View Full Version : 12 1/2ft potted Ice Cream doing great!*****NEW PICS!!!!!!
Patty in Wisc
02-19-2009, 05:38 PM
I dug it up last Oct when they called for frost at night. It's in a 30 gal pot with mostly peat & lots of perlite (actually I cheated & bought M.G. potting mix & added perlite) & now has 2 pups that are taking off. They weren't there last Oct. It's 6th leaf since is almost 2ft. I fert'd last Nov & it took so well I fert every week or 2 w/ banana fuel. Roots are more than twice as big - pot is about rootbound!
I grew this (& another IC) from tiny 2 inch TC's since June '06 & it's now 12 1/2 ft to top. I gave it to my fiancee's son for Christmas present '07, so last year I planted it there in May & put a big red bow on it & surprised him. Well, guess who took care of it all year??? And, guess who brags about it all the time???? LOL (he's 25 - brings ppl over all the time to see his banana "tree")
It's the talk of the town & will be moreso this summer. I sure am hoping it will flower early this summer! I figure with this being the 4th summer & I think on its 27-30th leaf, there's a good chance. My fiancee's L.R. ceiling is about 20 ft. so we may have to drag it back inside in fall.
My other one is now smaller because it's at my house in cold sunroom.
(He proposed a year ago & we are commuting...I'm still remodeling my house LOL) Mine here hasn't sprouted ONE leaf since Oct!! It is potted but mostly dormant.
I will take pics & post them by Monday. Can't wait for y'all to see it!!!
BTW, this has really been the only excitement around here all winter. Can't wait for SPRING :woohoonaner:
Oh yeah, in '06 my friends & neighbors thought I was nuts for trying & friends down south said I'll never get nannas this far north. We'll see!!!
r3tic
02-19-2009, 05:56 PM
glad you are getting good results....got pics???
stumpy4700
02-19-2009, 05:57 PM
Envy, Envy, Envy,Envy.............look forward to the pics :lurk:
Chironex
02-19-2009, 06:54 PM
That's fantastic Patty! I want to see pics of their faces when you hand them fruit from your Wisconsin-Grown banana plant. Looking forward to seeing your first post with a photo of its blossom.
sirmoebly
02-19-2009, 07:04 PM
We want pictures!!!!!!!:woohoonaner:
Patty in Wisc
02-19-2009, 07:12 PM
I will take pics & post them by Monday. Can't wait for y'all to see it!!!
:woohoonaner:
Scot, you bet I will take pics of ppl being handed a Wisconsin grown nana!! Lots of pics from now till they're all gone.
You're all invited over for banana daiqairis.
Patty in Wisc
02-24-2009, 11:06 PM
FINALLY got some pics last couple days from Mike's Living room/ great room.
Pic from loft looking down. That's snow on ground & deck.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/Patty_in_Wisc/nana3.jpg
Ooops, timer lights just went on. The "boys" really aren't midgets LOL (6ft)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/Patty_in_Wisc/nana2-23.jpg
Ceiling is really 16-18ft although the "boys" meaured it at 20 LOL
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/Patty_in_Wisc/nana22-23.jpg
That 6th leaf grew almost in front of my eyes & started unfurling in a matter of hours.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/Patty_in_Wisc/nana4.jpg
Still enough room for it to grow towards ceiling
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/Patty_in_Wisc/nana6.jpg
Pot is 24" wide & about 18" H. Base of plant is about 8" diameter & has 2 small pups
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/Patty_in_Wisc/nana5.jpg
Sorry about the picture quality.
buzzwinder
02-24-2009, 11:51 PM
GREAT looking plant Patty, and in Millwaukee no less, Hope you get fruit this summer!!!!! :bananas_b
r3tic
02-25-2009, 12:57 AM
looks great!
Christine1950
02-28-2009, 09:41 AM
She's a beauty
Christine
Dalmatiansoap
02-28-2009, 01:49 PM
Wow,
Thats a plant
:woohoonaner:
Tog Tan
02-28-2009, 01:51 PM
Patty, I am so amazed by the plant in the house. Great job. :02:
Wow Patty!!! If the "boys" get 3 more freinds and a case of beer you might get it outside this summer!! I hope we see pictures of fruit in the fall.
stumpy4700
02-28-2009, 03:17 PM
I figured out your secret..How much TV do you let it watch per night?:lurk:
Patty in Wisc
02-28-2009, 05:59 PM
Wow, thanks gang! So nice that you are happy for me!
Here's my plan to move it. Lay tarp on floor... tip pot over & get most soil off roots (so it's not so heavy). Wrap root ball & drag it out door - being careful of leaves. Roll it into skidster bucket & drive it to spot in yard. Big hole dug with good soil in & around. Put strong straps along bottom of hole & out onto ground. Roll plant off skidster & drop into hole & fill with soil. That won't be so hard but, getting it out in fall will be!! That's why straps under roots. If it flowers late, dig around plant, get skidster bucket under roots & using that & straps, lift it out. Then, wrap rootball & reverse the planting.
