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View Full Version : My Blue Java /Ice Cream Finally fruited


sddarkman619
07-13-2018, 06:56 PM
I have little room anymore where I live to actually plant trees in my yard. I started donating my larger trees to the school my daughters go to so that I can grow them out and resource them as plant banks and testing sites.

I have about 7 different types of bananas at one school and this one, my Blue Java that I got from Crazy Banana finally fruited.

The bunch is a bit small as are the bananas themselves but I attribute that to not thinning the mat. I planted 1 plant with 1 pup about 2 years ago and now there are about 15+ plants and pups crowded in a small area. I will be thinning this mat out over the next week and replanting some of the pups for other mats at different schools.

Some of the pups will now be for Macro Propagation to start producing true blue javas to sell and trade.

Pretty excited about these ones as I know the source and know they are true Blue Javas. The bunches have been on the tree for at least 5-6 months and no sign of yellowing so I cut these off in order to ripen and taste.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=63257&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=63257)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=63255&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=63255)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=63256&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=63256)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=63258&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=63258)

hdynad
07-13-2018, 07:10 PM
Congrats, thats the real deal alright, you have inspired me, mine is 2yrs old now and i too got one from Crazy Bananas. We had an abnormal winter and mine froze to the ground, even with protection, When it started to warm up, now mine is about 7ft tall so we have some growing to do. Blue Java does pup really well though, thanks for the pics.

Happy growing,

Darla

sddarkman619
07-13-2018, 07:15 PM
Yeah I've been ready how "prolific" like a weed they are. So yeah the thinning is a priority now. but glad to have more than just 1 now.

edwmax
07-13-2018, 07:38 PM
Consultations, those are nice bunches. ... I wish I could have matured my BJ bunched last fall.

Akula
07-13-2018, 11:22 PM
Super! Fat fingers too.

Is it common to cut the bunch to induce the final stage of maturity of the fruit?

Richard
07-14-2018, 12:31 AM
I... my Blue Java that I got from Crazy Banana finally fruited.


:woohoonaner:

CONGRATULATIONS !!

sddarkman619
07-14-2018, 02:46 AM
Super! Fat fingers too.

Is it common to cut the bunch to induce the final stage of maturity of the fruit?

hahah I just got tired of waiting. :)

Dalmatiansoap
07-14-2018, 03:56 AM
Nice to see "no Namwah" Blue Java!

beam2050
07-14-2018, 06:15 AM
:08: :bananas_b beautiful. happy for ya!!!!!!!

Spaceag07
07-14-2018, 08:36 AM
Those look great! Congratulations!

luisport
07-14-2018, 08:39 AM
Very Beautifull! Congratulations!

Best day
07-14-2018, 10:23 AM
Congratulations! That is great.

My Blue Java have been hanging on the plant over winter. I have tried cutting hands off at that stage of maturity and they never ripen. Blue Java has to be very plump before you can remove a hand. The good news is that in my experience hands ripen at different times and you can really spread the harvest out over several weeks.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Bill

robguz24
07-14-2018, 12:36 PM
They take 6 months in Hawaii so I'd imagine they take longer where you are. I hope they ripen for you. They look very early.

sddarkman619
07-14-2018, 02:02 PM
They take 6 months in Hawaii so I'd imagine they take longer where you are. I hope they ripen for you. They look very early.

yeah they look a bit immature, but we'll see. I'm just glad I have a nice fat mat to pull from now.

jacksmith092
07-15-2018, 05:41 AM
Yummy .. Its mean they are ready for upcoming Custer Fruit

bananaT
07-16-2018, 10:38 AM
That's pretty frickin awesome!

