View Full Version : Dwarf Orinoco Pre Flag
geissene
08-04-2016, 09:57 AM
Hi everyone,
My 2.5 year old dwarf orinoco seems to be ready to flower. The last leaf was half size and now a strange leaf is poppin' out the toaster. Doesn't look like a cigar leaf to me. The plant height is just over 4' tall.
Erik G in Pennsylvania
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60267><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60267 border=0></a>
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60264><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60264 border=0></a>
scottu
08-05-2016, 06:44 PM
Hey Erik, Plants look fantastic! Stem looks fat enough. You are due for one.
More pics soon!
Tytaylor77
08-05-2016, 10:10 PM
Here is a few pics of one of mine that threw a flag today if you want to compare.
Pre-flag
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60276&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60276&ppuser=20917)
Flag
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60275&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60275&ppuser=20917)
Another due to flower any day.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60277&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60277&ppuser=20917)
geissene
08-06-2016, 05:08 PM
Thanks everyone! Flag is almost all out!
Tytaylor: This will be fun to compare my plant with your texas one!
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60296><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60296&size=1 border=0></a>
Tytaylor77
08-06-2016, 08:18 PM
Sounds awesome. Keep posting pics and I will try to post pics as you do so we can compare.
geissene
08-12-2016, 07:03 PM
This is a real nail biter! No flower yet. Guess I'm getting impatient. Haha
Our first frost might be in November. Makes me wonder how big the fruit could get.
Erik
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60354><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60354&size=1 border=0></a>
Tytaylor77
08-12-2016, 09:39 PM
Looking good!! Down here the tall ones take about 4 months to ripen. I bet dwarf Orinoco is the same. Wish it was faster but hopefully you will make it. They should fill pretty good by then.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60357&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60357&ppuser=20917)
geissene
08-20-2016, 10:51 AM
Finally a sneak peek! The flower bud bent over about 2 days after my last posting.
Yesterday, I was able to finally see 5 baby bananas as the flower petals start peeling back.
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60409&ppuser=17582><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60409&size=1 border=0></a>
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60410&ppuser=17582><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60410&size=1 border=0></a>
Tytaylor77
08-20-2016, 09:45 PM
Yours is looking great!! Hope you have lots of bananas.
Big flower.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60417&size=1
First hand.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60418&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60418&ppuser=20917)
SocalYellowBanana
08-20-2016, 10:28 PM
Finally a sneak peek! The flower bud bent over about 2 days after my last posting.
Yesterday, I was able to finally see 5 baby bananas as the flower petals start peeling back.
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60409&ppuser=17582><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60409&size=1 border=0></a>
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60410&ppuser=17582><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60410&size=1 border=0></a>
You have beautiful babies their.:nanadrink:
geissene
08-22-2016, 11:50 AM
Thanks all!
From the looks of Tytaylor's plant, his DO seems to be one week ahead of mine. I think you will get 3X the fruit as well! It is interesting to see the plant's true potential in a better environment.
I am still amazed mine did anything, considering it spent the past winter bare root on my cold basement floor.
I'll make a bud size measurement soon.
Regards,
Erik
Paulzie32
08-22-2016, 05:16 PM
Great looking Plant! I had no idea the Dwarf Orinocos were so short! Very Cool. I may have to get rid of my Orinoco and get a dwarf :-)
Tytaylor77
08-22-2016, 05:52 PM
That's what makes it so fun to compare!! I bet mine is tiny compared to ones in the tropics. Very few ppl get fruit in your zone. It is really amazing you can get fruit. Whenever you are doing it is an awesome job. I complain about my winter and I can't imagine yours. Excellent job!!!
Tytaylor77
08-22-2016, 06:00 PM
Great looking Plant! I had no idea the Dwarf Orinocos were so short! Very Cool. I may have to get rid of my Orinoco and get a dwarf :-)
They get about 6'-7' here and stack out the leaves. Looks really cool almost like a travelers Palm. I love how they look.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60419&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60419&ppuser=20917)
geissene
08-23-2016, 08:06 PM
Very cool. Mine really didn't stack out, but all of my leaves grew since this spring. I think my plant should have flowered at 5' or 6', but I had at least one foot of 'shrinkage' after the last winter. The plant was stored bare root as in the photo below.
I also had time to get a measurement of the bud, it was hard to do because this mean wasp with a round abdomen is at the flowers from morning till night!