Drag in house etc. It will take a case of beer (yeah Bob!) & couple more guys to lift plant & I'll guide it back into pot. Those nanas will be tasting REAL GOOD after all this LOL.
I told the "boys" not to get their hopes up... it might only get 10 nanas. Hey, I showed them pics here of bunches with at least 100 fingers on so I don't want them to be disappointed if this doesn't do same.
I'll take pics of us moving it out. Should be like watching the 3 stooges LOL
Taylor
02-28-2009, 06:30 PM
What an awesome houseplant! Can't wait until it blooms!
Worm_Farmer
02-28-2009, 08:17 PM
I hope you get lots of fruit from it! It looks really nice, the trunk on mine seems to be on the brown side compaied to how yours is looking. And Full of leafs! I really like the look of the leafs when they are not all ripped up, mine gets very tore up from all the wind.
hammer
02-28-2009, 08:29 PM
awsome tree look forward to some pics this summer
Patty in Wisc
03-10-2009, 03:02 AM
Mike, if you noticed the lower leaves are torn up from last summer LOL
Today I got a ladder out & climbed up to see if new leaf was growing out & I noticed aphids or spidermites webbings in almost all leaves. I fixed a spray bottle of dish soap & hot water & went up ladder to spray & all of a sudden the TV went out. Mike (sick w/ flu on couch) said tv is out. I came down ladder to play w/remote & it wouldn't work the box.
What happened was, some water ran off a leaf & into the top of box & zapped it out. DISH ppl will be here Wed. but we won'tt tell them water got in box. No TV till then. I even have a converter box & hooked that up for local channels but it won't pick up any channels during scan.
Yes, I hooked it up right to the cable & to dish antennae.
This nana is costing me!!
Taylor
03-10-2009, 02:37 PM
Transpiration! Or was it the soapy water?
Patty in Wisc
03-10-2009, 06:13 PM
Soapy water. I should have known better...one leaf was hanging above the box. Duh
buzzwinder
03-10-2009, 07:02 PM
Sorry to hear about the digital box Patty, that bites, but more importantly, did ya get the buggers on the plant?:bananas_b
austinl01
03-10-2009, 07:45 PM
I'm sorry to hear about the satellite box, but I'm sure it will be worth it when you're munching on some ice cream bananas in the near future! :)
Patty in Wisc
03-10-2009, 10:19 PM
I got the buggers Bill!!!!! I sprayed again today to make sure. This time I covered the box. We just switched to this dish in Jan. so it's under their warranty.
To the repair guy I'll just say "honest, no one dripped water in the box HONEST!!! Water did not drip on there when I sprayed those leaves -HONEST!"
buzzwinder
03-10-2009, 10:25 PM
:ha:
Patty in Wisc
03-11-2009, 12:29 AM
Sounds like a good dumb blonde joke to give to Howards' thread! LOL:)
Jack Daw
07-24-2009, 08:34 AM
OU, last post was such a looooong time ago. Patty, please, keep your post alive, post some pics!
Has the Monsternana fruited yet?
Patty in Wisc
07-24-2009, 09:54 AM
Poor thing is still struggling since the move outdoors. It only has 3 leaves (another coming) & the last one fell over after it unfurled. The pstem is thinner from leafstems dying back. I think we did some damage to the stem when moving it. The guys said they heard somethin "crack" when we carried it out the door. I posted pics of it in another thread when all the leaves fell. But, I won't give up:)
cowboyup4christ
07-24-2009, 10:21 AM
the converter box won't pick up from the dish antenna try hooking a ota antenna, like rabbit ears etc to it should work.
Dalmatiansoap
07-24-2009, 06:47 PM
Poor thing is still struggling since the move outdoors. It only has 3 leaves (another coming) & the last one fell over after it unfurled. The pstem is thinner from leafstems dying back. I think we did some damage to the stem when moving it. The guys said they heard somethin "crack" when we carried it out the door. I posted pics of it in another thread when all the leaves fell. But, I won't give up:)
Never give up Patty!!!
Show that Slovenian spirit
:woohoonaner:
alexizhere19
07-24-2009, 07:41 PM
Its still alive, and to think it tried so hard to be put out of its misery, only to have you save. poor thing.
LOL
hope it does well patty
alex
LilRaverBoi
07-24-2009, 10:57 PM
Okay...well since I uploaded new pics today, I'll share the progress of my Ice Cream (and hopefully it will inspire Patty to upload some pics!). Mine isn't nearly as big as Patty's, but it's growing fast!
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18440&size=1
Here's it a month ago.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=19822&size=1
And here's it today. Looks like a different plant, huh? Fertilizer...you are my friend!!
harveyc
07-24-2009, 11:32 PM
Patty, is this the latest thread on your Ice Cream? How's it doing now???
Patty in Wisc
07-24-2009, 11:40 PM
Thanks Peeps, all my other naners are doing great. Here's the link to that other thread where I took pics of it. It grew a few more leaves since but they fell & turned brown so I cut them off. It now has only 3 leaves.
http://www.bananas.org/f311/need-large-pot-asap-7754-3.html
It's prolly gonna get healthy & take off by September LOL.