I always get a kick that for being one of the most common banana varieties
people sell and want to buy, they sure are pretty rare and hard to find.

nickmccann
07-18-2018, 08:05 AM
most people wait until the entire bunch is turning,,,then they end up with 60-100 bananas that (as we all know) have no shelf life and unless you have neighbors lining up to eat them , will become overripe and wasted; better to wait until they have plumped and then begin removing hands, at 3 day intervals , this way you have control over how fast they mature and can eat them at your leisure.

sddarkman619
07-29-2018, 01:42 PM
They take 6 months in Hawaii so I'd imagine they take longer where you are. I hope they ripen for you. They look very early.

been about 2 weeks now and not turning. I put them in a bag with some grand nains to see if they will ripen now.

meizzwang
07-30-2018, 03:37 PM
ssdarkman619-great job!

If it makes you feel any better, I have a bunch of blue java that is almost a year old and still not ready!!!! (flowered Mid august 2017), but this is Northern California.....

sddarkman619
07-30-2018, 04:06 PM
ssdarkman619-great job!

If it makes you feel any better, I have a bunch of blue java that is almost a year old and still not ready!!!! (flowered Mid august 2017), but this is Northern California.....

still hanging on the tree? or picked?

meizzwang
07-30-2018, 04:31 PM
still hanging on the tree! This picture is from June 11th, 2018, I'll try to snap another pic of it. Might be able to pick it now that the fingers have filled in a little bit more, but don't want to risk picking them before they're fully mature. I'm going to wait until I see the first fruit change color, my family can easily munch this whole bunch in a few days:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/879/42711106442_5413652301_c.jpg

meizzwang
07-31-2018, 01:37 PM
Snapped some new pics this morning. Have 3 bunches hanging right now, 2 of which will make it. The 3rd one bloomed maybe a month or two ago (forgot what day), and that p-stem has very few green leaves, so I'm not expecting it to make it.

Here's the most mature bunch, almost a year old from the first flower opening!
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1792/43051422984_3bf22862d0_c.jpg

Same bunch, different angle. Notice all the scars from months of cold rain, frost, and horrible Northern California winter weather (well, horrible for bananas, nice for us):
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1837/43719359262_243cce21b9_c.jpg

Close up of the fingers, you can see they are plumping up if that's even a word! hard to tell, but these are actually decent sized, a little bit bigger than manzano if I had to compare:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/854/28831704247_a39e602a91_c.jpg

Another bunch that opened October 2017. This seems to still have a ways to go:
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/859/28831704567_2f302206b0_c.jpg

AZMelissa
07-31-2018, 07:14 PM
I know everyone is commenting on the lovely bunches of bananas you have...and they are...but i just want to say how cool I think it is that you are planting these at schools. Get kids fascinated with the growing process and addicted to the process. Maybe a few of them will want to grow things at their home as well.

sddarkman619
07-31-2018, 10:06 PM
I know everyone is commenting on the lovely bunches of bananas you have...and they are...but i just want to say how cool I think it is that you are planting these at schools. Get kids fascinated with the growing process and addicted to the process. Maybe a few of them will want to grow things at their home as well.



Thank you!
My daughters school and IB school has an organic garden so these are being grown organically, and we are thinning the mats out on Thursday to distribute more to other school.
Yeah the kids are excited about growing bananas, because how often do you get to grow or even see a banana plant growing and fruiting when you are a kid?

AZMelissa
08-01-2018, 10:30 AM
Exactly. I would have loved seeing it as a kid...shoot...I love it as an adult. How many adults have seen bananas growing? lol. Wish more schools would do stuff like this. We have become very disconnected from our food supply.

edwmax
08-01-2018, 11:03 AM
About the last 3 years before my Dad passed away, he would drive by my patch every day to look at the buds & fingers when the Nanas flowered. (2005 to 2008).

AZMelissa
08-01-2018, 11:29 AM
About the last 3 years before my Dad passed away, he would drive by my patch every day to look at the buds & fingers when the Nanas flowered. (2005 to 2008).

What a great memory. I would think of my dad overtime I saw my bananas growing, if that had happened at my house. So cool you have that memory.

meizzwang
08-08-2018, 06:24 PM
Another picture just for fun, they look more blue in this photo:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1798/30066655548_325faba1c4_c.jpg