Erik G
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60429><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60429&size=1 border=0></a>
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60430&ppuser=17582><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60430&size=1 border=0></a>
Paulzie32
08-23-2016, 08:16 PM
I think my plant should have flowered at 5' or 6', but I had at least one foot of 'shrinkage' after the last winter.
LOL. I hear that's a problem with all bananas. :-). Not quite to that amount though. LOL
geissene
08-23-2016, 08:38 PM
LOL. I hear that's a problem with all bananas. :-). Not quite to that amount though. LOL
Lets call it 20% smaller, now that sounds more manageable!
Tytaylor77
08-23-2016, 08:57 PM
Very cool. I'm assuming dry storing it like you did the roots die then the corm re-roots in spring just like a bulb. It's amazing how tough orinocos are.
Has anyone else dry stored any other varieties other than Orinoco?
Tytaylor77
08-23-2016, 09:05 PM
Here an updated picture of mine. Taken today.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60432&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60432&ppuser=20917)
geissene
08-24-2016, 12:23 PM
Amazing how many nanas you got!
Yea, I have heard that the roots die back when stored like this. When I put the plant outside in spring, I kept the the roots on the plant. (Not sure if I should have removed them or if it matters.) It took about 1 month before there was any sign of leaf growth (early June).
I'm going to have a 5' tall Veinte Cohol that will be too big to grow indoors, so I'll try bare root storage. I'll keep a small pup growing in a pot as a backup.
Tytaylor77
08-24-2016, 01:03 PM
Amazing how many nanas you got!
Yea, I have heard that the roots die back when stored like this. When I put the plant outside in spring, I kept the the roots on the plant. (Not sure if I should have removed them or if it matters.) It took about 1 month before there was any sign of leaf growth (early June).
I'm going to have a 5' tall Veinte Cohol that will be too big to grow indoors, so I'll try bare root storage. I'll keep a small pup growing in a pot as a backup.
Awesome keep us updated how the bare root VC does. I'm very interested. :lurk:
geissene
09-01-2016, 12:11 PM
Tytaylor: I will do VC updates next year!
So my dwarf orinoco is pretty much done making small fruits. The picture below was taken this morning. Every day, another petal falls off and so do the tiny flowers. Several rounded abdomen wasps are still on the flowers from morning till night!
I ended up with 4 hands and finger counts of 8, 8, 7, and 2 from top to bottom. So there is a potential to have 25 bananas before the first frost! This happens usually in mid-November.
I do have some thoughts on areas to improve my method for next year.
In early spring, I planted the bare root orinoco outdoors. It took about an entire month before there were signs of leaf growth. As we know, the corm is growing new roots before it pushes leaves.
Perhaps I can give the roots a head-start on the spring season by potting up the dormant plant prior to putting outside. This would allow the roots to develop faster. Maybe with the aide of a burlap sack I can keep the new roots intact as I transfer back into the ground.
Last fall, I let the plant's leaves die off with the first hard frost. I then cut the petioles back to the p-stem with a scissors in prepartion to move the plant indoors. What I noticed was the petioles continued to weep sap for several days after being cut! This must equate to lost energy and perhaps is part of the reason some people's plants 'rot away' over the winter.
This year, I plan to just cut away the dried/dead leaf material but keep the petioles (maybe just bend them down and tie/tape to the p-stem). I plan to do this with my basjoo as well since they had the same issue!
This year, I have another equally sized orinoco that I can experiment with that should fruit next summer. Hopefully with these tweaks and whatever ideas other people suggest, I can get more than 25 potential bananas next year!!!
Regards,
Erik G in Pennsylvania
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60497><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60497&size=1 border=0></a>
Tytaylor77
09-01-2016, 03:05 PM
Looks great!!! I wouldn't change too much what you did worked great!! I have tried both ways when I cover mine. I have bent down leaves thinking they would add insulation to the banana. I have cut all leaves off at the Pstem after the first frost. Cutting at the Pstem is better for me but my plants stay in the ground. It will be interesting to see what works better for you storing it dry. I really hope you get close to ripe bananas before your first frost. It's gonna be cool to see if both our bunches fill and ripen at the same speed.
