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Caleb001
08-27-2016, 06:32 PM
I'm fairly new to growing bananas. Having recently moved to Houston from Albuquerque, I look forward to growing bananas and a host of other things that will grow in 9a. I apologize in advance if I ask too many stupid questions. I really enjoy growing stonefruit trees and fig trees. I had some prolifically fruiting plum, peach and cherry trees in ABQ but no bananas. If anyone else in Houston has found what does well here or any tips and/or tricks please let me know. Otherwise I'll just be reading and soaking up the collective knowledge of my fellow growers.

Thanks

crazy banana
08-27-2016, 06:38 PM
Welcome to bananas.org!

There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.
Seriously, there is a wealth of knowledge already all over bananas.org, just use the search engine. Besides that, members are willing to share their knowledge as well.
I grew up growing stone fruits, but happy to live in a subtropical zone today where I can grow bananas, papayas, pineapples and such.

Tytaylor77
08-27-2016, 08:39 PM
Welcome to Texas!! I'm about 3 hours NE of you. Orinoco, dwarf Orinoco, Namwa, and short cycle ones like Veinte cohol have done great for me. I have 15 bunches hanging right now. Good luck and feel free to pm me anytime. I love talking bananas.

Snarkie
08-28-2016, 07:11 AM
Welcome aboard the Banana Express. :nanerwaveytrain:

Caleb001
08-28-2016, 10:30 PM
Welcome to Texas!! I'm about 3 hours NE of you. Orinoco, dwarf Orinoco, Namwa, and short cycle ones like Veinte cohol have done great for me. I have 15 bunches hanging right now. Good luck and feel free to pm me anytime. I love talking bananas.

How have your Goldfingers done? Your pics look amazing. I just got my first goldfinger in a container last week. I read that "ice cream" do well in 8b as well. How do yours handle winters? Thanks.

Tytaylor77
08-29-2016, 01:21 AM
My goldfingers have done great. Normal winters I cover them in shrink wrap and use Christmas lights for heat. Last winter lowest it got was 30 and all uncovered goldfingers survived. Just have to keep the Pstems alive. Short cycles like Veinte cohol are a winner. Plant them in March as a 3' pup and they flower around August. Mine are ripening now super fast.

I have ice cream (tall Namwa) is what it normally is. It was my first banana to start growing this year over a week ahead of the Orinocos. Namwa is amazing my largest is 16-17' and 60" around the base. It's huge. Waiting for a flower any day now.

I also have the real ice cream. It's growing at an average rate and is about 4' tall. It's a new plant for me.

Caleb001
08-30-2016, 01:25 PM
My goldfingers have done great. Normal winters I cover them in shrink wrap and use Christmas lights for heat. Last winter lowest it got was 30 and all uncovered goldfingers survived. Just have to keep the Pstems alive. Short cycles like Veinte cohol are a winner. Plant them in March as a 3' pup and they flower around August. Mine are ripening now super fast.

I have ice cream (tall Namwa) is what it normally is. It was my first banana to start growing this year over a week ahead of the Orinocos. Namwa is amazing my largest is 16-17' and 60" around the base. It's huge. Waiting for a flower any day now.

I also have the real ice cream. It's growing at an average rate and is about 4' tall. It's a new plant for me.

OK cool. I have looked for an "ice cream" cultivar but have had no luck so far. That's good info on those others as well. I'll look for them and try them out. My local nursery has a ton of stuff on sale so now's a good time.

Caleb001
08-30-2016, 01:30 PM
My goldfingers have done great. Normal winters I cover them in shrink wrap and use Christmas lights for heat. Last winter lowest it got was 30 and all uncovered goldfingers survived. Just have to keep the Pstems alive. Short cycles like Veinte cohol are a winner. Plant them in March as a 3' pup and they flower around August. Mine are ripening now super fast.

I have ice cream (tall Namwa) is what it normally is. It was my first banana to start growing this year over a week ahead of the Orinocos. Namwa is amazing my largest is 16-17' and 60" around the base. It's huge. Waiting for a flower any day now.

I also have the real ice cream. It's growing at an average rate and is about 4' tall. It's a new plant for me.

I just got a "dwarf cavendish" yesterday. I'm not sure how well it will do with the winters here but I thought I'd try it out. Do you have any experience with "dwarf cavendish"? Also, did you buy yours locally order order them via mail?

Thanks

Tytaylor77
08-30-2016, 01:58 PM
Good luck with your dwarf cavendish. I have them and also have gran Nain and super dwarf cavendish. All are cavendish types. They are very cold sensitive and go dormant at higher temps than other bananas. It will need some protection in winter. I have so much trouble with them and currently only have 1-2 of each variety. I was hoping my gran Nain would flower this year it has to be so close. I mostly just wanted to taste a homegrown cavendish compared to the store bought ones. I hope your DC does much better for you. You do have a little warmer winter than me.

I got most of my bananas here on bananas.org. Buying and trading. It's by far the best way to go. Read through some posts and ask around on here and you will see when you buy small TC plants especially from online nurseries/sellers/eBay you don't get the variety you ordered. They are either mislabeled or the seller is calling whatever banana he has something else to make a sale. Be very careful. It's better to spend a few extra $ and get a pup over a TC plant anyway. They will grow faster and start bigger. And you know for sure it's what you ordered.

