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kaczercat
03-31-2018, 06:52 PM
Starting a new thread for 2018
Hey guys, Since the last chance of frost/cold is in early Feb I still can't believe that last year I didn't plant any bananas until mid May. This year I'm changing that. Planted the first one yesterday, Dwarf cavendish.
March 30
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/787/41145907071_52e1087fb9.jpg

Mark Dragt
04-01-2018, 10:40 AM
That little guy looks great!
:nanadrink:

kaczercat
04-01-2018, 11:48 AM
Thanks Mark! How far from the wall did you plant?

Mark Dragt
04-01-2018, 12:15 PM
Thanks Mark! How far from the wall did you plant?

3 1/2 feet.

Looked like it was far enough while the plants were small. Not so much. Plants are pushing on the plastic all over the place. I also thought 12 feet high was tall enough. Wrong again. When your plants get too tall I will explain how to "dwarf" them to keep the height manageable. I am trying it on a test plant now. My tall plants will all get "dwarfed" to fruit at a lower height.
:nanadrink:

Mark Dragt
04-01-2018, 12:19 PM
BTW, close to a wall seems to be much less of a problem than close to a roof. The leaves will bend and flex for a wall. They will break on the roof.

kaczercat
04-21-2018, 08:04 PM
The main pisang ceylon corm from last year will be planted in the ground in a few days.

mushtaq86
04-22-2018, 03:03 AM
This is the main pisang ceylon corm from last year. It will be planted in the ground in a few days.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/847/40720165895_57574626af_z.jpg[/url]

Looking great Matt. I got my own pisang ceylon last year and i underestimating how colourful the foliage underneath and p-stem are, its a beautiful banana, how have you found your dwarf red faired over winter months indoors.

Keep up the good work my friend, looking forward to seeing the updates.

kaczercat
04-22-2018, 06:21 PM
Looking great Matt. I got my own pisang ceylon last year and i underestimating how colourful the foliage underneath and p-stem are, its a beautiful banana, how have you found your dwarf red faired over winter months indoors.

Keep up the good work my friend, looking forward to seeing the updates.

Thanks mushtaq, they are nice right! and seem to pup well. The dwarf red got some decent growth over winter even though it was never repotted. Hoping your plants are/will look just as healthy!

HMelendez
04-24-2018, 11:04 AM
Awesome job Matt!....



The Dwarf Cavendish will take off in no time!.....Definitely transplant the Pisang Ceylon to the ground!.....It will take off quick too!....Pisang Ceylon is a very beautiful Nana plant!.....



:2723::bananarow::2723:

kaczercat
04-24-2018, 07:09 PM
Thanks Hector! That one is next.
After tilling, adding better soil and manure the dwarf red is planted.
04/23/18
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/877/27765214818_6f4cc61035_z.jpg

kaczercat
04-26-2018, 05:18 PM
Finally the dwarf orinoco is planted!
04/26/18
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/870/41684682392_5c6e82f0a1_z.jpg

HMelendez
04-27-2018, 10:59 AM
Matt,



Woohoo!.....Dwarf Red and Pisang Ceylon transplanted to the ground!....Looking good!.....




:2723::bananarow::2723:

obdiah
04-28-2018, 07:59 AM
I have a blue java in my green house for two years now and have to keep cutting it back to avoid the eight got celing should be ready to flag about now it does well over winter in the unheated greenhouse a dc in the same house. Fares poorly and dies back about febuary each year low temperature is around 45. On cold nights

kaczercat
05-21-2018, 07:22 PM
05/21/18
I forgot how much water they take. They weren't growing but the problem is fixed. New leaves are out & it's already in the upper 80's low 90'sF.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/877/41545488744_1358decc5d_z.jpg
This one turned out to be a dwarf orinoco

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/830/40460100810_0ce18b4972_z.jpg
Here is the newest addition from Mark, the raja puri
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/979/28393512488_64e8396236_z.jpg

Mark Dragt
05-21-2018, 07:30 PM
Looks good Matt! It should take off fast for you. It's mother has a nice bunch hanging.

CraigSS
05-22-2018, 10:28 AM
Matt,
They look good. Even my Banana plants in the Arboretum are starting to put out Pups. Hopefully I will see Flowers this summer.

Craig

HMelendez
05-22-2018, 10:47 AM
Matt,



Looking good!.....Congrats on the newest addition!.....The Raja Puri!....Hopefully it grows well for you!....



:2723::bananarow::2723:

kaczercat
05-23-2018, 11:40 AM
Thanks guys!! The Raja Puri has a leaf in the making :D

kaczercat
05-29-2018, 08:03 AM
Not too exciting but the basjoo survived another year with no protection. After I thought it was a goner (frost killed it back to the ground) I cleared out the GH &shut the power off for a week or two during the coldest part of Jan. Today I noticed the pup. pics soon!

kaczercat
06-01-2018, 07:54 AM
06/01/18
com/1756/42493831441_4b986b8343_z.jpg[/img]
Dwarf Red new leaf and pup
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/874/41591083785_afdbdb2ac9_z.jpg

kaczercat
06-05-2018, 03:29 PM
I took out the pink lemon and potted it so I would have room for two more bananas.
Pics from yesterday June 4
Actual Pisang Ceylon
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1759/40759207800_3f13054601_z.jpg
Dwarf Cavendish
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1732/42515781202_e8a0d08de7_z.jpg

meizzwang
06-05-2018, 03:44 PM
Looking great Kaczerkat, and congratulations on taking the steps to grow them in a greenhouse, that's dedication! How tall is your greenhouse?

