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View Full Version : Surprise Texas Star Banana shipment from Ty Ty Nursery


chong
09-10-2008, 01:39 AM
Would you believe I got an early (or maybe on time) shipment of my order for Texas Star banana plants from Ty Ty Nursery, GA? Came home from work this afternoon and found this box in front of the door:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=13120&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=13120&ppuser=567)

I ordered (3) 1-year Offsets and (1) 3-gallon Mother plant, but I got (3) 1-year Offsets, (2)! Mother plants, 1 large extra corm, and 2 small extra corms!
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=13121&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=13121&ppuser=567)

The two large Mother plants are showing growths while en route during the 1-week trip from Ty Ty, GA:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=13122&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=13122&ppuser=567)

The extra corm and extra Mother plant. The Mother plant is also sporting new root growths.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=13123&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=13123&ppuser=567)

The large Mother plant showing a healthy pup and new root growths. While potting this plant, I noticed there were two other pups on the other side.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=13124&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=13124&ppuser=567)

It was not a major leap of faith when I ordered these plants. It was just the shear suspense of waiting for someone who has one that I can buy this plant from. With the weather getting cooler here in the Seattle area, I just decided to send an order in, hoping that my previous experience with them would be repeated. Well, I'm sure glad that I did. Now, I only hope that they are in fact the Texas Star banana that I ordered, and not some ornamental banana like Joe Real got several years ago. Since I am batting 3 out of 3 so far, there is a great chance that it would be true.

Gabe15
09-10-2008, 01:54 AM
I wonder how they decide who to rip off and who to impress? Either way, well done to you!

mskitty38583
09-10-2008, 08:32 AM
I wonder how they decide who to rip off and who to impress? Either way, well done to you!


ha ha ha lol! great to see someone got what they ordered!

Dean W.
09-10-2008, 08:45 AM
Way to go, Chong!:woohoonaner:

Kylie2x
09-10-2008, 09:03 AM
Sounds like you did alright!!!! Good Job! I hope the truly what you wanted..
Kylie

Magilla Gorilla
09-10-2008, 09:08 AM
Congrats on your new plants :woohoonaner:. It is always exciting coming home and seeing the box at the door.

Andrew

mm4birds
09-10-2008, 08:44 PM
my experience with tyty is that the plants are not what they claim them to be and they will not make good on any errors.

RobG7aChattTN
09-10-2008, 09:57 PM
You may luck out and get what you ordered, but I think it is important to note here that they have a lot of errors on their website, crazy claims and lots of other errors. Regardless of whether or not you actually got what you ordered...don't recommend Ty Ty nursery. Your (possible) luck is not the norm. Repeat...do not order from Ty Ty!

mm4birds
09-10-2008, 11:52 PM
By the way, what is texas star? (yes I read the description on tyty site) Anybody with experience on this plant?

snc
09-11-2008, 11:06 AM
is TYTY bad on all plants or just bananas?

harveyc
09-11-2008, 11:48 AM
is TYTY bad on all plants or just bananas?

Typically considered to be crooks and/or very sloppy.

Chong prays a lot so he felt like taking a chance! ;)

chong
09-11-2008, 05:38 PM
You may luck out and get what you ordered, but I think it is important to note here that they have a lot of errors on their website, crazy claims and lots of other errors. Regardless of whether or not you actually got what you ordered...don't recommend Ty Ty nursery. Your (possible) luck is not the norm. Repeat...do not order from Ty Ty!

This is not an endorsement. Rather, just an acknowledgment of the delivery time and the additional materials that I received. I am by no means suggesting that you should henceforth purchase from them, nor reject them. I leave that up to you.

I have stated, time and again, that in the early 90s I used to order from them, but then stopped because they said that the WA Dept of agriculture had been requiring them to send a Phytosanitary certificate. Then recently, I've been reading a lot of bad reviews on them. I had been wanting to order these Texas Star bananas since the 90s but the cost then was pretty steep. When they lowered their price, I was hesitant because of the bad press.

Now, I figured if I use my credit card and if they didn't deliver on time, or if the material they sent was crap, I'd just return them and tell my credit card company that I did. Well, here they are, and they appear to be in good shape, and not tiny either. They gave me bonus plants to boot. The only question now is whether these are true to the variety that I ordered. Based on my score so far, I don't have any reason to believe that they are not. This is not to say that those people who complained about them did not have bad experiences with them, but only that my experience with them so far has been more than fair.

chong
09-11-2008, 05:46 PM
Typically considered to be crooks and/or very sloppy.

Chong prays a lot so he felt like taking a chance! ;)

Harvey,
You certainly read me like a book. Indeed, I had prayed a lot ---- and you see what I got??? . . . . ."Ye of little faith . . . . !" (Maybe, I can learn to walk on water, too. Like Peter. LOL)

I told you that it was not much of a leap of faith. Just lowered my expectations, that's all!

Chironex
09-11-2008, 06:35 PM
I got some Texas Star bananas about the same time as Chong's first order from some people in Texas, but they are still quite small, so will have to provide an update next year. So far, so good!

chong
09-12-2008, 01:44 AM
I got some Texas Star bananas about the same time as Chong's first order from some people in Texas, but they are still quite small, so will have to provide an update next year. So far, so good!

Thanks Scot,
I purchased the remaining two plants that she had at the time. Here's what they looked like:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=13209&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=13209&ppuser=567)
Though I thought they were pretty small, at least the roots were already growing.

Here they are, potted up:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=13210&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=13210&ppuser=567)

These came from Pasadena, TX. The Seller does not really know exactly what they are, but she thinks they are Texas Star based on her research through the internet. Pictures of the fruits resemble CA Gold and Orinoco. Grows 6-8 feet. Claims they're hardy through USDA Zone 6 with some protection. No protection needed from Zone 7 and up. We'll see. I'll plant some of them outside next year. This winter, they'll be in a cold greenhouse (just above freezing).

Chironex
09-12-2008, 03:05 AM
Yikes! Mine looked a whole lot better when I got them. They are in pots and I am going to put them in full sun this weekend. They have been in an acclimation area for the past month to be sure they were rooted well. Wish my darned camera credle would get here so that pictures can be uploaded. Soon, I hope!

Dean W.
09-12-2008, 06:52 AM
This is not an endorsement. Rather, just an acknowledgment of the delivery time and the additional materials that I received. I am by no means suggesting that you should henceforth purchase from them, nor reject them. I leave that up to you.

I have stated, time and again, that in the early 90s I used to order from them, but then stopped because they said that the WA Dept of agriculture had been requiring them to send a Phytosanitary certificate. Then recently, I've been reading a lot of bad reviews on them. I had been wanting to order these Texas Star bananas since the 90s but the cost then was pretty steep. When they lowered their price, I was hesitant because of the bad press.

Now, I figured if I use my credit card and if they didn't deliver on time, or if the material they sent was crap, I'd just return them and tell my credit card company that I did. Well, here they are, and they appear to be in good shape, and not tiny either. They gave me bonus plants to boot. The only question now is whether these are true to the variety that I ordered. Based on my score so far, I don't have any reason to believe that they are not. This is not to say that those people who complained about them did not have bad experiences with them, but only that my experience with them so far has been more than fair.

Well said, Chong!

Bob
09-12-2008, 07:27 AM
It's good to hear all this. I was ready to spend a good buck with ty ty in the spring . Now maybe I'll just take it slower (if at all) use the card ,and pray a lot.
While we're at it I'll mention that I ordered a couple of Bananas from Tall Pines greenhouses in South Carolina back in mid August and they're still not here. Always read the ratings or you'll be sorry (like me). Conversely I got a Siam ruby and an Abyssinian within a week from 2 other places....go figure!

bigdog
09-12-2008, 08:29 AM
You lucked out!

'Texas Star' is not a real variety. It is a name that TyTy made up on their own, just like they make up hardiness claims as well. It is an 'Orinoco' banana, plain and simple. It will survive a zone 7b winter, with mulch for protection, but I would be simply astonished if it survived a true zone 6 winter, even with mulch. Maybe they mean that if you build a greenhouse around it, it will survive a zone 6 winter, lol! :ha:

Bob
09-12-2008, 08:42 AM
Thanks Big Dog, I remembered reading somewhere that the "Texas Star" was something else, I didn't realize it was the "Orinoco" though. That saves a few bucks>

chong
09-20-2008, 11:29 PM
You lucked out!