Caleb001
08-30-2016, 09:19 PM
Good luck with your dwarf cavendish. I have them and also have gran Nain and super dwarf cavendish. All are cavendish types. They are very cold sensitive and go dormant at higher temps than other bananas. It will need some protection in winter. I have so much trouble with them and currently only have 1-2 of each variety. I was hoping my gran Nain would flower this year it has to be so close. I mostly just wanted to taste a homegrown cavendish compared to the store bought ones. I hope your DC does much better for you. You do have a little warmer winter than me.

I got most of my bananas here on bananas.org. Buying and trading. It's by far the best way to go. Read through some posts and ask around on here and you will see when you buy small TC plants especially from online nurseries/sellers/eBay you don't get the variety you ordered. They are either mislabeled or the seller is calling whatever banana he has something else to make a sale. Be very careful. It's better to spend a few extra $ and get a pup over a TC plant anyway. They will grow faster and start bigger. And you know for sure it's what you ordered.

OK Thanks for the warning. I'll be careful.

Caleb001
08-30-2016, 10:29 PM
I looked thru your photo gallery and dang....... I almost can't believe your viente cohol is such a heavy producer!!!! It looks like you have had great results. Where did you get your namwa? It looks huge! I'm emboldened by your pix. If you can get results like that in East Texas that bodes well for me. Thanks for all the info.

Tytaylor77
08-31-2016, 12:07 PM
Thank you and you should do great. I got my tall Namwa as a TC plantlet before I knew better. It was sold to me as an ice cream banana. Like most of the "ice cream bananas" sold I got the Namwa. Which I am extremely happy with. They grow fast and huge. I can grow almost any variety but it takes work. They require winter protection. Veinte cohol is amazing and so easy. Just save some pups over winter in a greenhouse or wherever then plant them in March. Plenty of time for them to flower and ripen by winter. So easy.

I know you bought a dwarf cavendish. I have gran Nain which is which is a similar cavendish type. I just noticed a flower on mine yesterday. Not sure if it will fill and ripen by winter but at least it finally bloomed.

Caleb001
08-31-2016, 04:51 PM
Will the Namwa survive our East Texas winters without protection? I thought last winter was particularly mild? I think after reading your posts as well as others that the namwa and the veinte cohol are the way to go: easy and fruitful. I'd also like to get an ice cream/blue java just cause they look so cool.

Tytaylor77
08-31-2016, 05:28 PM
Last year my namwas were on the small side so I overwintered 2 in the ground 1 in the greenhouse. They all did great but it was very mild. This year will be the test because they are way too tall to do anything with. Orinoco the Pstem survives here most years they die to the ground about once every 3 years. I'm thinking Namwa will be similar. For you they should do a little better. Veinte cohol are great but they are very cold sensitive and will die in the ground over winter here. Thankfully they don't need to be in ground over winter.

Jose263
08-31-2016, 06:51 PM
I'm fairly new to growing bananas. Having recently moved to Houston from Albuquerque, I look forward to growing bananas and a host of other things that will grow in 9a. I apologize in advance if I ask too many stupid questions. I really enjoy growing stonefruit trees and fig trees. I had some prolifically fruiting plum, peach and cherry trees in ABQ but no bananas. If anyone else in Houston has found what does well here or any tips and/or tricks please let me know. Otherwise I'll just be reading and soaking up the collective knowledge of my fellow growers.

Thanks
Hi - You may already know about this guy located in Houston - I haven't followed him in awhile but I really enjoyed his posts. There are many blogs archived here The Bell House - Growing Fruit Trees in Northwest Houston - Home (http://thebellhouse.weebly.com/)

Maybe someone knows how to contact him ?
:0517:

Caleb001
08-31-2016, 09:49 PM
Thanks. I'll check it out.

Jose263
09-01-2016, 08:15 AM
Last year my namwas were on the small side so I overwintered 2 in the ground 1 in the greenhouse. They all did great but it was very mild. This year will be the test because they are way too tall to do anything with. Orinoco the Pstem survives here most years they die to the ground about once every 3 years. I'm thinking Namwa will be similar. For you they should do a little better. Veinte cohol are great but they are very cold sensitive and will die in the ground over winter here. Thankfully they don't need to be in ground over winter.

Thanks for the info - I gave up trying to winterize my orinoco and namwahs and leave it to mother nature -this year the nanas are bountiful - next season perhaps not . I have new VC pups this year - so, sounds like you move the VC inside? how big do VC grow?

Tytaylor77
09-01-2016, 10:53 AM
Here my VC get 8'-9'. This year I plan to cut some and dig the mother corms and throw them on my greenhouse floor. Maybe throw some mulch on them. Others I'm gonna cut and mulch heavy and leave them in the ground. I will have plenty pups saved so not really worried about the mother corms.

HMelendez
10-14-2016, 09:57 AM
Welcome to the banana gang!.....:bananarow: