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View Full Version : To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question.


caliboy1994
05-21-2015, 04:45 PM
I have these two bunches that have been hanging for about 7 months and 9 months respectively now. As I'm going to be moving down south for the summer in a few weeks, I want to cut these down before I take off. Here's what we've got.

I have this healthy two year old Misi Luki mat. These have been hanging since around September of last year. They are pretty filled out, but the main p-stem lost most of its leaves to winter frost. The fruits are intact and pretty nicely filled out, but no signs of yellowing yet. Pics:

http://i.imgur.com/JvzINwR.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/chPFgrj.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lcFOt8b.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/D3kPnIB.jpg

I also have this Blue Java/Ice Cream bunch that has been hanging since last summer. The mat is of the same age. This one has been an anemic grower, even though the soil it's growing in seems to be pretty good (it's a lot rockier than the Misi Luki's soil though) and I've been giving it fertilizer when I can. Some of the fruits have rotted off, but on the intact fruits the tips seem to be yellowing. Pics:

http://i.imgur.com/eJK5LXI.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/AUvqMLe.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/r0YUZ5s.jpg

So is it safe to cut either of these bunches down? I don't want fruit quality to be too negatively affected. Or should I wait a few more weeks? I have until the second week of June.

JP
05-21-2015, 08:56 PM
I'd wait for them to fill a bit more but I'm no expert...

Kat2
05-21-2015, 10:14 PM
Definitely no expert so what I'm suggesting may be totally stupid but, if you will have no further access to ripe fruit from your patch when you leave, why not cut a few hands to take with you just before you hit the road and hope they ripen? I left my flourishing DC in Jacksonville; I'm sure she fruited this year but I have no way to know or even taste my 1st fruit. I have a plantain and 2 others in the ground at my house but I suspect it will be another year before they flower.

crazy banana
05-22-2015, 01:09 AM
Hi Caliboy,

welcome back. It has been a year, right?
Here is what I would do now: cut a hand of bananas and let them ripen with some overripe apples in a paper bag. They should ripen just fine.
The remaining bananas I would leave until you move back south. They look that they could fill in a little more.

caliboy1994
05-24-2015, 03:39 PM
I will do that then! Thanks for the advice everyone!

welcome back. It has been a year, right?

And yes, I haven't been on the forums for quite a while. School and work have been really rough on me and I haven't had much free time. My bananas and dragon fruit are doing very well though, they're growing in the campus garden and I check up on them every week.

Worm_Farmer
05-25-2015, 10:24 AM
NO Yellow NO Pick

Unless you have the choice of cutting them down now or loosing them shortly.

caliboy1994
05-26-2015, 07:29 PM
Update: The Misi Lukis have started yellowing! :woohoonaner:

Pics coming soon.

caliboy1994
05-27-2015, 06:29 PM
Yellowing! :08:

http://i.imgur.com/ztWYnjB.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rvrrTHd.jpg

Should I cut them all down at once or harvest it hand by hand?

crazy banana
05-27-2015, 06:57 PM
I would probably cut them all at once, because your photos show that they already have started to split. This is not unusual for Namwah, but slightly impacts the quality of the fruit.

caliboy1994
05-28-2015, 08:35 PM
Done. 10 hands, 142 fingers.

http://i.imgur.com/G1WfrP1.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/uC8dqtD.jpg?1

crazy banana
05-28-2015, 08:45 PM
Nice job. Congratulations.