'Texas Star' is not a real variety. It is a name that TyTy made up on their own, just like they make up hardiness claims as well. It is an 'Orinoco' banana, plain and simple. It will survive a zone 7b winter, with mulch for protection, but I would be simply astonished if it survived a true zone 6 winter, even with mulch. Maybe they mean that if you build a greenhouse around it, it will survive a zone 6 winter, lol! :ha:

If the Texas Star is not a real variety, then so would the Ca Gold be. They both came from the same general area of Texas. Check out the write up of Pitangadiego regarding the CA Gold in his Encanto Farms website (Reprinted in its entirety. I took the liberty of breaking them up into pertinent paragraphs for clarity):

CALIFORNIA GOLD

DESCRIPTION:
There is one fruiting banana that bears fruit consistently year after year. It was grown and identified by Jeff Earl in Modesto. It can survive 20 F temperature and still bears delicious fruit the summer that follows.

Jeff calls this California Gold Banana. I suspect that it is a cold-hardy mutation of dwarf orinoco cultivar growing prolificly in the high altitude and low temperature areas around Mexico and Texas.

Here's a quote from one of the lucky winners of eBay when Jeff auctioned his pup:

"Rare Dwarf banana plant that is proven to be the cold hardiest of all edible fruit-producing bananas in Northern California. An excellent cold hardy sport of dwarf orinoco, distantly related to Bluggoe. For more than 10 years, this banana has consistently produced an average of 25 lbs of good tasting yellow fruit in Northern California, thus nicknamed ‘California Gold’ - a real cold hardy fruit producer. Exceptionally frost hardy compared to other bananas, produces good fruit, year after year, without any frost protection.

Only a few banana plants might equal the cold hardiness of California Gold, such as the inedible Japanese fiber banana Musa basjoo. Cavendish type banana plants such as Super Dwarf, Williams and Double Mahoi, and most of the other edible banana plants will freeze to the ground and die during the cold winter spells when left outside without any winter protection. The California Gold banana shakes off the cold. It may lose its' leaves after a hard freeze, but then continues to grow when the weather warms in the spring. The leaves lost during the winter don’t seem to slow this plant down.

California Gold have produced tasty bananas outdoors during the summer after enduring winter low temp in the low 20’s! These plants should be able grow fine in USDA zone 7 and above as an outdoor plant. They have been fruited as far north as Washington State and British Columbia with only minor winter protection.

The mature plant is small only 5-6 ft tall. Some of plants have produced fruit in as early as 11 months from a pup. This exotic looking plant makes a stunning tropical impression in any garden as well as a lovely indoor potted plant. Delicious fruits rival any store bought fruit in quality and flavor, with just a hint of lemon and strawberry. (“)

“I’m dying to get hold of this very rare banana that has just been shared by Jeff Earl after more than 20 years of testing in Modesto. (906)

[L]et me clarify a few things. #1 ... Is the banana that I call California gold one in the same as Dwarf Orinoco? ... Answer, I honestly don't know. My guess is that they are in the same family... as is Ice Cream, Blue Java , Blugo etc. It was labeled "Hardy Mexican Apple banana". But the guy I bought it from said that he gave it the name. The fruit looks like its' in the Orinoco family. It has fruited at 4 ft tall and as high as 7 ft. I bought the parent banana before anyone ever mentioned Dwarf Orinoco or even regular Orinoco. Bananas are one plant that mutate very easily. So I gave it the name.

It does differ a little from dwarf orinocos in that they are generally all 6 ft tall when fruiting size. To me Cal Gold fruit is a little more rounded. As far as frost hardiness... They seem simular. Though CA gGold is generally the first to start growing in the spring... about the same time as Musa Basjoo.

While I have thought about tissue culturing this banana,I haven't looked into it yet. I'm still not sure that it is any cold hardier than Orinoco. Our temps haven't been cold enough to compare the two side by side. As for Cal Gold's hardiness, about all that I can say is that in my garden, it seems about right on par with musa Basjoo and Orinoco. Both tend to freeze right at the same temps as well as recover at the same time in the spring after a freeze.

As I said before, CaGold Looks like its' in the same family as Orinoco, Blugoe, and Blue Java. As It has been stated before.... Bananas mutate readily, but I doubt that is much more frost hardier unless frost hardiness characteristic mutates within a cultivar as well.

Those of you in the cooler zones will have to try it and let me know. I most likely will be back on Ebay selling pups next spring. As always the min. bid will be a reasonable $19 per 2 ft pup. I rarely have enough pups from the 3 plants that I grow to supply the demand. This tends to send the bidding up to silly levels at times. (914)

California Gold - I think is a sport or a favorable mutation of Dwarf Orinoco. This was recognized by Jeff Earl, but still we don't have genetic proof that it is a sport. The main difference is that the California Gold consistently fruits every year in the Central Valley unlike the regular Dwarf Orinoco which require proper timing for successful fruiting.

California Gold has been shown by Jeff to bloom and fruit even after the record breaking cold spell in the Central Valley when the night time temperature reaches 10 to 12 deg F and most pipes broke about a decade ago. Most other growers scoff at Jeff Earl: that [what] he is selling is still Dwarf Orinoco because the fruit and taste are really no different. Especially if you are growing this plant in Zone 10 and above, then there is really no added benefit.

But because of the consistency of fruit production, this I think is something to consider for us here in the north. I bought California Gold at an eBay auction and it was really pricey, the price for a small pup ranged between $35-$115. Nevertheless, I also have the original Dwarf Orinoco and is now comparing it side by side with California Gold.(???)

Here's my research on California Gold: Rare Dwarf banana plant that is proven to be the cold hardiest of all edible fruit-producing bananas in Northern California. An excellent cold hardy sport of dwarf orinoco, distantly related to Bluggoe. For more than 10 years, this banana has consistently produced an average of 25 lbs of good tasting yellow fruit in Northern California, thus nicknamed “California Gold - a real cold hardy fruit producer”.

I don`t think there is any thing special or rare about this banana plant. I don't think its' a mutation of Dwarf Orinoco. I think it IS Dwarf Orinoco. It is NOT a dessert type supermarket banana. It has to be VERY ripe if you want just peel it and eat it.

It`s a great banana for cool areas. If you can`t get one from Jeff, you might try getting one from Going Bananas. (913)

Jeff Earl also has a dwarf orinoco but is not as cold hardy as his California Gold. If you know about CRFG, some folks there confirmed that there is a big cold hardiness difference between dwarf orinoco and "California Gold" I also have dwarf orinoco which got wiped out during the record breaking cold spell sometime in the early 90's, but Jeff's banana shook off that record breaking cold spell in the valley. (906)

TYPE:
GENETICS:
HEIGHT: 5-6' (906), 6' (914)
HIGHLIGHTS: Cold-hardiness.

harveyc
09-21-2008, 12:24 AM
Chong, there was a long heated discussion about California Gold here at IBS which is where Jon got those comments from. It got ugly, IMO, and I'd rather not see that all brought up again. Most people that have California Gold and Dwarf Orinoco noted differences. I don't know of anyone that has made such a comparison with Texas Star, on the other hand. It's great that you had an apparent good experience with Ty Ty recently, but many people have been ripped off by them.

chong
09-21-2008, 02:53 AM
Chong, there was a long heated discussion about California Gold here at IBS which is where Jon got those comments from. It got ugly, IMO, and I'd rather not see that all brought up again. Most people that have California Gold and Dwarf Orinoco noted differences. I don't know of anyone that has made such a comparison with Texas Star, on the other hand. It's great that you had an apparent good experience with Ty Ty recently, but many people have been ripped off by them.

I know about the discussions about the CA Gold. But my only point in bringing this up is because it seems that one vendor chooses to name his banana one thing, another vendor can't name his banana differently. In other words, the name CA Gold is no more a variety than the Texas Star, based on Bigdog's premise. The fact that Jeff Earl has more credibility with his customers than Ty Ty Nursery doesn't make his banana a variety, and Ty Ty's is not. TTN has been selling Texas Star since 1984, and I believe that's a lot longer than Jeff selling his CA Gold.

And how do we know if the Texas Star is an Orinoco if nobody wants to buy it from the only place that sells it? Or, am I to understand that there are members of this organization that actually bought, raised, and fruited one, so, in fact, can compare it with an Orinoco? To begin with, I posted photos of the pups and corm that I received from TTN. Has anyone bothered to see if they look like an Orinoco? I have. And they don't. At least not like the Orinocos that I got from Agristarts.

I clearly underscored in the article the author's statement where he called his banana CA Gold because that's what Jeff called it. This, and his later statements, to me implies that author himself does not know of any banana variety with that name. In fact, the author specifically states that in his opinion "it IS an Orinoco (sic)". That is the true variety because that name is an accepted varietal name in the international banana growing community. Neither "CA Gold", "TX Star", nor "CA Hardy" are.

I realize that 99.9999% of the people out there may be pissed off at Ty Ty Nursery. I will not argue that point. The point I'm arguing about is the reference to the type of banana that I bought. "The vendor gave the plants I bought that name. So, that's what I called it." Otherwise, in the same context as the CA Gold, what else should I call it?

