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View Full Version : Overwintering indoors, dwarf orinoco flowering


amaznjohn
12-02-2007, 08:22 AM
Hello all,
I don't know if this is a problem or not but here's my situation. I'm in zone 7b and I brought my dwarf orinoco inside for the winter. Even though I've cut back on watering, it has started to flower. I'm not sure that this is desirable during the winter months. I placed my plant in front of a south-facing large window, so it gets plenty of sun. When I noticed the flower bud growing out, I started watering it more and trimming off some of the spent leaves. Should I continue this process and hope to continue the flowering process or should I try to delay it until the weather gets warmer and I can take it outside?

Thanks

Bch Grl
12-02-2007, 11:22 AM
I'm no expert, but as long as it's in the house and it doesn't go below 50, it should keep growing. I doubt there is any way to delay the flower that is already there!
I would keep moist, not wet, and it should be ok. Just my 2 cents!:0521:
Margie

amaznjohn
12-02-2007, 05:07 PM
Thank you very much for your reply. I'm new at growing bananas, in fact, this is my first try. I'm very happy about how this one has come along. I've only had it since April, so I figured it wouldn't flower until next summer. Do you think I should fertilize it at all?

amaznjohn
12-04-2007, 02:41 PM
Does anyone recommend me fertilizing my banana plant while its inside over winter, since it is now flowering?

magicgreen
12-04-2007, 03:48 PM
Amaznjohn Lord knows iam brand new to bananas, but i like what mskitty gives hers when they need water. cabbage, spinach, greens in her inside compost. Then i think she uses the water runoff from it when they need a drink. Help me out mskitty.......MG:2218: instead of liquid store bought stuff.

bencelest
12-04-2007, 04:45 PM
Amaznjohn Lord knows iam brand new to bananas, but i like what mskitty gives hers when they need water. cabbage, spinach, greens in her inside compost. Then i think she uses the water runoff from it when they need a drink. Help me out mskitty.......MG:2218: instead of liquid store bought stuff.

Wow! That's what I call dedication.

mskitty38583
12-04-2007, 08:18 PM
water your tree first. take shredded cabbage, fresh spinach(kind of tear it in small pieces or chop it up finely) mix the cabbage and spinach together and put it around the stalk.( dont let it touch the stalk). this will be absorbed into the ground and this will feed your plant... without chemical ferts. we like happy nanas....not chemically treated nanas.:pinwheelnaner: maybe i need to put this in the recipe thread....lol

AnnaJW
12-05-2007, 12:49 AM
Hi - I just saw this thread. Congrats on your bloom! I'm interested in seeing how the plant does. I can tell you from personal experience, to make sure you don't overwater. I have yet to have a banana plant make it indoors because I end up watering too much and they get root rot. I am so wishing you luck!!! :0497: :0497: :0497:

Mskitty, you are one true banana plant lover! I'm going to try that composting method. I love being able to share a salad with my plants. :doggyandnaner:

mskitty38583
12-05-2007, 01:01 AM
the complete story to my crazy composting( according to my children) is on one of the other threads.i have 2 different ways to do it. ill have to find the thread for you so you dont have to go through everyone.i dont mind sharing my salad and fruit with my trees either. ill get back to you on the other.

mskitty38583
12-05-2007, 01:03 AM
miss anna, it is in the main nana discussion under should i??.i usually do the cabbage and spinach thing once a week, when the other is done thats what i use for the week. happy composting!

AnnaJW
12-05-2007, 01:11 AM
Thanks, mskitty!!!

mskitty38583
12-05-2007, 01:25 AM
you are welcome.i got some more of those lil nanas. then went to foodlion and they had organic nanas.had to have some

amaznjohn
12-05-2007, 01:44 PM
Hi - I just saw this thread. Congrats on your bloom! I'm interested in seeing how the plant does. I can tell you from personal experience, to make sure you don't overwater. I have yet to have a banana plant make it indoors because I end up watering too much and they get root rot. I am so wishing you luck!!! :0497: :0497: :0497:

Mskitty, you are one true banana plant lover! I'm going to try that composting method. I love being able to share a salad with my plants. :doggyandnaner:
I'm happy to hear about the fertilizing mixture. It sounds interesting. I've always used a chemical fertilizer, so I might try this concoction, if you think I should fertilize it now. It hasn't been fertilized since August.

I'm not sure what "overwatering" is. When I had it outside this summer, I watered it nearly everyday until the pot was full. Now, I water it once a week using approx. 3 gallons of water. It seems to be doing fine. I also make sure that the water is draining well. Here's a picture I just made. Others are in the photo gallery.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o41/amaznjohn/Picture122.jpg

mskitty38583
12-05-2007, 01:56 PM
beautiful tree! i only water mine when i stick my finger 2 inches in the dirt and its dry.if your gonna feed your nana like i do mine,(just cabbage and spinach) and the dirts wet 2 in.down but not on the top of the dirt, just dampen it, dont sog it and place the cabbage and spinach around the stem dont let the veggies touch the stem. when the dirts wet or damp, it speeds up the absorbsion, and your plants eat faster, then if its just dry dirt. if your keeping your tree in the house for the winter and still want it to grow, i would feed it. if its dormant dont feed it. i feed mine 1 time a week. and i switch between the cabbage and spinach, to what ive composted in the kitchen if its ready. so the choice is yours, i can only tell you what i do to mine. i dont know about anybody elses, everybody grows theirs differently:2748: .

