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oxmyx
06-29-2008, 11:36 AM
I have 2 bananas, 1) Cavendish Dwarf (year+ old) bought from a nursery and a 2) Musa Ornata. These have been in the ground for a month now. The Ornata I grew from seed in January, and has grown non-stop.

Ornata is 40 inches tall
Cavendish is 48 inches tall

I live in Connecticut, zone 6, I have rich, composted, well drained soil and the bananas have soil burmed up around them to form a pool so I can water daily, unless it rains.



I have been trying to find out info on the web, with no success, as to whether I can expect flowering this summer, so I thought some of you would have experience with these.- Anyone know?

Dwarf Cavendish
http://edgefind.star1host.com/bananas/Cav.jpg

Musa Ornata
http://edgefind.star1host.com/bananas/Ornata.jpg

island cassie
06-29-2008, 02:06 PM
Hi oxmyx

Of my 2 dwarf cavendish that I planted around March '07, the first one is just fruiting and the pseudostem is about 5.5ft tall (the leaves are much taller at about 11ft obviously) - so I would think yours have a little way to go as they don't look that tall. Can't help you with the ornata but I'm sure someone else can.

Cassie

mskitty38583
06-29-2008, 02:56 PM
there is no such thing as a dumb question. im not sure about your questions as im new to nanas too, but yours sure do look great!!!:waving:

tophersmith
06-29-2008, 02:56 PM
I have 2 bananas, 1) Cavendish Dwarf (year+ old) bought from a nursery and a 2) Musa Ornata. These have been in the ground for a month now. The Ornata I grew from seed in January, and has grown non-stop.

Ornata is 40 inches tall
Cavendish is 48 inches tall

I live in Connecticut, zone 6, I have rich, composted, well drained soil and the bananas have soil burmed up around them to form a pool so I can water daily, unless it rains.



I have been trying to find out info on the web, with no success, as to whether I can expect flowering this summer, so I thought some of you would have experience with these.- Anyone know?

Dwarf Cavendish
http://edgefind.star1host.com/bananas/Cav.jpg

Musa Ornata
http://edgefind.star1host.com/bananas/Ornata.jpg

Welcome to the club, you bananas sure look happy. If you bring them indoors this winter and keep them happy you may see a flag leaf by this time next year. Please remember that you need a much longer growing season to get your bananas to flower. I would say you will probably be waiting until year 3, but stranger things have happened.:2750:

cactus6103
06-29-2008, 03:21 PM
Your plants look great. Like stated above, dig them up and bring them inside during the winter and back out in the spring. Good luck with them Red.

PS. I used to live in the Granby and East Hartland area. Way too cold there in the winter!

Dean W.
06-29-2008, 03:33 PM
Good luck with overwintering your bananas. They look quite happy now. :waving:

oxmyx
06-29-2008, 05:53 PM
Thanks ! all.
I was thinking, since they are doing so well, they could be quite large by this fall, so bringing them inside might be a bit hard. What would be the overwintering method? chop them back and continue growing, or dormancy?

tophersmith
06-29-2008, 09:25 PM
Thanks ! all.
I was thinking, since they are doing so well, they could be quite large by this fall, so bringing them inside might be a bit hard. What would be the overwintering method? chop them back and continue growing, or dormancy?

That all depends on how addicted you become. Either make room in your garage and make sure it doesn't dip below 35 for long or if you are a real addict by then you will make room in your house or if you have a window seat in your office. Either way if you want fruit you're going to need to protect them over your long winter. Just rememeber not to water them very much if any should you choose the garage option.

Bananachris
06-30-2008, 03:04 PM
The plant looks very good. In tropical regions it takes 6 month until the blossom come out. Then it took 12 week more until harvesting. This is valid for a temperature between 20 °C (min) and 35 °C (max) = Ecuador. In your case you will see the blossom next year. Take care about your banana, if the temperature can slow less than 14 °C, this will damage the banana. It this temperature the growing stops. (This is the reason we you find this temperature on all the banana boxes. The banana stops growing or when packed the process of ripening).
Here in Buenos Aires it can take until 1,5 year from a pop until harvest. My local bananas are protected by high trees. But after harvest they taste very well.

oxmyx
06-30-2008, 04:18 PM
oh darn then it looks like I will not get flowering, here in the north:0491:

Bananachris
06-30-2008, 05:54 PM
This may happen. But plant it in autumn, when temperatur slows down into a plantpot and in place with a temperature between 15 °C and 20 °C. And in Spring time bring it back into the garden in the pot. So next year you can ejoy the blossom and eat your own bananas.

oxmyx
06-30-2008, 08:40 PM
Has anyone in my zone 6 successfully grown there own edible bananas?

tophersmith
06-30-2008, 10:18 PM
Has anyone in my zone 6 successfully grown there own edible bananas?

Outside year around probably not unless they were in a microclimate and babbied over the winter. If you want edible fruiting bananas your best bet is to bring them in over the winter.