Remember when a lot of people were complaining about the prices of someone either selling the AeAe or the CA Gold. Calling them greedy, etc. I don't know if I remember correctly, but I thought it was you who said that we should not be calling people names just because the Seller was trying to get as much as he can. That if we thought it was too expensive then just don't buy from him. I think that in some ways this situation is the same.

I wanted to believe that the Texas Star is as cold hardy as what the vendor says it is. That's why I wanted to buy some. I don't care if it is an Orinoco. I just care that it will be hardy as they say it is, and that they will produce edible fruits. If in the end, it proves otherwise, at least I won't be losing sleep, wondering if it was one way or the other.

harveyc
09-21-2008, 10:36 AM
Chong, bringing in California Gold into the discussion just gets the discussion off-topic. The way you've quoted those comments also confuses who is saying what. Those comments were taken directly from IBS and made by more than one person, not all the same person, though it appears to be all from one source when posted in that manner. I hope that thread doesn't get brought back to the top, but I'll post the link to it http://www.bananas.org/f2/last-california-gold-year-869.html (PLEASE don't post to this thread, there are too many ugly comments there).

If you've noted a difference between Texas Star and Dwarf Orinoco, that's great and that should be the basis for responding to Frank, IMHO. There is no need to make the comparison to California Gold to call it something else. It seems akin to complaining to mom that she let another child get away with doing something she's scolding you for. ;)

BTW, I'm still awaiting an e-mail from you re: chestnuts (check your PM).

PT DUffy
09-21-2008, 12:29 PM
Yes! Sometimes you'll get not only twigs instead of trees, you'll get something not even close!
Cheers,
Pat

chong
04-30-2009, 03:06 AM
Update on the 5 Texas Star bananas that I ordered from Ty Ty Nursery last September. Photo is of the lone survivor. Hence, it's affectionately dubbed, "Texas Lone Star". Photo taken last Saturday 04/25/2009. It started to show some growth 2 weeks before that, but I didn't think there was anything that would be growing since the soil was pretty dry. I watered it profusely since exhibiting growth. But every morning it would be dry. Digging through the soil showed that all that watering only watered the top and sides of the pot soil. So, I soaked the pot in half pot height water for 8 hours, and capillary action took care of the upper half. The photo shows how wet the soil is after I removed it from the water basin.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=16975&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=16975)

Now comes the test for a replacement for the others. Unfortunately, I misplaced my invoice. But, I've got until September to find it.

chong
05-21-2009, 12:25 AM
New Update!

By chance, I was looking at both the TyTy TX Star and the Texas TX Star, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the similarities between the two. So it became a photo-op and here is what I saw:

TyTy Front>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>TyTy Back
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17582&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17582&ppuser=567) http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17585&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17585&ppuser=567)

Texas Front>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Texas Back
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17584&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17584&ppuser=567) http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17583&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17583&ppuser=567)

LEAF CLOSE-UPS:
TyTy Back>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Texas Back
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17586&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17586&ppuser=567) http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17587&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17587&ppuser=567)

Note: The Texas plant is 3/4 the size of the TyTy plant. In both plants, the back of the leaves and the stems are waxy. Leaf margins have red trim. During the Winter, the TyTy pot is right next to the sliding door from the dining room but inside the greenhouse(where it is currently), while the Texas pot was between the sliding door and the perimeter glass.

harveyc
05-21-2009, 12:32 AM
Great shots and comparison, Chong!

Thanks,

Harvey

supermario
05-21-2009, 10:13 AM
Guys..before I say anything, I am assuming this is the site you are discussing(http://www.tytyga.com) I am sorry, but I am SHOCKED that anyone would buy anything from Ty Ty Nursery. That site had me reeling in laughter when I stumbled upon it one day. I actually called a friend of mine at work and made him look for the site so we could laugh at it together.

The site features bunches of poorly photoshopped pics of models and fruit trees. In the banana page.. If you scroll down, you'll see a banana bunch photoshopped right next to some guy's package in his little yellow swim underwear!! LMAO!!!! The home page had some lady in her bra staring out to nowhere in front of a bowl of persimons. My absolute favorite though...was in the shade trees section. I just checked and they seem to have removed the pic, but it was a picture of some half naked guy with a christmas hat on..in this same pic, there is some sort of leaf photoshopped to cover his croch area.. AND he is smiling and pointing towards that area. Did they get that pic from playgirl or something?? LMAO!! You owe it to yourself to browse this site once, just do as I do and don't take them seriously. They seem to have toned it down a bit, so it may not be quite as rediculous as when I first stumbled on it.

If you want bananas...go to a serious site that focuses on their plants and service as opposed to making their site look more like a brothel than a nursery. - Welcome to Going Bananas of Homestead, Florida! (http://www.going-bananas.com) - is my #1 choice. If you want other tropicals as well as bananas...try the pine island nursery(also in FL) - Pine Island Nursery, Tropical fruit trees, akee, all spice, ambarella, annona, avocado, cherry, bay leaf, black pepper, caimito, canistel, carambola, cashew, coconut, coffee, curry leaf, grumichama, guava, jaboticaba, jakfruit, longan, loquat, lychee (http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com)


:0519:

supermario
05-21-2009, 10:35 AM
WOW...I recently had found a similar site(which was a shock to me) called aaron's farms. I noticed they were based in Georgia and began to wonder about the locals there...but it turns out that aaron's and tyty are the same people! After doing just a little research, I found tons of negative reviews on Amazon.com. Pretty scary. It seems these guys should be shut down and thrown in jail.

harveyc
05-21-2009, 10:37 AM
Mario, we've had other threads to laugh at TyTy's site and photos. They do have a variety called Texas Star widely-reputed to be quite cold hardy which you won't see Don offering at Going-Bananas. Ty Ty is well known for shipping incorrect varieties, etc., but Chong took a chance and seems to have done well here. He also has comments in the Veinte Cohol thread which makes it clear his experience with Going-Bananas was not as good as he would have liked, though it's clear they do have a good reputation. In my opinion, Pine Island is not a very good choice for those that live in areas that require a phytosanitary certificate. The fee there is $50 and Pine Island assesses an additional fee of 50% of the plant cost to clean up the plants so that they will pass inspection. I'd rather look at ridiculous photos than have my money taken from me like that.

supermario
05-21-2009, 11:10 AM
Mario, we've had other threads to laugh at TyTy's site and photos. They do have a variety called Texas Star widely-reputed to be quite cold hardy which you won't see Don offering at Going-Bananas. Ty Ty is well known for shipping incorrect varieties, etc., but Chong took a chance and seems to have done well here. He also has comments in the Veinte Cohol thread which makes it clear his experience with Going-Bananas was not as good as he would have liked, though it's clear they do have a good reputation. In my opinion, Pine Island is not a very good choice for those that live in areas that require a phytosanitary certificate. The fee there is $50 and Pine Island assesses an additional fee of 50% of the plant cost to clean up the plants so that they will pass inspection. I'd rather look at ridiculous photos than have my money taken from me like that.

Well stated. I personally am willing to pay a little extra to make sure that I get a quality product. What is cheap now, will cost you more in the long run.

I don't have to worry about the phyto, but I know it costs at least $35. Why Pine Island charges a little extra, I don't know...but, their feedback speaks for itself. When you compare the feedback of the two companies, I would not consider the extra investment a waste of money...more like insurance. Also, the PI site is informative and well put together.

I find it hard to believe that TyTy is the only source for the banana you are looking for. I received a mystery plant that was supposed to be a manzano from bananatree.com (another company with a bad reputation, but not the wonderful photos) If you like to gamble, give them a try.. I believe they are based in PA. I'm sorry I could not be more helpful.

supermario
05-21-2009, 11:11 AM
Mario, we've had other threads to laugh at TyTy's site and photos.

Where are they?? :woohoonaner:

harveyc
05-21-2009, 11:20 AM
I just used the search function and came up with several hits. Here's a good one: http://www.bananas.org/f9/funny-pictures-tyty-nursery-3277.html

Chong, sorry about helping divert your thread off-topic!

Harvey

chong
05-21-2009, 01:42 PM
Mario, we've had other threads to laugh at TyTy's site and photos. They do have a variety called Texas Star widely-reputed to be quite cold hardy which you won't see Don offering at Going-Bananas. Ty Ty is well known for shipping incorrect varieties, etc., but Chong took a chance and seems to have done well here. He also has comments in the Veinte Cohol thread which makes it clear his experience with Going-Bananas was not as good as he would have liked, though it's clear they do have a good reputation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I mentioned before that based on my experience with the two companies, ordering from Going Bananas was more of a leap of faith than from TyTy. Until recently, my experience with TyTy has been more pleasant than GB. Also, I've stated before that I'm not promoting nor discrediting neither one. The difference between relating one's experience and expressing amazement by someone who heard or read otherwise, is that one is based on fact, while the other is based on faith. Sometimes, people take what they believe to be fact. In most cases, they're probably right. But, I never completely agreed with the adage that "Seeing is Believing". I always thought that "Seeing is Knowing".