amaznjohn
12-05-2007, 06:31 PM
beautiful tree! i only water mine when i stick my finger 2 inches in the dirt and its dry.if your gonna feed your nana like i do mine,(just cabbage and spinach) and the dirts wet 2 in.down but not on the top of the dirt, just dampen it, dont sog it and place the cabbage and spinach around the stem dont let the veggies touch the stem. when the dirts wet or damp, it speeds up the absorbsion, and your plants eat faster, then if its just dry dirt. if your keeping your tree in the house for the winter and still want it to grow, i would feed it. if its dormant dont feed it. i feed mine 1 time a week. and i switch between the cabbage and spinach, to what ive composted in the kitchen if its ready. so the choice is yours, i can only tell you what i do to mine. i dont know about anybody elses, everybody grows theirs differently:2748: .

Thank you for your recommendations and your help. I'm hoping to get this one to fruit inside this winter, so I will be fertilizing it.

magicgreen
12-05-2007, 06:51 PM
MSKITTY, Iam a lil confused! You do do this fertilizing in the winter as well as Summer months, correct? But in the winter the soil for our nannas is in the pot. Are you saying "dig down abt 1 finger or so and put the cabbage and spinach and other green stuff below the dirt line,cover it up, and there you have it? Iam slow , or maybe just new ,help me out. I Love these plants, and WILL grow them by any means neccessary!!!!!!:2124: MG

mskitty38583
12-05-2007, 07:24 PM
ok, mg...to make sure i dont over water, i stick my finger into the dirt 2 inches. if the dirt 2 inches deep is wet, i dont water, but if the top layer of the dirt is dry, dampen(do not sog) the top layer of dirt, and then put the cabbage and spinach on top of the dampened dirt. i dont cover the veggies up, i leave it in the open air. sometimes i dont clairify myself to well enough. i havent had my nanas but for 3 months. mine are in the house. they are still little so i dont intend to put them outside for a long while. all of mine are in pots. im trying to get them to grow so they wont take so long to grow in the spring.

paolob44
12-10-2007, 02:36 PM
I have read carefully the recipe for mskitty but my small goats have managed to enter the garden and ate my cabbages.

I think the "fertilizer" of small goats will be good for my nanas Helen's Hybrid :camelnaner:

Paolo

amaznjohn
12-10-2007, 03:31 PM
Continuing saga. Since I'm new at growing bananas, how long should I wait to harvest them?

mskitty38583
12-11-2007, 02:41 AM
your goats ate your cabbage???? do i smell bbq sauce? im just kidding!!!:jumpingonbednaner:. that was good even got my child to laugh.and i think your goats"fertilizer" would be good. still find that funny. i got out the food processor tonight, since the temp outside has been good i turned the heat off in the house and my compost stuff isnt curing right. so had to chop it up green and put it where the sun can get it in the morning. nana peals and tangerine peals smell really good when you buzz them up.

paolob44
12-11-2007, 03:45 PM
Continuing saga. Since I'm new at growing bananas, how long should I wait to harvest them?

It is not easy to say, depends on how can grow in winter, I think will be ripe with summer sun

Paolo

amaznjohn
12-11-2007, 04:54 PM
It is not easy to say, depends on how can grow in winter, I think will be ripe with summer sun

Paolo

It's inside and doing well, next to a south-facing window. It seems to be growing and producing. Normally, how long does it take the bananas to mature?

paolob44
12-12-2007, 01:15 PM
In winter the days are short, light counts a lot.
One of my banana flower in the spring has matured in September, I do not have experience in winter.

Paolo

amaznjohn
12-22-2007, 08:25 AM
Help!!

My banana plant has stopped fruiting. The bud continues to open, but all that is inside are flowers and no fruit. The flowers just fall off and produce no fruit. I currently have about 3 to 4 bunches which seem to be ok, but I'm not getting anymore fruit. Does anyone have any idea what might have caused it to quit fruiting?

dablo93
12-22-2007, 10:42 AM
that's normal i think;)

bencelest
12-22-2007, 10:56 AM
As I learned here those flowers at the end of the bunch that fell off are the male flowers and the ones that made it are female flowers.
And someone said here that the size of the bunch was already predetermined upon the few 3 to 4 months it was planted but of course how healthy and how you took care of the plant (did you fertilize it continuously and also is the potassium higher than the other 2( N-P-K) ) that determines the size of the bunch so I say.