Here is the comparison bunch. 9 hands. 11 fingers on first hand.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60489&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60489&ppuser=20917)
A new huge flower from a dwarf Orinoco.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60487&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60487&ppuser=20917)
Yard stick next to the huge new flower. It's the biggest ever. The pictures really don't do it justice. The top of the bunch stalk where it comes out of the Pstem is bigger around than a coke can!!
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60488&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60488&ppuser=20917)
scottu
09-01-2016, 05:42 PM
Tytaylor: I will do VC updates next year!
So my dwarf orinoco is pretty much done making small fruits. The picture below was taken this morning. Every day, another petal falls off and so do the tiny flowers. Several rounded abdomen wasps are still on the flowers from morning till night!
I ended up with 4 hands and finger counts of 8, 8, 7, and 2 from top to bottom. So there is a potential to have 25 bananas before the first frost! This happens usually in mid-November.
I do have some thoughts on areas to improve my method for next year.
In early spring, I planted the bare root orinoco outdoors. It took about an entire month before there were signs of leaf growth. As we know, the corm is growing new roots before it pushes leaves.
Perhaps I can give the roots a head-start on the spring season by potting up the dormant plant prior to putting outside. This would allow the roots to develop faster. Maybe with the aide of a burlap sack I can keep the new roots intact as I transfer back into the ground.
Last fall, I let the plant's leaves die off with the first hard frost. I then cut the petioles back to the p-stem with a scissors in prepartion to move the plant indoors. What I noticed was the petioles continued to weep sap for several days after being cut! This must equate to lost energy and perhaps is part of the reason some people's plants 'rot away' over the winter.
This year, I plan to just cut away the dried/dead leaf material but keep the petioles (maybe just bend them down and tie/tape to the p-stem). I plan to do this with my basjoo as well since they had the same issue!This year, I have another equally sized orinoco that I can experiment with that should fruit next summer. Hopefully with these tweaks and whatever ideas other people suggest, I can get more than 25 potential bananas next year!!!
Regards,
Erik G in Pennsylvania
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60497&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60497)
Hey Erik, I think you need to take into account the odd weather we had in the early spring, An early very warm period and than the late very cold period sure makes it hard to average in for future predictions.
you are doing great!
scottu
Kevin2685
09-10-2016, 10:12 AM
Both of you are way ahead of me but can I join the DO party.
http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b498/kevinmeredith1977/9AD1288A-1ABF-44A9-BCCA-38586BD90F58_zpscqvjvnyu.jpg (http://s1288.photobucket.com/user/kevinmeredith1977/media/9AD1288A-1ABF-44A9-BCCA-38586BD90F58_zpscqvjvnyu.jpg.html)
Tytaylor77
09-10-2016, 07:36 PM
Woohoo congrats Kevin. I know your excited and I hope it does great.
geissene
09-10-2016, 09:10 PM
Hi Kevin
Congrats! Looks great! Based on the picture, looks like someone is raining on your party. Haha
Erik
Kevin2685
09-11-2016, 08:04 AM
Lol yeah we just had a storm that night. Unfortunately I will have to bring this inside in a month so we will see how it goes. Not going to be fun bringing it inside.
Hopefully the pup that's the same size will hold off on flowering until spring then I can plant it in the ground and have more time with that one.
chris_zx2
09-12-2016, 12:40 PM
Awesome!!!! Can basjoo be stored the same way? And what exactly did you do? Was it just garbage bags around roots, no water or light all winter?
Kevin2685
09-12-2016, 01:14 PM
Basjoo are a really hardy banana. I'm in zone 5 and I have a huge 3 year old mat. You should keep them in the ground.straw and mulch and a heavy tarp and your good.
chris_zx2
09-12-2016, 02:32 PM
I'm in Montreal quebec....I know it's border line here...
Kevin2685
09-12-2016, 03:17 PM
I'm in zone 5 and we have cold winters. I even left some uncovered and they died down to the corm but put out pups. Every year mine get bigger and bigger. If it's not in the ground I wouldn't do it this year but next spring I would.
They perform much better in the ground. This is mine this year.
http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b498/kevinmeredith1977/842EA5A8-8431-4CB8-AADE-B43B61364EAD_zpsuqaekpyf.jpg (http://s1288.photobucket.com/user/kevinmeredith1977/media/842EA5A8-8431-4CB8-AADE-B43B61364EAD_zpsuqaekpyf.jpg.html)
geissene
09-12-2016, 08:32 PM
chris: After a few days in plastic, the garbage bags trapped in moisture so I kept them loose and open. They mainly helped to keep things clean - there was dirt on the corm and the top of the stem would leak sap from having the leaves cut off.