Well stated. I personally am willing to pay a little extra to make sure that I get a quality product. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I don't have to worry about the phyto, but I know it costs at least $35. Why Pine Island charges a little extra, I don't know...but, their feedback speaks for itself. When you compare the feedback of the two companies, I would not consider the extra investment a waste of money...more like insurance. Also, the PI site is informative and well put together.

I find it hard to believe that TyTy is the only source for the banana you are looking for. I received a mystery plant that was supposed to be a manzano from bananatree.com (another company with a bad reputation, but not the wonderful photos) If you like to gamble, give them a try.. I believe they are based in PA. I'm sorry I could not be more helpful.

It's easy for you to say that because you are fortunate to live in an area where you have multiple other choices for things that you like that we in the North do not have. But if this were a forum for wine grapes, no doubt, the situation will be reversed for members in your area. The point is that if you are willing to spend more money on insurance and preparation for something that you like than the item itself, means that you really want to have it. What then, if that item is not available from your reputable source, but only from one that appears to be the scourge of the industry? But what if this scourge gave you reasonable service in the past? If you are not willing to take a chance with this vendor, then you probably just don't really want it.

I have dealt with many other vendors since the 70s, including the ones you mentioned. Michigan Bulb Co., Mellinger's, Van Bourghondien, etc. At some point or another, they have given me reasonable service, if not good service. When many people complain about them, as long as they have what I want, AND they continue to provide reasonable service, I will not hesitate to do business with them. For me, such is the case with your two dreaded companies.

In the early 70s, Banana Tree was my only source of banana plants, Cananga seeds and Manihot seeds. In fact, they were not perfect. But when I had a problem, a letter (yes, slug mail) or phone call to them, and the Owner responded with and apology and proposal for corrective action. The same is true with TyTy for me. Sure, you find their ads very provincial. But you looked at them, didn't you? And did you happen to notice the prices while you were laughing at pictures? I did. That's when I saw how much the price of the TX Star dropped. After all, isn't that the purpose of any ad?

There's been a lot of bad press with Mellinger's before they closed. I don't know why, because I bought a lot of plants from them and they were great. I still have a Fejoa that I ordered from them over 30 years ago. And if I hadn't been traveling for work a lot 20 years ago, I would still have Loquats and other guavas that I ordered from them.

On the other hand, if an item were available from other sources, personally, I would think twice before ordering from a reputable source where my experience was less than pleasant. Unfortunately, there are two such companies in the Miami area, Homestead, specifically.

chong
05-21-2009, 02:26 PM
I just used the search function and came up with several hits. Here's a good one: http://www.bananas.org/f9/funny-pictures-tyty-nursery-3277.html

Chong, sorry about helping divert your thread off-topic!

Harvey

No problem, Harvey. It's not so off topic since the focus is the source of the plant that is unique to them. At least for me, discussing the source is important because it might result in someone coming out with either new sources, or from others who might have ordered the plant from TyTy and have pups to trade, give, or sell.

...............
I find it hard to believe that TyTy is the only source for the banana you are looking for. I received a mystery plant that was supposed to be a manzano from bananatree.com (another company with a bad reputation, but not the wonderful photos) If you like to gamble, give them a try.. I believe they are based in PA. I'm sorry I could not be more helpful.

If you can find more reliable sources for TX Star, I'm sure that there are at least a hundred members who will be grateful to you if you care to share them with us. In fact, such information could possibly bring the demise of this company, unless they do a strong, plausible public relations blitzkrieg .

I have found two other sources, both from TX and both through eBay, of TX Star. The first one was a joke. To begin with, they describe their plant to grow over 25 feet, clearly different from TyTy's. And they sent me only water sprouts, that struggled for 2 years, then died. I was their first and only customer. After that first ad on eBay, I never saw them again. The second one was referred to me by Scot (Chironix), and I bought out the remaining stock at that particular auction, then bought all three of the following one. These were not quite water sprouts, though not quite sword pups, either. I have not seen her ad since then, also.

I have been following the TX Star since the early 70's. Discovering that there was such a thing as a CA Gold, diverted my attention to that one for a while since they were initially cheaper than TX Star. When their prices rose, I started looking at the TS again and was pleasantly surprised that their prices have dropped.

There is a certain member here that would have a serious heartburn if I were to discuss what I think about the origins and the relationship between CA Gold and the TX Star, so I won't go there. But if you can reveal a good, reliable, and cheaper source for either or both varieties, you will be considered a hero by a good many members here.

harveyc
05-21-2009, 02:54 PM
There is a certain member here that would have a serious heartburn if I were to discuss what I think about the origins and the relationship between CA Gold and the TX Star, so I won't go there. But if you can reveal a good, reliable, and cheaper source for either or both varieties, you will be considered a hero by a good many members here.

You did just go there by bringing up this speculative subject. I believe there is no value in speculating about what may or may not be the relationship since I believe nobody can provide any credible evidence one way or the other without DNA testing or extensive growing comparisons. It's just not worth it to do either, IMO.

sunfish
05-21-2009, 02:56 PM
Banana Trees Banana Plants
Sells banana trees and plants including Ice Cream, Dwarf Red, ... Often called the 'Texas Star' and the "California Gold" - a real cold hardy fruit producer. ...Banana Trees Banana Plants (http://www.bananaplants.net/bananaplants.html) - 127k - Cached


I am not saying this is right,but I thought I would throw this in.

ron_mcb
05-21-2009, 04:32 PM
if i really need something and ty ty was my last option i would make sure i drive down there and pick it out myself.they will not handle or ship my order if i can help it.. if its bananas im buying,i would tell em i want to go to their plot and personally dig it myself. i want to get the pup from the mat after i look it over. i dont want to pay for mystery bananas.

i trust them as far as i can throw one of them. im sorry its just the truth.

chong i dont go to tifton/tyty regularly but if you really wanted a big corm i would have done my best to aquire one and ship it to you. we could have worked out something if i had known. i am a good drive up the interstate from em.at least that way you would have had more peace of mind. you have really wanted one for a while huh? wow.

chong
05-21-2009, 05:19 PM
Banana Trees Banana Plants
Sells banana trees and plants including Ice Cream, Dwarf Red, ... Often called the 'Texas Star' and the "California Gold" - a real cold hardy fruit producer. ...Banana Trees Banana Plants (http://www.bananaplants.net/bananaplants.html) - 127k - Cached

I am not saying this is right,but I thought I would throw this in.

That's strictly conjecture on their part. Tell that to a certain member here and see what his reaction is. Ha! Ha! I doubt if they've actually done a side by side comparison themselves. In fact, if you read their description of most of their bananas, they're pretty much copied from various other sites. But if you want to believe their speculation, I guess your quest can stop there. It's not biggie, for me. As long as I've wanted to have one of them, I'd rather experience it myself and not rely on faith at this time. As I said, "Seeing is Knowing."

Jack Daw
05-21-2009, 05:24 PM
Chong, I didn't get it. Are those plants you got the famous never to be found and never to be for sale Musa 'Texas Star'? Do you also have California Gold?
Seems funny, that so many people hate that company and for you, no disappointment so far. Intriguing. :D

supermario
05-21-2009, 05:24 PM
Sure, you find their ads very provincial. But you looked at them, didn't you? And did you happen to notice the prices while you were laughing at pictures?

As you mentioned, I live in an area where I have several options within driving distance..so I didn't take TyTy seriously for one second. I stumbled upon them while looking up information on Figs.

I will do some digging and try and find a good source for you. Dare I ask..do you know of any other names for the Texas Star?

chong
05-21-2009, 05:38 PM
if i really need something and ty ty was my last option i would make sure i drive down there and pick it out myself.they will not handle or ship my order if i can help it.. if its bananas im buying,i would tell em i want to go to their plot and personally dig it myself. i want to get the pup from the mat after i look it over. i dont want to pay for mystery bananas.

i trust them as far as i can throw one of them. im sorry its just the truth.

chong i dont go to tifton/tyty regularly but if you really wanted a big corm i would have done my best to aquire one and ship it to you. we could have worked out something if i had known. i am a good drive up the interstate from em.at least that way you would have had more peace of mind. you have really wanted one for a while huh? wow.

