View Full Version : Bananas in Berkeley, California?
Anna Banana
10-28-2008, 04:48 PM
I was looking for a childcare organization named Bananas and found you all. Hello!
I have a small fruit & vegetable filled urban garden in Berkeley California. Are there really banana varieties that will bear edible fruit here in this Mediterranean climate???!!! Do tell.
bepah
10-28-2008, 04:56 PM
The number of cold hardy bananas that bear fruit in out area is very large. Stick around and you will find out how many and how to do it!
Welcome aboard!
buzzwinder
10-28-2008, 05:10 PM
Welcome to the Org. Anna !!:bananas_b
Welcome Anna. Zone 9 -10 I wish.
chong
10-28-2008, 09:03 PM
I was looking for a childcare organization named Bananas and found you all. Hello!
I have a small fruit & vegetable filled urban garden in Berkeley California. Are there really banana varieties that will bear edible fruit here in this Mediterranean climate???!!! Do tell.
Welcome Anna!
Try these bananas: CA Gold, CA Hardy, Dwarf Orinoco, Dwarf Brazilian, Thousand Fingers, Saba, Praying Hands, Dwarf Cavendish, Raja Puri, Pitogo, etc.
Good luck.
Chong
MediaHound
10-28-2008, 11:05 PM
Hi Anna, welcome aboard! Make yourself at home!
Tog Tan
10-29-2008, 09:18 AM
Hi Anna, welcome to the .org!
hydrojeff
10-29-2008, 09:42 AM
careful of these people Anna, they will have you dreaming of nanas, lol. they are a great group of super friendly folks......have fun here!!!!
Anna Banana
10-29-2008, 10:09 AM
Thanks, everyone, for the welcome. And to you, Jeff, for the warning. :ha:
Chong, thanks for the list of possibilities. (CA Gold, CA Hardy, Dwarf Orinoco, Dwarf Brazilian, Thousand Fingers, Saba, Praying Hands, Dwarf Cavendish, Raja Puri, Pitogo)
Opinions, anyone, about which of the above (or some other) would be best for these specific conditions:
1. Heavy clay soil. I amend the soil in the area where I plant anything but within a few feet the prevailing clay inhibits drainage.
2. Typical summer high temp: 75 degrees F. Low: 60 degrees. Up to 80 or 90 for a few days in *October*.
3. Typical winter low temp: 45 degrees F. High: 65 degrees. Down to light freeze once or twice a year.
4. No rain except maybe a few drops late April to mid-November. I water our peach, apple and persimmon trees, grape & olalla berry vines, blueberries & strawberries only when the fruit needs it. The plants themselves have to be able to tolerate almost continuous drought.
bepah
10-29-2008, 11:07 AM
Thanks, everyone, for the welcome. And to you, Jeff, for the warning. :ha:
Chong, thanks for the list of possibilities. (CA Gold, CA Hardy, Dwarf Orinoco, Dwarf Brazilian, Thousand Fingers, Saba, Praying Hands, Dwarf Cavendish, Raja Puri, Pitogo)
Opinions, anyone, about which of the above (or some other) would be best for these specific conditions:
1. Heavy clay soil. I amend the soil in the area where I plant anything but within a few feet the prevailing clay inhibits drainage.
2. Typical summer high temp: 75 degrees F. Low: 60 degrees. Up to 80 or 90 for a few days in *October*.
3. Typical winter low temp: 45 degrees F. High: 65 degrees. Down to light freeze once or twice a year.
4. No rain except maybe a few drops late April to mid-November. I water our peach, apple and persimmon trees, grape & olalla berry vines, blueberries & strawberries only when the fruit needs it. The plants themselves have to be able to tolerate almost continuous drought.
No problem until #4. Bananas do require more water than fruit trees. They are an herb and is very vegetative and use a lot of water. While they do not, as a rule, thrive in wet feet, they do like it moist.
frog7994
10-29-2008, 11:42 AM
Welcome aboard and hope you fine some Bananas to grow in you neighborhood.
harveyc
11-06-2008, 12:30 AM
Anna, welcome. I'm in the delta. As John says, you need to plan to water any banana you've got quite a bit. Your summertime highs might also make it tough to ripen fruit, though Benny in Salinas is trying and he's got it rougher than you.
Some member of the Santa Clara Valley California Rare Fruit Growers just yesterday posted free pups available for digging but she already had many takers. Among the list included California Gold which is known to get quite expensive when sold on eBay!
Good luck,
Harvey
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