AnnaJW
12-22-2007, 01:15 PM
Like they said, that's normal. How about some pics of the fruit? :)

amaznjohn
04-24-2008, 12:47 PM
Like they said, that's normal. How about some pics of the fruit? :)This was taken several months ago. The rest of the flowers were male, so they didn't produce any fruit, so I cut off them off. The plant is still inside, so the bananas haven't matured yet. Hopefully, next week I can move them outside and they'll mature.
I'm still unsure why I got so few female flowers because I followed everyone's advice about fertilizing and watering. I guess sometimes a person can get a less than optimum plant. Anyway, I'm enjoying my plant and it generates quite a few conversations at work where it's located. Thanks.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o41/amaznjohn/Picture004.jpg

Dean W.
04-24-2008, 01:41 PM
Nice, John, looks like it's doing well. :bananajoy:

Dean

amaznjohn
04-24-2008, 02:39 PM
Nice, John, looks like it's doing well. :bananajoy:

DeanThank you. They are. I just wish I had gotten more female flowers. But, I'm happy since its a first try.

AllenF
04-25-2008, 10:10 AM
How big is the pot? I am about to do the same as you did last year and could use some input as to what size of pot to use.

Allen

amaznjohn
04-27-2008, 06:58 AM
How big is the pot? I am about to do the same as you did last year and could use some input as to what size of pot to use.

Allen

Here's a picture and a description of the planter I am using.

Walmart.com : Tambore Round 16" Planter, Light Bronze : Patio Decor (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=6115729)

mskitty38583
04-27-2008, 09:59 AM
awesome flower, and inside too. great job!:jumpingonbednaner:

Gardener972
04-28-2008, 12:25 AM
After seeing that picture, I'm off to the kitchen for a banana and a glass of milk!! :0490:

amaznjohn
05-06-2008, 01:29 PM
Thanks for the compliments. I'm pretty proud of my first attempt. I've now put it outside for the spring/summer and am hoping the bananas will now mature. I can't wait to see how they taste.

Westwood
05-08-2008, 07:18 AM
water your tree first. take shredded cabbage, fresh spinach(kind of tear it in small pieces or chop it up finely) mix the cabbage and spinach together and put it around the stalk.( dont let it touch the stalk). this will be absorbed into the ground and this will feed your plant... without chemical ferts. we like happy nanas....not chemically treated nanas.:pinwheelnaner: maybe i need to put this in the recipe thread....lol


I think i love you miss kitty
My problems would be with Slugs though any advice ?
Tammy

PS ill try this tomarrow

mskitty38583
05-08-2008, 10:43 AM
you can use the slug and snail killer they sell at the store or you can use the old tuna can with grape juice or apple juice in it. just set some grape( not cocktail but actual juice) out till it gets room temp fill the can about 1/2 way up and put the can about an inch in the ground and wait. they will smell the sugar and get in there to drink it up and they drowned.

Dean W.
05-08-2008, 11:01 AM
I've heard of using beer in a can and then they drown.

Gardener972
05-08-2008, 11:52 AM
I've also heard diatomaceous earth sprinkled around the plant works. It cuts up the body of slugs and they won't cross over it.

austinl01
05-12-2008, 09:05 PM
That's awesome. I could never get my dwf. orinoco to bloom even after several years. Congrats!

island cassie
05-12-2008, 09:32 PM
John - you are a star and must be doing something right!! My orinocos are just fruiting now for the first time - but from the fruit I have had passed over the garden fence, unless you want them for tostones or as cooking bananas, they need to be really plump and ripe to the point of starting to go soft before they are good as eating bananas, and then they are gorgeous.

Congratulations Cassie

amaznjohn
05-13-2008, 02:10 PM
Thanks Cassie.

I do have a question for the experts out there. A few of the bananas on the stalk started turning yellow, so I cut the stalk off as I've read to do by most people. My problem is that many of the bananas are still very small and hard. I cut the ones off that were yellow and are going to ripen them in a bag. Is it possible that the very small ones will get larger before they ripen, if I hang them in a cool place?

amaznjohn
05-14-2008, 10:40 AM
I do have another question for anyone with insight. Now, that my plant has fruited and I've cut off the stalk, how long before the plant dies back? I'm asking because I moved it from my house to overwinter it at work and now I'd like to take it back home, if it will live much longer. I have a shoot from it that I'm growing now at home. Another question, if I plant it in the ground at home will it produce any more shoots? Thanks for any help?

Here's a picture of a couple from my first harvest. They tasted great and not with a thick skin either.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o41/amaznjohn/Picture001.jpg[/IMG]

Dean W.
05-14-2008, 11:42 AM
Nice nanners!:bananarow:

island cassie
05-14-2008, 12:20 PM
John - once you have cut the bunch down, the fruit will not get any bigger. Glad the ones you tried were good - they look nice and fat. Regarding the old plant - I usually leave mine a while until they start to yellow before I cut them down and assume that energy from the old plant will help the mat - are there any more pups visible? As you have a spare plant at home anyway, it might be fun to cut the old one down, and plant it in the ground to see if it sprouts more pups - they are notoriously hard to kill and it could provide you with several new plants. It is a good time of year to try this too. Good luck!

Cassie

amaznjohn
05-14-2008, 08:01 PM
Thanks again Cassie. I believe I'll do as you suggest and cut it down, bury it and see if more pup emerge. I don't see any right now, so we'll see what happens. Maybe I can use this one simply as pup machine.