Ronald,
I would certainly be most grateful if you can do that. I wouldn't want you to make a special trip, though. Only if you're over that way for a primary reason. And you don't have to dig them yourself. You can let them do it. Just watch them do it. So, if the offer stands, I can PM you my phone number, and you can call me me when you're going there, and make the necessary arrangements. Or, we can just PM each other.

And yes, I've been wanting to have them since the 70s. They wanted an arm and a leg then.

I can see that you're also one of those who go by the "Seeing is knowing" principle.

Thank you very much.

Chong

ron_mcb
05-21-2009, 05:59 PM
chong it shouldnt be a problem at all..you have been pmed.:bananas_b
when i get there i will even send you a pic of the mat and the fruits if its producing any yet.

chong
05-21-2009, 06:02 PM
Chong, I didn't get it. Are those plants you got the famous never to be found and never to be for sale Musa 'Texas Star'? Do you also have California Gold?
Seems funny, that so many people hate that company and for you, no disappointment so far. Intriguing. :D

Hello Jack,
Texas Star was coined by Ty Ty Nursery(TTN) in Ty Ty, Georgia. Obviously, they are the only ones who have "Texas Star" because they're the ones who named that banana. Whether or not it is, in fact, the same as another banana is subject to conjecture by many. Other sources may be from previous customers who bought their plants from TTN. I have found some in the internet, but their posts have been several years before I found them, and either they no longer have their email addresses, or they just do not want to respond. I have found 2 other sources, but as I reported earlier, one was bogus, and the other is still unconfirmed. So, until they can produce the fruit, there is no telling whether they are the same Texas Star.

I have just obtained one CA Gold and one CA Hardy.

No, I don't think it's funny that a lot of people don't like this company because they believe the many people that have given them very bad reviews. So, that is to be expected. Even I, for a long time, did not want to buy from them because of the bad news. But when I saw their prices drop, I could not restrain myself and I ordered. And I was pleasantly vindicated with their service.

supermario
05-21-2009, 06:06 PM
I am sure you guys have researched the topic extensively, but here is what I found:

It's weird that there is soo much interest in this banana tree, yet there is very little information about it on the internet. The only article I found discussing it's origin was written by guess who....An employee(probably owner) of TyTy. I even recognized his name from the Amazon feedback section...He had posted positive reviews for TyTy as if he were a customer!!!
Here is the article: thePhantomWriters.com / thePhantomWriters.org:: Article: The Modern Soft Yellow Banana Evolved From The Cooking Banana As The Number One Fruit In The World (http://www.thephantomwriters.com/free_content/db/m/modern-soft-yellow-banana.shtml)

I have seen some other sites mention the Texas Star, but only briefly as a cold hardy banana. The link posted by somoeone else earlier describes Texas Star as a dwarf orinoco... Since no credible source for the tree seems to be available...I think TyTy has been pulling a fast one for years. If there truly was this miraculous cold hardy banana...why wouldn't other nurseries follow suit? Do a little digging and you'll see that ALL the sites with info and/or Texas Star banana plants for sale are run by TyTy.

supermario
05-21-2009, 06:11 PM
Oops..didn't read below post...:lurk:

ron_mcb
05-21-2009, 06:12 PM
mario i dont know what legal rights they have over the tx star,but here in ga there is an onion called the vidailia sweet onion..no one outside of a 50 mile radius (if im not mistaken)of the city of vidialia can grow it,and give it that name. there is sopposedly something in the local soil that gives the onion a unique flavor. its trademarked..i dont know what rights tyt ty has on the name 'tx star".

i saw the article..malcom is the owner of ty ty

harveyc
05-21-2009, 06:24 PM
Hey Ronald, that's nice of you to offer. I'd take you up on it except that I expect to get a pup or two this summer from another hobbyist with a lucky Ty Ty experience who I shipped some other pups to recently.

Chong, if I had any Cal Gold pups this year I would have sent one to you but I don't see any yet. My two plants are each about 4' tall and just now are putting on some decent growth.

Belle is another one for which I have high hopes for and maybe I'll be blessed with a reasonably early flower this year from the plant I got from Jon last June. We only got down to 28F-30F this past winter so it's not a great test, but it started growing for me this spring faster than my Cal Golds or my CA Hardy, though my CA Hardy wasn't very well established going into last fall.

harveyc
05-21-2009, 06:27 PM
I doubt that Ty Ty has done anything to protect the Texas Star name as it's too costly to trademark and even more costly to enforce, all for something that does not have a significant market. There's probably only a hundred or couple hundred of us crazies that really would care about it. The Vidalia onion market, on the other hand, is much larger and worth protecting.

chong
05-21-2009, 06:38 PM
I am sure you guys have researched the topic extensively, but here is what I found:

It's weird that there is soo much interest in this banana tree, yet there is very little information about it on the internet. The only article I found discussing it's origin was written by guess who....An employee(probably owner) of TyTy. I even recognized his name from the Amazon feedback section...He had posted positive reviews for TyTy as if he were a customer!!!
Here is the article: thePhantomWriters.com / thePhantomWriters.org:: Article: The Modern Soft Yellow Banana Evolved From The Cooking Banana As The Number One Fruit In The World (http://www.thephantomwriters.com/free_content/db/m/modern-soft-yellow-banana.shtml)

I have seen some other sites mention the Texas Star, but only briefly as a cold hardy banana. The link posted by somoeone else earlier describes Texas Star as a dwarf orinoco... Since no credible source for the tree seems to be available...I think TyTy has been pulling a fast one for years. If there truly was this miraculous cold hardy banana...why wouldn't other nurseries follow suit? Do a little digging and you'll see that ALL the sites with info and/or Texas Star banana plants for sale are run by TyTy.

I can probably get in trouble with a certain member here for saying this. Objectively speaking, under that premise, excepting for the reputation of the vendor, the same could be said about CA Gold. Both vendors claim that they got their original plants from around the same area in TX. Both describe their plant as dwarf, can withstand cold temperatures, and edible. The only difference is one has independently established his credibility, and the other only thinks he has.

I can say this about TX Star: I've heard about it at least 10 years before I heard about CA Gold. Matter of fact, the first time that I heard about CA Gold, I was skeptical, but soon was convinced by the TV footage of his "plantation." When I heard about TX Star, Al Gore had not yet invented the internet, so I could only rely on their ads and occasional newspaper/magazine clips. So, I don't think that TTN is necessarily a copycat.

john_ny
05-21-2009, 07:06 PM
For what it's worth; In the 70's I had a business importing aquarium fish, and selling them to pet shops. In 1977 we moved into this house. I liked it, because the property was large (as per New York City standards) and I could keep my fish stocks right here. When we moved here, there were some Azalea bushes here. I took cuttings and rooted them. However, I didn't know the names of the varieties. Then I saw, in American Nurseryman magazine an ad from someone in North Carolina, offering rooted cuttings of named varieties of Azaleas. I figured it was just as easy to grow named varietis, as unnamed, so I bought some. Rooted cuttings was all they did, but then I got a letter saying they had planted any unsold cuttings in 3 gal. pots, to use as stock plants, but were overstocked, so they were selling the stock plants really cheap. I bought a trailerload. In the meantime, I was a Navy Reserve transport pilot, and anytime we went someplace warm, I'd bring my fish traps, and catch some of my own. One day, while sitting on a stream bank, in Panama, waiting for something to get in my trap, I noticed many palm seedlings growing. (This was the time, when there was a house-plant craze), and many stores (short lived) opened selling just these. I decided I could sell some of the palms, so brought them back. These things got me started in the plant business.
Then, approx. thirty some years ago, my wife's boss invited us to spend a couple of weeks at their vacation house, in St. Lucia. While there, we met many people, as they knew everyone. (Wife's boss and his wife were both MDs). Met some of the locals, and asked about the bananas. Was told they were Gros Michel, and got to bring a couple of corms back with me. Had to give them up, when they started to push the tiles out of the suspended ceiling, in our playroom.

However, at that time, I saw an ad from TY-TY, offering several different Azaleas, that I did't have, for a very good price. I ordered the Azaleas, and added a couple of things else, like a filbert & some others.
I got the order, and there was no Azaleas (they said they were sold out) and the filbert certainly did not produce nuts like they said it would. It looked like some little wild thing that they had dug out of the woods.
So, needless to say, nothing ordered from them again.

chong
05-21-2009, 07:14 PM
As you mentioned, I live in an area where I have several options within driving distance..so I didn't take TyTy seriously for one second. I stumbled upon them while looking up information on Figs.

I will do some digging and try and find a good source for you. Dare I ask..do you know of any other names for the Texas Star?

Mario,
Thank you. The name "TX Star", as I explained earlier to Jack, was coined by TTN. I've seen other vendors use that name on their bananas, but they have no connection with TTN, so there is no way know if they are, in fact, the same plant, except in the case of one that I have, if it fruits and the TTN TS fruits, then I can compare them. Cold hardiness appears to be the same. Maybe a little better than CA Gold, even.

