference
in metric 2.4 m / 34.3 cm
-------------------------------------
Second to flower: Pstem 7'5" / 12" circumference
in metric 2.3 m / 30.5 cm
-------------------------------------
Third to flower: Pstem 8'8" / 16" circumference
in metric 2.6 m / 40.6 cm
-------------------------------------
no flower yet:
Pstem 9'10" / 16 1/4" circumference
in metric 3.0 m / 41.3 cm
PR-Giants
08-18-2013, 09:23 PM
So based on pstem height vs circumference at 1 meter:
first to flower: Pstem 7'10" / 13 1/2" circumference
in metric 2.4 m / 34.3 cm
-------------------------------------
Second to flower: Pstem 7'5" / 12" circumference
in metric 2.3 m / 30.5 cm
-------------------------------------
Third to flower: Pstem 8'8" / 16" circumference
in metric 2.6 m / 40.6 cm
-------------------------------------
no flower yet:
Pstem 9'10" / 16 1/4" circumference
in metric 3.0 m / 41.3 cm
I don't grow the Orinoco, so I can't be of much help.
If you collect enough data, you should find that C@1m is a much better indicator of health and bunch size than is pseudostem height.
All of your C@1m seem very skinny.
I think Ed has an Orinoco getting ready to bloom and he should be fairly close to you.
http://www.bananas.org/f2/pre-flag-18781.html
Olafhenny
08-19-2013, 07:39 PM
Hi Linda,
I have to agree with KJ, those are beautiful, clean looking plants.
Living in HZ6 I certainly do not grow any bananas to fruit, let alone having experience with
the Orinoco. But if it is true, what KJ suggests, that they are quite skinny for their height,
it may have something to do with their being close together and, fighting for light, they tend,
like most plants, to shoot upward. That may also account for the relatively small hands.
I grow bananas strictly for their, in these parts, exotic foliage and as such I appreciate the
graceful shape of your Orinocos.
Best,
Olaf
PR-Giants
08-19-2013, 10:57 PM
My Hua Moa at 6' 9" had a C@1m of 16", six weeks later the C@1m was 23".
My Namwah was 9' 5" when it flowered with a C@1m of 22.5", which was skinny when compared to the pups.
it may have something to do with their being close together and, fighting for light, they tend,
like most plants, to shoot upward. That may also account for the relatively small hands.
I have no explanation for this, but my largest plants and bunches come when tightly packed (4' spacing) and heavily shaded.
I completely understand Olaf's point and would have agreed with it if I had not seen it with my own eyes.
Olafhenny
08-20-2013, 01:16 AM
Thanks KJ, there is a lot to learn especially from Bananas, which grow outside of their
natural environment. Because Ornatas are quite small I have wintered a couple of them
near a window indoors, where they did quite well.
One of them had spent the last summer in my “tropical planter and was completely
overwhelmed by New Zealand Purple Castor Beans and Canna Australia. Out of sight, out of
mind it rotted away in the shade. After I brought it in the mother would not recover, but
sprouted two pups. They grew nicely, but when moved outside into full daylight they
deteriorated for a while, until they had grown accustomed to the bright light, and started
sprouting again,. – for a while. Then I believe the full sun shining on the pot “cooked” the
corm as the temperatures rose and it crumbled again, until I moved it into partial shade.
Now it is perking up once more. :)
The other one, with the pot shaded all the time and the leaves in sunshine, has meanwhile
grown into a beautiful plant. It is now taller than any of the ornatas I have seen abloom in
Vietnam, where I got mine from and it still is not showing any flag leaf. I am hoping, that it
will have a flower, before I have to bring it inside.
Olaf
PR-Giants
08-20-2013, 10:28 AM
I cut down a tree in the jungle in order to make a hole in the canopy and planted 8 bananas in an 8' x 8' plot. I did not account for the trees to the North, South, and East being so much taller, so now I have huge plants growing on a 75 degree Westerly angle.
It looks a little odd, but they should be fine.
lpatelski
09-28-2013, 12:10 PM
The answer is...11'6" in height and 18" at 1m. 09/27/13 I am in trouble with this late bloomer.:0491:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab122/spatelski/f281c3ce-75a1-4179-832c-bec38df3409b.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/spatelski/media/f281c3ce-75a1-4179-832c-bec38df3409b.jpg.html)
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab122/spatelski/82b4a150-b710-4603-8bd5-9f28c7f3d18e.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/spatelski/media/82b4a150-b710-4603-8bd5-9f28c7f3d18e.jpg.html)
Abnshrek
09-28-2013, 12:22 PM
If its an orinoco they can vary greatly.. The one's on the coast fruit from 5-7' w/o any care. The 6 pups I planted off my mat that fruited @ 12.5' last year are stacking hard (leave stacking) @ 5' since they are in depleted soil. My only wonder is if the shorter ones taste as good? :^)
Olafhenny
09-28-2013, 01:21 PM
Hi Linda,
I have a similar problem with my Ornata, which is supposed to be a small indoor banana.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=54621 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=54621&ppuser=7269)
Instead of flaring out, as bananas, including Ornatas, usually do this one reaches straight up, from soil level >7feet.
Add to that the pot and things get ‘nip and tuck’ for my 10’ ceiling near the window and not even a flag leaf in sight.
The yellow ruler is 1m (40”)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40755 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40755&ppuser=7269)
Compare the above with this Ornata “at home" in a park in Vietnam and you will appreciate, why I am starting to wonder.
Abnshrek
09-28-2013, 06:50 PM
Orinoco Stacking @ 4'.. :^)
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r698/Bucko13f/OrinocoCarries_zps66afa90d.jpg (http://s1362.photobucket.com/user/Bucko13f/media/OrinocoCarries_zps66afa90d.jpg.html)
Snookie
09-28-2013, 07:14 PM
Orinoco Stacking @ 4'.. :^)
http://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r698/Bucko13f/OrinocoCarries_zps66afa90d.jpg (http://s1362.photobucket.com/user/Bucko13f/media/OrinocoCarries_zps66afa90d.jpg.html)
October 11th at 5:32pm:}
Abnshrek
09-28-2013, 07:16 PM
October 11th at 5:32pm:}
Is that a birthing guess? lol.. :^)
lpatelski
11-03-2013, 04:35 PM
48 Orinoco bananas, and one more flowering to the side. How do I keep them from freezing? Bag them with the citrus anti-freeze blankets?:bed::coldbanana:
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab122/spatelski/82b4a150-b710-4603-8bd5-9f28c7f3d18e.jpg (http://s856.photobucket.com/user/spatelski/media/82b4a150-b710-4603-8bd5-9f28c7f3d18e.jpg.html)
Olafhenny
11-03-2013, 08:04 PM
48 Orinoco bananas, and one more flowering to the side. How do I keep them from freezing? Bag them with the citrus anti-freeze blankets?:bed::coldbanana:
Hi Linda,
that might help to -3^C (26^F) maybe even to -5^C (23^F) depending on how long the
cold spell will last, That should give you another month or so.
See my http://www.bananas.org/f10/experiment-how-much-cold-can-banana-19329.html#post233018.
These plants have been exposed to subfreezing temps for a full 10 hours, bottoming out
at at -3^C (26^F) and only the parts which were exposed to the wind were damaged.
I meanwhile chopped down the one plant, which was more damaged (see pictures in the
other thread) and put it into hibernation, but the one, which was protected by the castor
beans (and nothing else) still keeps on "growing" and will still live on until the next frost.
Good luck,
Olaf
PS: I have never used a citrus anti-freeze blanket, thus I have no idea, how much
protection one would add.
sunfish
11-03-2013, 10:11 PM
Cold Protector (http://www.cleanplantshappyplants.com/products/cold_protection.html)
Cold Protector (http://www.cleanplantshappyplants.com/products/cold_protection.html)
Olafhenny
11-03-2013, 10:40 PM
Tony,
that sounds pretty citrus-specific. Had anybody to your knowledge ever tried it on bananas
and other plants?
It may well be, that leaves of banana plants are not capable of absorbing that stuff.
The citrus, which I am trying to raise, the Fortunella japonica (Thunberg) Swingle is reputed
to be hardy to -10^C (14^F) that would be well below the protective range to 27^F (-3^C)
of Citrus Blanket. Would it have any effect there too?
sunfish
11-03-2013, 11:11 PM
Tony,
that sounds pretty citrus-specific. Had anybody to your knowledge ever tried it on bananas
and other plants?
It may well be, that leaves of banana plants are not capable of absorbing that stuff.
The citrus, which I am trying to raise, the Fortunella japonica (Thunberg) Swingle is reputed
to be hardy to -10^C (14^F) that would be well below the protective range to 27^F (-3^C)
of Citrus Blanket. Would it have any effect there too?
It's all new to me
vBulletin® v3.6.8, Copyright ©2000-2020, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.