I loved Tog's comments BTW:)
Patty in Wisc
07-24-2009, 11:43 PM
No Harvey, this is an older thread when it was growing gangbusters. I just posted the link to newer thread where I moved it outside & it went poo poo.
Jack Daw
07-25-2009, 05:49 AM
Patty, when did you take the plant out (month and time of the year)? Furthermore, did it's laves suffer burning from the sun or much higher humidity? Or was it P-stem damage related?
Your answers could help me with early spring banana planting preparation.
Thanks.
Patty in Wisc
07-25-2009, 11:43 AM
Hi Jack, I took the plant out first wkend in May which is usually about when I plant my garden. It was just an unusually cold damp month. We carted it out on a dolly (bareroot & out of pot) & repotted in 65 gal pot on North side of house to acclimate it to outdoors. It was very sunny & windy that day & it caught the afternoon direct sun. I tried covering it with sheets. I don't know if it was that or if something happened to the Pstem - as the boys said they heard something 'crack'. I don't know how it could've cracked or bent the Pstem being on a dolly (?) & it seemed strong.
It was a dilemna...it was healthy inside except the last 2 leaves came out small because it was rootbound. I thought it had to go into a big pot SOON, but now I woulda left it in the 30 gal a little longer - esp if I knew what the weather would be that month.
We had frost couple times so we covered it, & other plants, we carted into garage.
As long as it's putting out new leaves (slow but sure), I'll keep it around.
Hope this helps:)
Patty, it sounds like the p- stem was damaged but it's so big you cant see where the damage is. Did you try feeling all around the p-stem and see if there's something that would be where it cracked?
Patty in Wisc
07-25-2009, 03:05 PM
Yes I did Bob. Can't feel anything, but the leaf stems going down to base were getting mushy & pulling away from Pstem. When they turned brown I cut them off going further & further down which is why the stem is skinnier. That is getting better - not pulling away so much. I feel like cutting it back which is what I shoulda done but I thought there might be a flower trying to push out.
Anyone else do damage to Pstem when moving? Hey Frank, you moved some big plants around. Anything like this happen to yours?
Taylor
07-25-2009, 05:38 PM
:pics:
Patty in Wisc
07-29-2009, 08:43 PM
I should really post these pics in the "Need a large pot ASAP" thread but here goes.
It has 4 leaves now & the newest 3 did not fold down for a change.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/Patty_in_Wisc/IC7-09.jpg
leaf stems pulling away & dying off
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/Patty_in_Wisc/IC47-09.jpg
even the pup has one pulling away.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/Patty_in_Wisc/IC37-09.jpg
It is getting better though.
alexizhere19
07-29-2009, 08:57 PM
Wow kate moss's sister,
Thats alot of support for it, do fertilize it?
alex
blownz281
07-29-2009, 08:57 PM
Can't wait till mine gets that big!
hammer
07-29-2009, 09:09 PM
Pattty how old is your ice cream plant what kind of lighting do you have for the plant. wow very job.
Taylor
07-29-2009, 09:11 PM
I hate to be critical but it looks like very dense soil. Otherwise, A-OK, but don't bet on that stem regaining much girth... I would start again from a pup in lighter soil (pine shavings + perlite + fertilizer) if I were you in a climate that each day of the growing season is important, but then again.... never give up!
alexizhere19
07-29-2009, 09:29 PM
I hate to be critical but it looks like very dense soil. Otherwise, A-OK, but don't bet on that stem regaining much girth... I would start again from a pup in lighter soil (pine shavings + perlite + fertilizer) if I were you in a climate that each day of the growing season is important, but then again.... never give up!
I cant believe someone else uses the same soil as me taylor. i use pine shavings perlite and some composted manure.
alex
Taylor
07-29-2009, 09:50 PM
I learned it from the local Botanical Garden! Drains water easily, promoting growth, and makes a LOT of potting soil for pennies on the dollar, most of that cost coming from the fertilizer.
alexizhere19
07-29-2009, 09:53 PM
Thats where i learned it too.
alex
Taylor
07-29-2009, 10:00 PM
They seem to know all the great gardening secrets and are willing to share if you volunteer for them!
Patty in Wisc
07-29-2009, 10:48 PM
Soil does look a little dense in pic. It has the great MG potting mix & I added perlite. The top 2 inches is soil from the garden just to fill it up. After I took the pic, I scratched in more mix on top. I fert every week with 15-5-30 banana fuel.
Shannon, I got it in June 06 when it was a tiny TC. When it was in L room for winter, I had a 500wat halogen on it from 3 till 7:30 & it was in a south window....way back when it looked good & healthy!
The 1st 2 winters it was in a cool temp sunroom being semi dormant.
LilRaverBoi
07-29-2009, 10:50 PM
Wow...I forgot how darn tall it was! Let's hope it keeps putting out leaves for you. Sorry to hear it's getting thinner but keep with it. Like Taylor said...never give up! Best of luck, Patty!
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