Regards,
Chong

PS. For Figs, have you checked out Jon's(Pitangadiego) site "We Be Bananas"(Figs4fun)? Great stuff!

harveyc
05-21-2009, 10:16 PM
Chong, you continue to make a reference to getting in trouble with some member here. Such vague comments reminds me of some other member who no longer posts here. This just causes more confusion and is more likely to cause trouble than saying what you're thinking, IMO. If you're talking about Jeff Earl, he doesn't ever bother to visit here unless I happen to mention something to him that he might want to comment on (like when he had an auction running last year under his new eBay ID and Taylor questioned if it was really Jeff Earl). I'm going to visit Jeff Earl tomorrow to pick up a LHI banyan and check out his big flowering Mauritius lychee, but wouldn't bother to mention any discussion about speculation of the Texas Star and Cal Gold being the same.

To the best of my memory, Jeff hasn't said what part of Texas he got his original Cal Gold from. I remember it was mail order, before Al Gore invented the Internet, and was some old Mexican guy that didn't have a name for it. Jeff's comments are posted in some old thread which I've linked here before if you really feel inclined to see what he says about it. Also to the best of my knowledge, he's never bought a Texas Star from Ty Ty. Maybe I'll give him one if I get enough pups this summer.

You've made a comment here that Texas Star might be a little more hardy than Cal Gold. On what do you base this statement? I've never read of anyone growing them both and comparing them. I plan to do that but on a small scale with no statistical significance, but will make some comments about them when the time comes.

Just be happy, warm weather is here! :D

Rmplmnz
05-21-2009, 11:10 PM
I wonder how they decide who to rip off and who to impress? Either way, well done to you!

Probably based on availability of plant matter and customers..lol.....

chong
05-22-2009, 05:34 PM
. . . . . . ., but wouldn't bother to mention any discussion about speculation of the Texas Star and Cal Gold being the same.
That's not what I said, exactly.

. .. . . . . . . . .Also to the best of my knowledge, he's never bought a Texas Star from Ty Ty. Maybe I'll give him one if I get enough pups this summer.
That's not what I said, or even implied, either.

You've made a comment here that Texas Star might be a little more hardy than Cal Gold. On what do you base this statement? I've never read of anyone growing them both and comparing them. . . . . . . . . . . .
I will post some side by side pictures after I take them.

Jack Daw
05-22-2009, 05:37 PM
That's not what I said, exactly.


That's not what I said, or even implied, either.


I will post some side by side pictures after I take them.
I'm already looking forward to seeing this pictures. Musa 'Texas Star', Musa 'Calfornia Gold' and other musaceae family members showing high resistnace to cold and/or frost is interesting enough for me.

chong
05-22-2009, 08:05 PM
You've made a comment here that Texas Star might be a little more hardy than Cal Gold. On what do you base this statement? I've never read of anyone growing them both and comparing them. I plan to do that but on a small scale with no statistical significance, but will make some comments about them when the time comes.

Here's a photo of TX Stars and CA Gold. I just took these outside to do a side by side photo shoot:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17627&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17627&ppuser=567)
L to R: TX Star from Ty Ty Nursery, CA Gold, (Next 3) TX Star from TX. Taken 05-22-2009.

As stated earlier, the TX Star from TTN was set immediately next to the sliding door to the house, but still inside the greenhouse. The CA Gold, and the 3 TX Stars from TX were located in the middle of the greenhouse, approximately 5-feet from the exterior glass. There is a 750-watt oil-filled heater between the CA Gold and TS from TX.

For further comparison, here's a Dwarf Orinoco that was smaller than the CA Gold when they were transferred to the greenhouse in late October:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=17626&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=17626&ppuser=567)
As the photo depicts, this plant about 18-inches from the West glass and 2.5-feet from the South glass. The 750-watt heater, mentioned above, is 12-feet away to the East. The wall of the house is 3-feet from the railing to the right of this picture. Leaves that are showing on the right of the photo are from the Cinnamon Tree (Canela) that I bought for $14.98 last early December from Lowe's.

Peace, Bro' . . . . . .

harveyc
05-23-2009, 12:44 AM
I asked Jeff Earl today if he had ever tried growing Texas Star and he said he hadn't. He said he got his banana from Texas in the 80s and it was over 10 years after that before he had heard of Texas Star. I haven't grown Dwarf Orinoco (I would have except Wellspring sent me a mystery banana instead, though I was very happy with the quality of the fruit which was harvested in late December, just 4 months after flowering), but many others have grown it and have reported that California Gold has fruited for them much more reliably.

I don't believe comparing potted bananas is a reliable way to compare most bananas as watering is more variable, etc. I also think you need to take a banana to fruiting to make a meaningful comparison.

GanEden
05-23-2009, 01:42 AM
Sorry to sound jealous but it seems we just dont have any specialist nana nurseries here in Oz.

chong
05-23-2009, 05:07 AM
I asked Jeff Earl today if he had ever tried growing Texas Star and he said he hadn't. He said he got his banana from Texas in the 80s and it was over 10 years after that before he had heard of Texas Star.
I've been growing bananas at home here in Seattle since the early 70s. I can assure you that I've read about TX Star since the 70s. Whether or not Jeff has known about TS in the 70s or the 80 or the 90s is really irrelevant to me, or this discussion, because I've acknowledged, time and again, that they appear to have "discovered" their booties independently. I have never claimed one or the other "discovered" their plant ahead of the other. Only that I learned of, and was interested in, TS as early as the 70s. I've only learned about CG in the early 2000s. If you say that Jeff only learned about TS in the 90s, what that tells me is that that's when he heard about it. Just as I'm saying that I learned about TX in the 70s. Also, if I were to believe, and I do, your statement that Jeff got his banana in the eighties from TX, leads me conclude that TTN found TS ahead of Jeff's "discovery" of his CG. Beyond that, I make no further conclusions.

I don't believe comparing potted bananas is a reliable way to compare most bananas as watering is more variable, etc. I also think you need to take a banana to fruiting to make a meaningful comparison.
Harvey,
You asked me where I based my statement that it would appear that the TS was a little more cold hardy than the CG because you believed no one has ever done a side by side comparison. After I gave you my basis, you now state that you don't believe potted bananas is a reliable way to compare most bananas, and introduced another parameter in your challenge, i.e., "watering is more variable . . . . . needs to . . . . fruiting, etc." I thought you were asking my basis for why I thought one was a little more cold hardy than the other, and nothing about fruitfulness, or superiority of one over the other.

Given the description I wrote that the TS's from TX and the CG were in the same area of the greenhouse, and the TS from TTN was 3-feet to the North of it in the same greenhouse, would it not be safe to assume that when one plant is watered the others in the same area would also be watered? It appears to me that you have a preconceived idea, based on your belief, on how these plants are supposed to behave, and when shown otherwise, you have to say that there may be other influences to make that happen the way they did. Okay. All I'm saying is that this is what I have. It may be a fluke. But it is what it is, at least for these plants. I have stated before that I do not agree with the adage that "Seeing is Believing". Rather, to me, "Seeing is knowing". It doesn't mean that I don't believe in anything. Rather, it means that I do not have to see it to believe in it, and when I see it then that's what I know.

I haven't grown Dwarf Orinoco (I would have except Wellspring sent me a mystery banana instead, though I was very happy with the quality of the fruit which was harvested in late December, just 4 months after flowering), but many others have grown it and have reported that California Gold has fruited for them much more reliably.
Since we're talking about production, and I have not had any of either variety produce any fruit, I believe you. But I'm hoping that they both would produce well for me (if ever).

harveyc
05-23-2009, 11:09 AM
Chong, you're excessively argumentative so, in your own words, please chill. Maybe you just needed more sleep.

I mention Jeff's knowledge about the Texas Star just because I asked him if he had ever tried growing it. By the time Jeff had heard of Texas Star he was more than satisfied with his California Gold. That's it. NOTHING MORE! Okay? Don't get into a pissing match over the comment.

Fine, you gave the basis for your comparison and you think for some reason its off limit for me to discuss it??? I explained why I think more is done to compare these varieties besides plants in pots. Hopefully, you can fruit them one day outside.

