Log in

View Full Version : Winter ripening?


Mudturkle
10-12-2017, 12:39 PM
I live in zone 8B (Central Texas). Right now at home I have a Dw. Orinoco in which the first hand showed on 7-27-17. They are looking nice and plump. What I read is that they are 110 days from flower to harvest, which would be 11-14-17 and shouldn't be a problem. (I also have a tall Orinoco that flowered about the same time in zone 9B, which also shouldn't be a problem.)

The problem is that I have a Raja Puri that the first hand showed on 9-1-17 and a Dw. Brazilian that showed the first hand on 9-27-17. I am planning on building a "tunnel" out of PVC pipe which I'll cover with building plastic and put an electric heater in there to keep it from freezing (but not *warm*).

I assume that the cooler temps of winter will slow down/stop banana growth. So under the conditions given, will the bananas *eventually* mature so that I can harvest them, even if they will be later than the expected 12-23-17 and 1-18-18 dates which I would have expected without the cooler temps?

Or would it be necessary to prune off some of the hands in order to get them to fill out while under the PVC/plastic tunnel?

duaneh
10-12-2017, 12:56 PM
That's a very good question I would also like to know the answer I'm sure there are a lot of experienced people here that can give advise I'm wondering if that would also work in my area zone 6 I'm sure I would have to supply enough heat to keep above freezing

pitangadiego
10-12-2017, 03:08 PM
I wouldn't expect either variety to ripen in less than 180 days. Here is San Diego, neither would likely ripen before April 2018 if they are't ripe by now. At the 180 day mark, they would most likely be mature, could be harvested, and ripened indoors.