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View Full Version : Bananas I've tried and just can't seem to grow!


Jeff
09-10-2005, 11:09 PM
What bananas have you tried growing that have not done well for you or have died?

African Rhinohorn, Ele Ele and Burmese Blue are a few that I tried growing and they all died in the middle of the summer for no apparant reason. They all grew to about 6-7 feet and then died. This happened a few years ago and I haven't tried them again since.

I have also bought Ensete maurelii 3 times from 3 different sources and all 3 plants died. Everyone I know in this area that has tried one has lost it. Not sure if it's the humidity or what. I think this is one of the most beautiful ornamentals and it pisses me off that I can't get one to grow!

bananalover
09-11-2005, 02:40 PM
The only banana plants I have had die on me were Velutina. I grew them from seed and they did real well all through the summer. They were maybe 8 inches or so of stem then over the winter they died in the greenhouse. I think it was probably the soil I used and the fact that the greenhouse was just too wet inside that winter.

pitangadiego
09-12-2005, 12:01 AM
Burmese Blue struggles and dies back, but pups enough to keep repeating the cycle. EleEle did well, until I removed a couple pups. Then the parent died and all but two of 9 pups. Never had that severe a reaction with 70+ other varieties. Rhino Horn has been fine. No others with problems. Sometimes a pup will grow a while, struggle and die, the the succeeding pups are fine. I have had that cycle with 3 or 4 plants.

Jeff
09-12-2005, 07:42 AM
Has your Rhino Horn fruited? I have heard that the fruit can be almost 2 feet long and weigh over 2 pounds each. That would be amazing to see.

tlturbo
09-12-2005, 07:53 AM
I can't seem to get Ensete maurelii vent. to grow. I've tried 4 and lost all of them.

Terry

Southern-Grower
09-12-2005, 08:33 AM
super dwarf cavendish

saturn
09-12-2005, 11:30 AM
I had 2 ensete maurelii and they both died. People told me they were 'easy' to grow. These things looked good for a short while then went downhill fast.

I also had 2 mysores die after a year of living in pots.:(

My first SDC did really well and made a lot of pups, but since then I have found them to be hit/miss, and generally hard to get thru the winter.

saturn

pitangadiego
09-12-2005, 05:13 PM
No baby Rhino's yet.

bananalover
09-12-2005, 06:23 PM
This was some really good information. There were a few on this list that I wanted that I am not sure I want to try now. I do understand that bananas seem to grow different for everyone but I might not risk a lot on a few of these now.

tropicalkid
09-12-2005, 08:09 PM
Has your Rhino Horn fruited? I have heard that the fruit can be almost 2 feet long and weigh over 2 pounds each. That would be amazing to see.

My parents have grown these at their home in Puerto Rico.The plantains from these variety can indeed grow to those proportions, but they tend to curve and loose the "banana-boomerang shape" when they grow that much, and they tend to keep growing in a spiral fashion.The peel itself is a lighter-green than the common plantains.The only catch is that the bunch only yields one or two hands of fruit at the most.They tend to like full-sun, at least in tropical climates.I'll ask my dad to send pictures if there's a bunch growing at the moment in order to post them here.

tropicalkid:cool:

Gabe15
09-12-2005, 08:43 PM
I cant get Musa beccarii var. beccarii to grow an inch, im on my second one too. If I could ever get a Musa beccarii var. hottana then I think that would do better, but like Im ever going to get one of those!

Jetstream
09-13-2005, 07:18 PM
I haven't killed anything yet, but it did take just over two years for my Pisang Ceylon to fruit. It doesn't look like they're going to be anything special either...Z

pitangadiego
09-14-2005, 12:53 AM
My Pisang Ceylon is just starting to push out its' flower.