Jack Daw
05-23-2009, 12:08 PM
Guys, don't argue, we are here to help each other, not get crazy over some statements.

ron_mcb
05-23-2009, 12:18 PM
like i said earlier i can aquire a fruiting size "tyty tx star" corm for each of you. by using my idea that i posted earlier. this is the only way you can really say you have the "ty ty tx star". you two can each do your own separate tests. i dont know who has a california gold mat and want to give a few large corms.

i would love for the two of you to have big corms in the ground and do the tests. its the only way to settle it . lets do this . i have lots of space here i can also grow the two here just to make sure its unbiased. you two will have to finance the corms first of course. i could start with only a small sucker and grow it in the ground. you two should give it hell. if anything should ever happen to your corms during testing you can always get one from me anytime(i hope to establish a mat).

let me know something soon..now is an ideal time to start. the weather is perfect not too cold or hot.:nanadrink:

Rmplmnz
05-23-2009, 02:34 PM
The amazing thing is that there are so many different species of bananas (a plant that is primarily propagated vegetatively by corm divisions). I have seen the same banana species look very different under dissimilar soil, climate, precipitation conditions, etc.,

Anyway, the board is amazing in that we all get to experience the wide variety of species growing under such a diverse range of conditions. I am hoping to see Fehi growing in French Polynesia next month.

:bananas_b

harveyc
05-23-2009, 05:17 PM
Agreed, Chris! Bring me a pup of that Fehi if at all possible. ;)

sunfish
05-23-2009, 09:50 PM
How would I go about getting a Texas Star' TyTy will not ship to ca. Thanks

harveyc
05-23-2009, 09:59 PM
Tony, see Ronald's comments above, he has offered to get one from Ty Ty for us that want one, though I've got some that should be headed my way this summer from another source. :)

ron_mcb
05-23-2009, 10:11 PM
tony if you want one i can get you a fruiting sized one as soon as you cover all the the costs. i will make sure i see them take it from the mat. so there is no doubt that its whats its supposed to be. if you order by mail its a crap shoot ill tell you that now.

maybe they ship what they have in reach if they dont feel like going into the elements and digging?? i think its more laziness than really trickery with that bunch.:bananas_b

sunfish
05-23-2009, 10:21 PM
I will take you up on the offer.I don't need a fruiting size one though. One of the small corms is all I need.

ron_mcb
05-23-2009, 10:58 PM
ok,hypothetically if i got enough serious people wanting tx star i could probably get 1 gallon pups shipped to their door for $25 ..you get exactly what you want.their minimum shipping cost is $20.00 no matter what you order.

there will probably be people thinking im making a profit from this?

remember i do have to drive there,watch them get the pup from the mat,and plus ship your stuff to you.this would definately be a one time offer.. :bananas_b

sunfish
05-23-2009, 11:05 PM
Sent p.m.

harveyc
05-24-2009, 12:11 AM
Ronald, it's readily apparent you're offering this as a generous offer to help others. If you make a dime you'll be lucky but it will be well-deserved!

Rmplmnz
05-24-2009, 08:16 AM
ok,hypothetically if i got enough serious people wanting tx star i could probably get 1 gallon pups shipped to their door for $25 ..you get exactly what you want.their minimum shipping cost is $20.00 no matter what you order.

there will probably be people thinking im making a profit from this?

remember i do have to drive there,watch them get the pup from the mat,and plus ship your stuff to you.this would definately be a one time offer.. :bananas_b

Hopefully when you go there one of the hott chicks (possibly in a bikini) from the Ty Ty web site pics handles your order.

On a serious note it would be cool to see some "actual" pictures of the place.

:nanadrink:

musaboru
05-24-2009, 10:47 AM
Hopefully when you go there one of the hott chicks (possibly in a bikini) from the Ty Ty web site pics handles your order.

On a serious note it would be cool to see some "actual" pictures of the place.

:nanadrink:

I wonder if TyTy would give Ronald a discount if he (or anyone of us) poses as a model in a bikini for their website. :goteam:

Rmplmnz
05-24-2009, 10:55 AM
I wonder if TyTy would give Ronald a discount if he (or anyone of us) poses as a model in a bikini for their website. :goteam:

Ha ha..that might result in a price Increase....

Jack Daw
05-24-2009, 01:28 PM
I wonder how they decide who to rip off and who to impress? Either way, well done to you!
Maybe they just read this forum, find out how and when you order, and depending on what you wrote about them, they will send you the plants. :D ;)

ron_mcb
05-26-2009, 07:03 PM
if you are reading this thread after o5/26 10:00 e.s.t. then you will be too late to request anything. for all the people who p.m.ed me about the tx star i will do everything in my power to satisfy your request. thanks.

:nanadrink:

supermario
06-16-2009, 07:13 AM
Update?.. Did you get to go by the nursery Ron?

harveyc
06-16-2009, 08:59 AM
Update?.. Did you get to go by the nursery Ron?

See the discussion Ron started at http://www.bananas.org/f2/reliable-source-texas-star-8172.html

In short, he went there and things were a mess.

7abZoner
06-16-2009, 03:43 PM
Good luck with your Texas Star bananas! I ordered some from TyTy years ago and they turned out to be M. Ornata. They did survive several Zone 8 winters with protection but the ones I left in the ground perished this winter in a true Zone 7 winter.

My orders came from TyTy in a timely maner too.

RayS
03-13-2011, 01:53 PM
So what happened with the Texas Stars?

ron_mcb
03-13-2011, 05:37 PM
So what happened with the Texas Stars?

well to sum up things without stirring up anything.. it's good to be careful of who you deal with. this applies to buying or trading.. an honest person will at least own up to or offer to make good on mistakes.

sunfish
03-13-2011, 07:36 PM
I have 2 Texas Star ? The problem is there's no pic's of this plants flower or fruit.So if mine fruit and turn out to be Orinoco ,did I not get Texas Star or is there no such thing ?
Are there any Photo's of this plant ?

sunfish
03-13-2011, 07:46 PM
Texas Star - Banana tree Banana Plants Texas Star Banana tree grows 6-8 ft. tall with tasty, medium size fruit, and produces a sweet flavor. The original trees of the Texas Star banana were obtained from Central Texas. Cold hardy. Approx. 10" to 12" plant with leaves and soil shipped.

TS5 21.95 11.95

chong
03-14-2011, 11:24 PM
So what happened with the Texas Stars?

well to sum up things without stirring up anything.. it's good to be careful of who you deal with. this applies to buying or trading.. an honest person will at least own up to or offer to make good on mistakes.

The Texas Stars that I received from Ty Ty survived the first winter in my unheated greenhouse and in fact did better than the CA Gold that I got from Joe Real. The CA Gold survived as well, just that it died down to the corm and did not resprout that following Spring. The TX Star grew to over 4 ft. before the onset of Winter. Meanwhile, before chucking the corm of the CA Gold, I removed it from its soil and noticed a couple of white spots on opposite sides of the corm. I promptly cleaned it and dried it out before putting it in a mixture of pumice and water gel. After several months, the white spots developed into 2 pups that grew to over a foot each.

The TX Stars, in the meantime remained at the under 5 ft height into the following Winter, and turned brown as the weather got colder. So did my 5 year old Dwarf Orinoco and D. Brazilian that were trailing it in height. I just left them as they were and withheld watering, thinking that it might go into hybernation. That same Winter, I kept the CA Gold indoors and the pups stayed green. As fate would have it, I lost my job and was pre-occupied in job hunting that I neglected my plants. So by the folowing Spring, I had lost most of my plants, including many bananas. The TX Stars, D. Orinoco, D. Brazilians, even the Thomsonii and CA Hardy (it was over 4 ft tall), were just a hole in their respective pots.

The CA Gold was doing great when I moved it to Richland, WA where I'm currently working, but last Summer I slowly placed it to more sunny spot and all the leaves burned frjom the intense Richland sunshine. I brought it back to its original shady spot and they re grew new leaves.

In November last year, the plants ithat I brought with me in Richland were taken indoors in my living room. All this Winter, the CA Gold did great until two months ago, it was infested with spider mites, and they almost whithered away. Several other bananas were infested as well, and in fact died. The 2 CA Golds are still struggling but I think that they will survive.

I had several banana varieties that were left behind in my home in Seattle, and for a while all were doing great. When the temps dipped in the single digits, all but the TyTy Gold that I got from Richard and one !000 Fingers died. Both are indoors in my house in Seattle and are sporting new leaves.

If my work situation becomes more stable, and I can complete my home project in Seattle, I will definitely order several corms of TX Stars from TyTy. That time will probably come when I'm close to retirement. If only I could have retired a couple of years ago. ( Sigh!)

Hope Harvey can give an update on how his TX Stars are doing.

Also, big thanks to Tony for his update. Hope he can get some bloom/fruit this year! Did you get yours from Ty Ty or TX? I tried emailing the source from TX several years ago, but she never responded.

sunfish
03-14-2011, 11:37 PM
The Texas Stars that I received from Ty Ty survived the first winter in my unheated greenhouse and in fact did better than the CA Gold that I got from Joe Real. The CA Gold survived as well, just that it died down to the corm and did not resprout that following Spring. The TX Star grew to over 4 ft. before the onset of Winter. Meanwhile, before chucking the corm of the CA Gold, I removed it from its soil and noticed a couple of white spots on opposite sides of the corm. I promptly cleaned it and dried it out before putting it in a mixture of pumice and water gel. After several months, the white spots developed into 2 pups that grew to over a foot each.

