View Full Version : Time to cut fruit? I'm afraid to..
It's been too long since I've been here. Hope everyones banana's are staying warm.
My bananas are looking pretty full and filled out. The plant first bloomed August 4th. I'm in southern cal by the beach and the nights are pretty cool right now. Should I cut them and bring them in? I just hesitate because I don't want to ruin the whole bunch if they are not ready.
This is my first harvest.
Jen
Congrats Jen!:woohoonaner: I am interested in seeing replys and hoping I face the same dillema some day!:goteam:
island cassie
12-06-2008, 08:21 PM
Hi Jen
I reckon on about 4 months for a bunch to ripen from the first fruit appearing, so yours must be be nearly ready now regardless of the variety. I would cut them now and bring them in as they must be very nearly ripe! Congratulations and good luck!
momoese
12-06-2008, 08:59 PM
It's been too long since I've been here. Hope everyones banana's are staying warm.
My bananas are looking pretty full and filled out. The plant first bloomed August 4th. I'm in southern cal by the beach and the nights are pretty cool right now. Should I cut them and bring them in? I just hesitate because I don't want to ruin the whole bunch if they are not ready.
This is my first harvest.
Jen
Jen, I'm in West LA so our temps are pretty much the same. Unless we are going to have a frost leave them on until some start turning yellow. In my garden it takes 6-7 months from the time the first fruit develops.
island cassie
12-06-2008, 09:02 PM
Wow Mitchell - 6 to 7 months??
momoese
12-06-2008, 09:24 PM
Wow Mitchell - 6 to 7 months??
I don't think anything has ripened on the plant in my garden in less than 6 months. The reds seem to take way longer. I know Pitangadiego also has the same time frame and he is 2 hours south of me in San Diego. He also uses different growing methods than I do. I'm totally organic here.
I know I could cut them before they turn yellow on the plant and they would still ripen, but I like the feeling of picking ripe fruit from the garden, and I think they taste better!
pitangadiego
12-06-2008, 09:54 PM
Do no pick them. If you want to vut the top hand off and bring them indoors and see whether they will ripen up, fine. I never pick anything before 6 months.
island cassie
12-07-2008, 05:03 PM
Well it must be down to temperature then Mitchell. My dwarf cavendish and tall red are ripe on the plant in three and a half months, and the orinoco take four months.
momoese
12-07-2008, 08:04 PM
Well it must be down to temperature then Mitchell. My dwarf cavendish and tall red are ripe on the plant in three and a half months, and the orinoco take four months.
Jeez, I wish they would ripen that fast here!
Okay, thanks. I will just leave them for a couple more months. I just felt like it was getting so cold at night I thought it might ruin them and although it's only been four months...it's been four months! I'm excited and feel like I have invested time and energy and I would be so disapointed if I left them out in the cold and it hurt them. I will wait a couple more months I guess. I know John knows what he is talking about and my climate is close to his so I will do as I'm told. :) Thanks as always.
Jen
Nicolas Naranja
12-08-2008, 10:15 PM
I know it feels like someone left the fridge door open down here in south Florida. It got cool early and the nights have been in the 50s and the days have been in the 70s and everything has slowed way down. Up until October I was harvesting frequently, and now I am in a state of suspended animation with these finicky dwarf cavendish. It's normally 4-5 months here but now I don't even know.
pitangadiego
12-09-2008, 12:45 AM
Momese. places that ripen bananas in 3 months have really big bugs.
momoese
12-09-2008, 10:02 AM
Momese. places that ripen bananas in 3 months have really big bugs.
Not only big, but with wings too. :eek:
pitangadiego
12-09-2008, 02:15 PM
And a LOT of friends and relatives.
paradisi
12-10-2008, 05:33 PM
It's been too long since I've been here. Hope everyones banana's are staying warm.
My bananas are looking pretty full and filled out. The plant first bloomed August 4th. I'm in southern cal by the beach and the nights are pretty cool right now. Should I cut them and bring them in? I just hesitate because I don't want to ruin the whole bunch if they are not ready.
This is my first harvest.
Jen
I had to cut some lady fingers two months before they were due to be ripe - they were about half grown - - took a while but all the small bananas ripened under my pergola and covered with plastic.
do you get frosts? watch out for frosts coming if you leave them on the plant
MediaHound
12-10-2008, 06:40 PM
Amazing that we all still learn so much about bananas all the time... everyone has different experiences.
The advice Pitangadiego gave about picking the top hand is very good advice.
momoese
12-10-2008, 07:05 PM
Just in case you can't wait, I can asure you they will ripen at any stage. Here is proof positive. The penny is for scale.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=14780&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=14780&ppuser=42)
harveyc
12-11-2008, 12:44 AM
I've still got 3 bunches of fruit on my plants. I'm not certain what any of them are but the first two that bloomed are very angular type fruit and don't seem to be filling out at all. The one that bloomed last back in September has small fruit about four inches long that are nice and round. I cut one finger of each a few days ago to see what happens. I've got them in a plastic bag with an apple. It might be my imagination, but I believe the small one is turning color. I had my first frost this morning but am still not giving up yet. All of my bunches are covered with plastic bags. It's encouraging to see your fruit ripened, Mitchel!
Harvey
island cassie
12-12-2008, 11:44 PM
Pitangodieso, momese - we have no problems here with bugs!!
Patty in Wisc
12-13-2008, 02:36 AM
Cassie, they are referring to Tog Tan's post on planting his 100(s) of nanas. He is wearing shorts & we are freezing here in north, so Pitangadiego said something about him putting up with big bugs in trade of the warmth there LOL. So, do we want cold air or warmth w/ big bugs!? (I hear there are bigger bugs in the tropics!)
island cassie
12-14-2008, 11:48 AM
Haha! I need to get a grip!
modenacart
12-15-2008, 07:36 PM
Do no pick them. If you want to vut the top hand off and bring them indoors and see whether they will ripen up, fine. I never pick anything before 6 months.
I wish I had that option. I had to cut mine after about 3.5 months.
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