All I did was dig up the plant and wash the corm off as good as possible with a hose. Then tried to keep the plant in a dark place with temps below 60F. I put it outside in spring after the last frost and even left the old roots on the corm. It took a month for the first signs of life to emerge but then it took off growing!
I agree with Kevin, large basjoo can be stored bare root but its easier to cover them with mulch and keep outside. His basjoo mat is really amazing! My outdoor basjoo recovered much faster in the spring than ones I kept indoors. I would say the plant should be at least 4' tall before trying to over winter it outdoors.
Erik
Kevin2685
09-12-2016, 09:22 PM
There are other growers in Canada look at what they are doing to theirs but just straw and mulch and covered should be more then enough. I went over board last year they didn't want to stay dormant before spring so they were pushing up into the tarp.
This year I'm trying some other varieties in ground. Hopefully the blue Java and the Mekong giant make it.
chris_zx2
09-14-2016, 07:53 PM
Wow blue java outside in zone 5!! Let me know. I have one in a pot at my store in front of huge patio doors and windows.
My basjoo are over 4 feet and in the ground. I actually planted one a foot down to test the difference. What do you guys do with small pups? I might try to remove them and pot them for winter...
I think I kind do of hijacked this thread...sorry!!!!
sputinc7
09-14-2016, 10:33 PM
There are other growers in Canada look at what they are doing to theirs but just straw and mulch and covered should be more then enough. I went over board last year they didn't want to stay dormant before spring so they were pushing up into the tarp.
This year I'm trying some other varieties in ground. Hopefully the blue Java and the Mekong giant make it.
Be sure to kiss them good bye... I can't see anything less than Basjoo surviving a midwest winter.
Kevin2685
09-15-2016, 06:44 AM
Yeah me either but want to try and see how couple different varieties do. Plus I'm running out of room inside the house :)
Got pups as backups so it won't be a total loss
geissene
10-06-2016, 12:12 PM
HI All!
I guess I will re-hijack this thread with an update to the original posting! haha
My dwarf orinoco fruit progress has been slow... It was nice to watch and smell the flower bloom for the last 2 months! The fruit has filled in some and I don't expect much more since cooler weather has arrived. There is probably less than 30 days till the first frost.
Its been a neat experiment, and I hope next year's crop will be better.
Erik G
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60713><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60713&size=1 border=0></a>
Paulzie32
10-06-2016, 03:33 PM
Yeah me either but want to try and see how couple different varieties do. Plus I'm running out of room inside the house :)
Got pups as backups so it won't be a total loss
Keep us all updated! I'd Love to hear what makes it... if any
Kevin2685
10-06-2016, 04:40 PM
Here is a update on my progress Erik. I have to move this indoors in next couple days and going to try to finish it under some grow lights.
http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b498/kevinmeredith1977/8A64169D-4C46-4537-B964-5FDF56DE9A10_zps6ksqa0bw.jpg (http://s1288.photobucket.com/user/kevinmeredith1977/media/8A64169D-4C46-4537-B964-5FDF56DE9A10_zps6ksqa0bw.jpg.html)
edwmax
10-06-2016, 05:17 PM
Tytaylor: I will do VC updates next year!
So my dwarf orinoco is pretty much done making small fruits. The picture below was taken this morning. Every day, another petal falls off and so do the tiny flowers. Several rounded abdomen wasps are still on the flowers from morning till night!
I ended up with 4 hands and finger counts of 8, 8, 7, and 2 from top to bottom. So there is a potential to have 25 bananas before the first frost! This happens usually in mid-November.
.....
.....
This year, I have another equally sized orinoco that I can experiment with that should fruit next summer. Hopefully with these tweaks and whatever ideas other people suggest, I can get more than 25 potential bananas next year!!!
Regards,
Erik G in Pennsylvania
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=60497><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=60497&size=1 border=0></a>
Thanks for the pictures. I think these have identified my banana plants killed this past July by the power company. The banana hands and flower picture looks just like it was from my plants. The mats for the 30+ plants had been growing for 15 to 18 years. My plants were not the dwarfs but was a mid size with p-stem of 8 to 10 ft.
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