FamilyManDude
08-04-2009, 10:49 AM
Growing Praying Hands Bananas in Central California – Zone 9 – Walipini (sunken greenhouse)
Well, I bought the Praying Hands on semi-impulse. I knew that I wanted to try to grow a larger variety. I live in the Central Valley of California (zone 9). At the time of purchase, I may have downplayed the harshness of the area due to vast agricultural industry that thrives here in the San Joaquin Valley. This area becomes extremely dry and hot in the summer w/ freezing temperatures in the winter (see local season weather averages chart below). I was not too surprised to learn that I would need to create an enclosed environment and climate control for heat and cold. I milled over ways to create a banana shack. I considered building a skeletal form covered w/ plastic. I looked at some A frame designs and other simple but effective ways that one can build a greenhouse. I finally came upon the literature created by Brigham Young University regarding their design for a sunken greenhouse called a Walipini
http://bensoninstitute.org/Publication/Manuals/Walipini.pdf
One reason for adopting this greenhouse plan was purely financial. There are just not many building materials needed here. Since I have more time then money, I figured I could dig a hole. Anyway, having said all that I will now attempt to create an informational thread where I can post updates and gain feedback. I will report the good, the ban, and the ugly. I am not experienced in providing grow reports; however I will do my best present a clear picture of my experience. I just hope that I will not be describing a complete failure.
Season Weather Averages:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20443&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20443&ppuser=5721)
This thread will be a good place for me to air some of my assumptions about banana growing and the steps that I will need to take in order to gain fruit. Please let me know if my facts are off. Praying Hands are not the most cold-hardy banana plants. However, it is not a complete slouch in this area. My assumption is that my banana environment should not go below 50ish degrees Fahrenheit. The capture and storage of solar heat will help to maintain the proper environment in the winter. I am sure that some climate control for cold will be necessary. I am also under the assumption that I will need to keep my banana plants in an environment w/ a max temp of 80ish degrees Fahrenheit. The desert conditions present in this area definitely include desert heat. There are a considerable amount of days that rise well into triple digits around here. Swamp coolers do not cut the mustard on those days. I will need to run an air conditioner, which will dry out the air. I understand that around 50% humidity is essential for gaining bananas. This brings me to my first question: How can I air condition my greenhouse and run humidifying equipment at the same time? Does it matter if the air conditioning unit draws air from inside or outside the greenhouse?
Praying Hands Bananas
Here is the description that I consistently find on the internet: Mature height is 12' - 14'. Produces perhaps the most unusual and distinctive of all banana fruits. Two adjacent hands of banqana are fused, giving the appearance of praying hands. The delicious fruits contain a hint of vanilla flavor. When totally ripe individual bananas can be carefully separated from each other.
Here they are on the day I received them in the mail (July 17, 2009).
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=19373&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19373&ppuser=5721)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=19375&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19375&ppuser=5721)
Presently, I am maintaining them indoors under T8 florescent lights. They seem to be growing well. I only allow them to receive 12 hours of light. I put them outside in the evening so that they will gain the first rays of morning light. After several hours of outside light, I bring them inside for the additional hours under the grow-light. I bring them in before the outside temps reach 80-85 degrees. This, of course, is not a practical long-term plan, as the plants will reach 12 -14 feet in height.
Here is the most recent pictures of the banana plants (Aug 4, 2009):
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20449&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20449&ppuser=5721)
Walipini
A Walipini is best described as simply a rectangular hole in the ground 6 to 8 feet deep. The slanted roof will face south toward the winter sun in order to efficiently gather solar rays and heat. Densely mounded and packed dirt will provide the needed angle of the roof.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20448 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20449&ppuser=5721)
I have been reading the literature provided by Brigham Young University (BYU): http://bensoninstitute.org/Publication/Manuals/Walipini.pdf. The molten core of the earth heats the entire sphere. I was very intrigued by the BYU assertion that the temperature at four feet deep stays between 40 and 60 degrees throughout most of the planet. This report states that when above ground cold temperatures are say 10 degrees, then the temperature at 4 feet deep in the ground will be at least 50 degrees in most locations. It is further asserted that digging a Walipini into the ground will effectively tap into this “thermal constant.” Based on this it would be safe to assume that far less additional heat will be required than is the case with above ground greenhouse structures.
I began this project on July 17th, 2009.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20075&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20075&ppuser=5721)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20077&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20077&ppuser=5721)
I have been simultaneously building up the berm. This is the mounded area that provided the slant for the roof.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20078&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20078&ppuser=5721)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20086&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20086&ppuser=5721)
I have dug down a little less then 5 feet.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20089&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20089&ppuser=5721)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20090&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20090&ppuser=5721)
I will need to go deeper. The plans call for the hole to be 8 feet deep. The berm will allow an additional four feet, giving the roof 12 feet of height at the highest point. This still might not accommodate my praying hands banana. I will need to dig down a bit farther for them. The praying hands will take up the tallest parts of the room. I plan to gain some dwarf varieties for other areas in the room. I have some pretty lofty goals for the Walipini. The final room should be 12.5 feet (width) x 20 feet (length) I hope to have two entrances. However I am not sure how I will build the doors into the ground. I also hope to make this an off-grid solar powered structure.
Please give me feedback, advice, and/or kind criticisms.
Orin - Good thoughts to all my friends at YouTube and at bananas.org.
Here is a video that I shot of The Tubes performing at Santa Cruz California.
