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View Full Version : Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!?


mcollum83
03-11-2008, 01:34 PM
I'm sorry, I'm new, and I just have gotten my new banana babies as I like to call them...I carry them around the house and chase the sunlight...don't ask, I think I've gone bananas. But somebody told me today (and I don't think I trust them!) that banana plants get dusty looking leaves, and you are supposed to take a toothbrush and brush off that dusty looking stuff and put it in the soil, and this is pollinating it!?! Well, I don't want to be taken for an idiot, and I have lots of friends that ordered banana plants with me...so if this is true...I think I'll keel over and die. But please tell me! And if this is in fact a lie, please tell me how I should go about pollinating an indoor banana plant! Thankyou!

dablo93
03-11-2008, 02:17 PM
No I dont think that's true:P

Taylor
03-11-2008, 03:35 PM
You can't pollinate a banana plant! :ha:

You can pollinate the flowers and then produce seeds of seed-bearing banana plants; however, some don't produce seeds (edible varieties...) and therefore pollination would be a waste of your time. You can pollinate by dusting the "stuff" on to the flowers when your banana plant blooms if it is one of the aforementioned seeding types, or even just take your finger and wipe it on the stigma(correct term?). Hope this helps...I will add more later if needed.

Oh, and welcome! :choochoo:

mcollum83
03-11-2008, 03:59 PM
Okay, so you are telling me that no pollination is needed to produce fruit because the fruit don't have seeds? Is that correct? I knew those idiots at burgess were full of FERTILIZER! LOL Thank you...please let me know if that's what you meant!

Taylor
03-11-2008, 04:08 PM
Fruit of an edible variety needs no pollination. Fruit of a seeded species needs pollination. Depends on the plant you have...

Burgess is bologna...

turtile
03-11-2008, 05:47 PM
The common banana that you buy at the store is triploid so it is sterile (will not fertilize). I'm not sure if they need any stimulation to produce fruit.

The stuff on the leaves is just dust. The pollen would come from a flower.

pitangadiego
03-11-2008, 08:20 PM
Get a new "Someone". Put the old one on ignore.

Taylor
03-11-2008, 08:22 PM
Oh, I must have missed that. Thanks, Turtile!

Pollen comes from the flowers, the "dusty stuff" is called wax and is more present on some banana plants than others. It serves no purpose in reproduction or seed production...along with putting in on the soil...

mcollum83
03-11-2008, 08:41 PM
Okay, thanks guys, that's what I thought. I think that the customer service rep was saying that just to be rude, well, because she was just plain rude! Thank you for all of your help. I didn't understand how that would work anyways, because flowers have the s*x org*n anyways...just like with anything else. I'm glad I didn't go telling people that then! LOL. Thanks again guys!

mskitty38583
03-11-2008, 09:32 PM
dont feel all alone about chasing the sun w/ your nanas in hand. i have done that on many occasions. lol.and your not nuts....your nanas. lol.:chefnaner: