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View Full Version : TTP, Fred's post-Ike report


TTP, Fred
09-14-2008, 08:32 AM
I'm lucky. We live just west of Houston (in Katy, actually), and my neighborhood escaped much of the damage from Ike. All our utilities are buried, and there aren't many large, established trees, so we didn't lose power or water like other areas.

I've posted photos on my photo gallery, so you can see before and after.

If you remember, I built some PVC supports for my Ice Cream bananas, and I was thinking that I'd start taking bananas from them in about a month. With Ike coming, there was no way I was going to leave PVC poles out in the yard with the propensity of becoming 70 mph projectiles at 3:00am, so I removed the poles. One Ice Cream started tilting immediately, so I gently lowered her to the ground and let the others stand as they were.

When I peeked out the windows at 2:30am, I'd lost the tallest Ice Cream...the one I though would be putting out a flag any week now. I'm really surprised that one Ice Cream plant with bananas stayed upright and virtually intact. A close inspection (which is easier to do with fewer leaves in the way) revealed one banana finger turning yellow...great sign!!

Post-Ike, I've cleaned up the area a bit and propped the downed banana so the bananas aren't resting on the ground. I also cut the three oldest fingers off and put them in a bag to see if they will ripen. I think the Zebrina bananaman88 may be lost...it is tilted due to debris and limbs hitting it, but I'll try to nurse it back.

Simply Bananas
09-14-2008, 08:55 AM
Glad ya'll are ok out there. Good luck with the clean up. Sorry to hear about the lost nanners, but they will be back next year.

Lots of good cheap/free mulch to be had. Keep an eye out for it.

Kylie2x
09-14-2008, 09:31 AM
Fred if lost your Zebrina I will gladly send you a replacement for it...Glad to hear you are safe..
Kylie:bananas_b

Richard
09-14-2008, 09:58 AM
Thanks for the update, and I wish all your plants a speedy recovery.
:)

Taylor
09-14-2008, 11:42 AM
I'm glad you made through Ike easy Fred! My aunt actually lives in Katy, she just moved there. I will PM you and ask a favor...

All she had was a broken down fence and some branches down. She said her power flickered, but it stayed on all of the night.

Kenzie_POM
09-14-2008, 11:58 AM
Hey Fred,

Glad you are safe. I have been to Katy TX. myself. Did some work at a physical rehab hospital there. Beautiful part of the country. Still is.

Take care.

mskitty38583
09-14-2008, 11:19 PM
glad that you are safe and that you have a yellow nana. congrats!!!!:woohoonaner:

Bananaman88
09-16-2008, 12:40 PM
Fred,

Glad you made it through OK. I was wondering how you fared. Let me know if the zebrina doesn't make it. I have plenty more where that one came from!

If your Ice Cream didn't completely snap, try leaving them attached if you can indeed keep the fruit off the ground. Others have posted here stating that they've had their fruit go ahead and ripen as long as the pseudostem is still able to conduct water and nutrients up the stem somewhat. If you've already found one fruit starting to turn yellow, the rest of the bunch won't be far behind.

TTP, Fred
09-16-2008, 05:18 PM
bananaman88,

Check out my "After Ike" photo album. I can't believe one plant with bananas made it through with only losing some leaves. The other one, I gently lowered to the ground, then the next day I propped her up a little onto my deck and put a plastic garden hose container under the bananas so they'd remain off the ground. She's still connected to the corm, so that's good.