YouTube - The Tubes - She's A Beauty 08/29/08 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7WnZ5Kfim8)
Well, I bought the Praying Hands on semi-impulse. I knew that I wanted to try to grow a larger variety. I live in the Central Valley of California (zone 9). At the time of purchase, I may have downplayed the harshness of the area due to vast agricultural industry that thrives here in the San Joaquin Valley. This area becomes extremely dry and hot in the summer w/ freezing temperatures in the winter (see local season weather averages chart below). I was not too surprised to learn that I would need to create an enclosed environment and climate control for heat and cold. I milled over ways to create a banana shack. I considered building a skeletal form covered w/ plastic. I looked at some A frame designs and other simple but effective ways that one can build a greenhouse. I finally came upon the literature created by Brigham Young University regarding their design for a sunken greenhouse called a Walipini
http://bensoninstitute.org/Publication/Manuals/Walipini.pdf
One reason for adopting this greenhouse plan was purely financial. There are just not many building materials needed here. Since I have more time then money, I figured I could dig a hole. Anyway, having said all that I will now attempt to create an informational thread where I can post updates and gain feedback. I will report the good, the ban, and the ugly. I am not experienced in providing grow reports; however I will do my best present a clear picture of my experience. I just hope that I will not be describing a complete failure.
Season Weather Averages:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20443&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20443&ppuser=5721)
This thread will be a good place for me to air some of my assumptions about banana growing and the steps that I will need to take in order to gain fruit. Please let me know if my facts are off. Praying Hands are not the most cold-hardy banana plants. However, it is not a complete slouch in this area. My assumption is that my banana environment should not go below 50ish degrees Fahrenheit. The capture and storage of solar heat will help to maintain the proper environment in the winter. I am sure that some climate control for cold will be necessary. I am also under the assumption that I will need to keep my banana plants in an environment w/ a max temp of 80ish degrees Fahrenheit. The desert conditions present in this area definitely include desert heat. There are a considerable amount of days that rise well into triple digits around here. Swamp coolers do not cut the mustard on those days. I will need to run an air conditioner, which will dry out the air. I understand that around 50% humidity is essential for gaining bananas. This brings me to my first question: How can I air condition my greenhouse and run humidifying equipment at the same time? Does it matter if the air conditioning unit draws air from inside or outside the greenhouse?
Praying Hands Bananas
Here is the description that I consistently find on the internet: Mature height is 12' - 14'. Produces perhaps the most unusual and distinctive of all banana fruits. Two adjacent hands of banqana are fused, giving the appearance of praying hands. The delicious fruits contain a hint of vanilla flavor. When totally ripe individual bananas can be carefully separated from each other.
Here they are on the day I received them in the mail (July 17, 2009).
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=19373&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19373&ppuser=5721)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=19375&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=19375&ppuser=5721)
Presently, I am maintaining them indoors under T8 florescent lights. They seem to be growing well. I only allow them to receive 12 hours of light. I put them outside in the evening so that they will gain the first rays of morning light. After several hours of outside light, I bring them inside for the additional hours under the grow-light. I bring them in before the outside temps reach 80-85 degrees. This, of course, is not a practical long-term plan, as the plants will reach 12 -14 feet in height.
Here is the most recent pictures of the banana plants (Aug 4, 2009):
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20449&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20449&ppuser=5721)
Walipini
A Walipini is best described as simply a rectangular hole in the ground 6 to 8 feet deep. The slanted roof will face south toward the winter sun in order to efficiently gather solar rays and heat. Densely mounded and packed dirt will provide the needed angle of the roof.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20448 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20449&ppuser=5721)
I have been reading the literature provided by Brigham Young University (BYU): http://bensoninstitute.org/Publication/Manuals/Walipini.pdf. The molten core of the earth heats the entire sphere. I was very intrigued by the BYU assertion that the temperature at four feet deep stays between 40 and 60 degrees throughout most of the planet. This report states that when above ground cold temperatures are say 10 degrees, then the temperature at 4 feet deep in the ground will be at least 50 degrees in most locations. It is further asserted that digging a Walipini into the ground will effectively tap into this “thermal constant.” Based on this it would be safe to assume that far less additional heat will be required than is the case with above ground greenhouse structures.
I began this project on July 17th, 2009.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20075&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20075&ppuser=5721)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20077&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20077&ppuser=5721)
I have been simultaneously building up the berm. This is the mounded area that provided the slant for the roof.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20078&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20078&ppuser=5721)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20086&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20086&ppuser=5721)
I have dug down a little less then 5 feet.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20089&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20089&ppuser=5721)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=20090&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=20090&ppuser=5721)
I will need to go deeper. The plans call for the hole to be 8 feet deep. The berm will allow an additional four feet, giving the roof 12 feet of height at the highest point. This still might not accommodate my praying hands banana. I will need to dig down a bit farther for them. The praying hands will take up the tallest parts of the room. I plan to gain some dwarf varieties for other areas in the room. I have some pretty lofty goals for the Walipini. The final room should be 12.5 feet (width) x 20 feet (length) I hope to have two entrances. However I am not sure how I will build the doors into the ground. I also hope to make this an off-grid solar powered structure.
Please give me feedback, advice, and/or kind criticisms.
Orin - Good thoughts to all my friends at YouTube and at bananas.org.
Here is a video that I shot of The Tubes performing at Santa Cruz California.
YouTube - The Tubes - She's A Beauty 08/29/08 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7WnZ5Kfim8)