The TX Stars, in the meantime remained at the under 5 ft height into the following Winter, and turned brown as the weather got colder. So did my 5 year old Dwarf Orinoco and D. Brazilian that were trailing it in height. I just left them as they were and withheld watering, thinking that it might go into hybernation. That same Winter, I kept the CA Gold indoors and the pups stayed green. As fate would have it, I lost my job and was pre-occupied in job hunting that I neglected my plants. So by the folowing Spring, I had lost most of my plants, including many bananas. The TX Stars, D. Orinoco, D. Brazilians, even the Thomsonii and CA Hardy (it was over 4 ft tall), were just a hole in their respective pots.

The CA Gold was doing great when I moved it to Richland, WA where I'm currently working, but last Summer I slowly placed it to more sunny spot and all the leaves burned frjom the intense Richland sunshine. I brought it back to its original shady spot and they re grew new leaves.

In November last year, the plants ithat I brought with me in Richland were taken indoors in my living room. All this Winter, the CA Gold did great until two months ago, it was infested with spider mites, and they almost whithered away. Several other bananas were infested as well, and in fact died. The 2 CA Golds are still struggling but I think that they will survive.

I had several banana varieties that were left behind in my home in Seattle, and for a while all were doing great. When the temps dipped in the single digits, all but the TyTy Gold that I got from Richard and one !000 Fingers died. Both are indoors in my house in Seattle and are sporting new leaves.

If my work situation becomes more stable, and I can complete my home project in Seattle, I will definitely order several corms of TX Stars from TyTy. That time will probably come when I'm close to retirement. If only I could have retired a couple of years ago. ( Sigh!)

Hope Harvey can give an update on how his TX Stars are doing.

Also, big thanks to Tony for his update. Hope he can get some bloom/fruit this year! Did you get yours from Ty Ty or TX? I tried emailing the source from TX several years ago, but she never responded.

Check this out.

Banana Trees Banana Plants (http://www.greenhousebusiness.com/bananaplants.html)

chong
03-16-2011, 12:29 AM
Check this out.

Banana Trees Banana Plants (http://www.greenhousebusiness.com/bananaplants.html)

Thanks, Tony. It looks like they're selling TC'd plants. But without quoting their source, it's just another Dwarf Orinoco. In the past, they've advertised the D. Orinoco as "sometimes called the 'Texas Star' or the 'CA Gold'. . . . " I notice that they've discontinued selling the D. Orinoco. I also notice that they're also selling CA Gold at cut rate prices. Hope that's not another D. Orinoco TC packaged as CA Gold. It would be nice if it's at least a TC of the actual CA Gold.

I bought their Greenhouse Business book, and I didn't find anything new in it. I'm not complaining. They're practicing what they preach.

I really know of only two sources of TX Star - GA and TX. Unless GB got their stock from either source and TC'd them, I will be skeptical as to whether it's the same as the one from Ty Ty.

Harvey got several pups of TX Star from a grower from UT after I posted his pictures here. The grower indicated that he got his stock from TyTy.

Thanks again.

sunfish
03-16-2011, 02:54 PM
Thanks, Tony. It looks like they're selling TC'd plants. But without quoting their source, it's just another Dwarf Orinoco. In the past, they've advertised the D. Orinoco as "sometimes called the 'Texas Star' or the 'CA Gold'. . . . " I notice that they've discontinued selling the D. Orinoco. I also notice that they're also selling CA Gold at cut rate prices. Hope that's not another D. Orinoco TC packaged as CA Gold. It would be nice if it's at least a TC of the actual CA Gold.

I bought their Greenhouse Business book, and I didn't find anything new in it. I'm not complaining. They're practicing what they preach.

I really know of only two sources of TX Star - GA and TX. Unless GB got their stock from either source and TC'd them, I will be skeptical as to whether it's the same as the one from Ty Ty.

Harvey got several pups of TX Star from a grower from UT after I posted his pictures here. The grower indicated that he got his stock from TyTy.

Thanks again.

My thoughts exactly. He has said in the past that Texas Star and C.G. is orinoco.I think if these were tc of T.S. and C.G. he would ask a higher price.

chong
03-16-2011, 03:39 PM
My thoughts exactly. He has said in the past that Texas Star and C.G. is orinoco.I think if these were tc of T.S. and C.G. he would ask a higher price.

But, by golly, I'm just tempted to order a few in the hope that they're the real McCoy! From what I've seen of the pictures of the fruit from Ty Ty and TX, tlhey look very similar to the D. Orinoco and CA Gold. But then so does the D. Brazilian. There may be differences in taste though. I will need to try all of them to tell for sure.

Thanks again, Tony.

sunfish
03-16-2011, 04:26 PM
Here is what I have as Texas Star.6' p-stem.May bloom this year

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=40822&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=40822&ppuser=2868)

gander54
03-16-2011, 08:22 PM
Guys..before I say anything, I am assuming this is the site you are discussing(http://www.tytyga.com) I am sorry, but I am SHOCKED that anyone would buy anything from Ty Ty Nursery. That site had me reeling in laughter when I stumbled upon it one day. I actually called a friend of mine at work and made him look for the site so we could laugh at it together.

The site features bunches of poorly photoshopped pics of models and fruit trees. In the banana page.. If you scroll down, you'll see a banana bunch photoshopped right next to some guy's package in his little yellow swim underwear!! LMAO!!!! The home page had some lady in her bra staring out to nowhere in front of a bowl of persimons. My absolute favorite though...was in the shade trees section. I just checked and they seem to have removed the pic, but it was a picture of some half naked guy with a christmas hat on..in this same pic, there is some sort of leaf photoshopped to cover his croch area.. AND he is smiling and pointing towards that area. Did they get that pic from playgirl or something?? LMAO!! You owe it to yourself to browse this site once, just do as I do and don't take them seriously. They seem to have toned it down a bit, so it may not be quite as rediculous as when I first stumbled on it.

If you want bananas...go to a serious site that focuses on their plants and service as opposed to making their site look more like a brothel than a nursery. - Welcome to Going Bananas of Homestead, Florida! (http://www.going-bananas.com) - is my #1 choice. If you want other tropicals as well as bananas...try the pine island nursery(also in FL) - Pine Island Nursery, Tropical fruit trees, akee, all spice, ambarella, annona, avocado, cherry, bay leaf, black pepper, caimito, canistel, carambola, cashew, coconut, coffee, curry leaf, grumichama, guava, jaboticaba, jakfruit, longan, loquat, lychee (http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com)


:0519:
Their adds used to be a lot more risque" than they are now. I did order from them couple of years ago spent way more than 200. I bought 3 varieties of Bamboo and I dont even remember how many varieties of bananas. I dont have any of the bananas and I only have 2 of the bamboos and one is not what I ordered. The bananas did not grow for me but that is the first time in years that my old bananas barely grew also. We have been having summer droughts for the last few years and this is not so normal in this area. Now the bananas did not die they just never go over a foot high.

mewdeeone
05-07-2011, 07:43 PM
But, by golly, I'm just tempted to order a few in the hope that they're the real McCoy! From what I've seen of the pictures of the fruit from Ty Ty and TX, tlhey look very similar to the D. Orinoco and CA Gold. But then so does the D. Brazilian. There may be differences in taste though. I will need to try all of them to tell for sure.

Thanks again, Tony.

Ty Ty Nursery has literally NOTHING on site. Everything is drop-shipped. They have a 6 acre lot down in Tifton, GA and from what I understand, it's horribly disorganized, they are as rude as they can possibly be, and heck...I posted a comment about them on pissedconsumer.com and I'm currently being SUED BY THE OWNER OF TY TY in Federal Court out of Valdosta (I'm so worried..can't you tell). I've spoken with previous employees and the work conditions are HORRIBLE. The owner CLAIMS to be a grad of Clemson Univ. but conveniently, the alumni office can find nothing on him. DO YOUR RESEARCH before ever ordering from an online company. The website might be spectacular because there's a tech school down the street with students who need side jobs. There are MULTITUDES of websites where you can screen complaints, etc. The BBB is also a good avenue. Trust me..if a plant can be drop-shipped for Ty Ty, it can also be sent directly to YOU. I have YET to want a plant that I can't get my hands on that Ty Ty can. He has purchased multitudes of Google Ad Words so his ads come up first...it's a shame he had to do that, but if he relied on word-of-mouth, he'd be bankrupt.