Pisang Ceylon can get very tall, but I suppose you can cut down the pstems if they get too tall. Downside is less leaves, which means possibly less bananas will fill in. The plants are so tall, they barely fit in my outdoor site LOL

Rajapuri is pretty short and fat, but I've seen 3' tall greenhouse grown plants with some fruit, so if the root space is restricted, they won't take up too much space. Same can be said about dwarf cavendish. When you let them get to their fullest size potential outdoors, even some of the dwarf plants can take up an incredible amount of space because those leaves get massive!

Anyways, thanks for the progress reports, been enjoying them!

kaczercat
06-06-2018, 09:38 AM
Thanks for the kind words meizzwang! Seeing you do yours is a huge inspiration although yours are outside-outside. The greenhouse is 7 or 7.5 feet tall. I realize what you're saying about the leaves. Last year there were only a few that had to be chopped in half. The pisang ceylon last year got to about 5 1/2 feet of stem and the leaves seemed to work themselves out. I planted further in away from the side walls this year and will be adding heating cables in the fall.

kaczercat
06-28-2018, 10:59 AM
06/28/18
dwarf orinoco
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1767/43018270562_59ac3d4d2a_z.jpg

beam2050
06-28-2018, 01:18 PM
awesome

kaczercat
07-23-2018, 08:37 PM
07/22&23/18
Pisang Ceylon and DC
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/922/42693853945_1a19df4f55_z.jpg
Raja Puri
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/917/42880451144_28a873db2c_z.jpg
Dwarf Orinoco a little behind this year
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/849/43550778442_94af8642c2_z.jpg

kaczercat
08-12-2018, 08:04 PM
08/12/18
Pisang Ceylon has taken off
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1795/43284400814_986cdf4846_c.jpg
Dwarf Cavendish
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/942/43097120075_a4ceb2c98f_c.jpg
Part of the front-Manzano on the right
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/939/30135548268_39b0505ce2_c.jpg

HMelendez
08-13-2018, 06:19 AM
Looking good Matt!......



Pisang Ceylon definitely it's a fast grower and a heavy pupper!......Mine is approx. 10 ft. tall and keeps pushing out, opening new leaves faster than before!.....Very beautiful Nana plant!.....



Awesome job!....Keep it up!




:2723::bananarow::2723:

kaczercat
09-05-2018, 05:56 PM
So the Pisang Ceylon was chopped back to 3 feet. This should help over winter.
The heating cable came, not sure when I should put that in? Oct -Nov?
09/05/18
Here was one of the newest leaves. Somehow it unfurled
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1847/43591562155_7e8af3651b_c.jpg
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1860/42692208100_31dc39b007_c.jpg

kaczercat
10-06-2018, 08:32 PM
10/6/18
Hey! All the bananas are still healthy and growing. There is no frost in the 14 day out look. Things have noticeably slowed down but no need for the heater yet. Heating cables are in place, ready for November.
Here's a peak at one of the Pisang Ceylon
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1961/45144741281_9ecd7034df_c.jpg

Richard
10-06-2018, 10:02 PM
Heating cables are in place, ready for November.

Good plan and implementation.

SoCal2warm
10-21-2018, 05:52 PM
In the Pacific Northwest, zone 8a
I bought a cheap vinyl circular greenhouse tent, about 8 feet in diameter, that would be really good for growing a banana in-ground.
Put a 55 gallon water barrel in there and made some temperature measurements.

5:30-6pm
54 inside (F)
43 outside

1:00-1:30am (night)
50 inside
46 outside

3:30pm partly cloudy
67 inside
55 outside

The water barrel was very cool to the touch, but just above the water line the barrel was warm.

Unfortunately there's a tree blocking some of the sunlight on half the greenhouse tent during the evening, so that's probably keeping the temperature down lower than it would otherwise be.
I'm also planning to put some mylar sheeting against the back side of the greenhouse tent to help reduce heat loss during the night. Due to the latitude and winter season the sun is at a low angle in the sky, so there's not really sunlight coming in through the back side.

kaczercat
10-29-2018, 09:16 AM
SoCal2warm, You are very lucky you don't have to heat it, aside from natural heating :P

UPDATE Oct 28 - The temps are in the mid 60's during the day and around 52 at night. Things are slow but should continue to grow into December like last year. I might wrap the stems in bubble wrap before I go out to California in late Dec.Thanks for looking!
Raja Puri
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1942/44842246524_72443406d3_c.jpg
Pisang Ceylon
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1966/31694631198_7b0e55e1b2_c.jpg
Dwarf Cavendish
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1967/30625985267_77c10eff0b_c.jpg

Missing pictures are Dwarf Red and Dwarf Orinoco

HMelendez
10-29-2018, 09:55 AM
Matt,



Nanas are looking awesome!.....You are doing an amazing job with them!.....


My Pisang Ceylon's (main plant and a pup) are getting tall!.....Both of them are approx. 12 ft. tall and keep growing nicely!....Hopefully, they should be flowering/blooming next spring!....This is a Nana Variety that I really want to see it flowering/blooming!....Very beautiful Nana Variety!....I love her colors!.....






:2723::bananarow::2723:

kaczercat
10-29-2018, 05:01 PM
Thank you as always Hector! I just saw your thread today, it had been a while since I had been looking through. Amazing plants you got going there! Names I had no idea existed.

mushtaq86
10-29-2018, 05:12 PM
Bananas are looking great Matt. You've had some amazing growth in the greenhouse.