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View Full Version : What specie is it please ? the nanner and me need help


xenjee
06-30-2009, 11:37 PM
Hi All !!!
So this is it, my first question here ... probably not the last.
There is a banana "tree" in our garden that doesn't seem to feel very well, even if this year, it has a flower And a few bananas on top.
We didn't really water it and now that it is summer in So Cal, it looks like it has been missing water. So we're back on track and want to save it of course, but how ... ?

So the first thing that comes in mind is, what is it exactly ? following are a few pictures.

We just took off the dry leafs wrapped around them and i had to cut some of them, as you can see

Then I will have much more questions, but i guess it will be in an other section right ?
thanks for your help everyones!

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18878 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18878)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18876 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18876)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18879&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18879)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18880&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18880)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=18877&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=18877)

island cassie
07-01-2009, 11:57 PM
Sorry - no idea, but they are very interesting plants!

conejov
07-02-2009, 12:09 AM
Im going to take a guess and say SAbas? But ll let the pros give their say.

xenjee
07-02-2009, 01:15 AM
thank you both!
I'll have a look at what Sabas are like then ...

Simply Bananas
07-02-2009, 03:49 AM
perhaps a balbisiana of some type...just a guess

Bananaman88
07-02-2009, 12:09 PM
M. balbisiana was my first thought when seeing it as well. If you harvest the fruit at some point and find them to be full of seeds, that will let us know pretty much for sure.

island cassie
07-03-2009, 12:57 AM
They don't look anything like my supposed Sabas - if that is any help!

In fact they couldn't be different!

conejov
07-03-2009, 01:07 AM
They don't look anything like my supposed Sabas - if that is any help!

In fact they couldn't be different!

see told you wait for the pros HA!

TommyMacLuckie
07-23-2009, 10:05 AM
Was looking through my book - the closest thing I could find was Musa Rose.

Gabe15
07-23-2009, 11:11 AM
They are definitely M. balbisiana, a seeded wild species. They are very common plants in California. You can tell they are M. balbisiana by the persistent dry bracts, multiple new bracts lifting at once that do not roll back, and the yellowish petioles. They will not produce edible fruit, so if you want fruit then all you can do is plant a different variety. The plant can serve many other non-fruit uses though, the male bud is popular as a vegetable, the leaves can be used for cooking (so you dont have to take leaves off your fruit producing plants), the pseudostems yield useful fiber... and many other interesting little uses.

xenjee
08-01-2009, 03:30 PM
Hi All, thanks a lot !
I haven't had time to answer sooner but i appreciated your help for each answer. Big up to Gabe15 for all the details.
I'll look into M. Balbisiana to know how to take best care of 'em and when/how to harvest first. Then i'll probably have more to ask in the proper sections.
Enjoy summer
stef