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momoese
08-29-2009, 06:49 PM
Today I had my gardener and his son come over to help thin the Hawaiian Apples and harvest a bunch too. We removed about 50 trees and pups of all sizes! I totally forgot to get a before picture but if you can imagine not being able to see any open air through the stand that's what it looked like before. We also reduced the circumference of the matt by a few feet on all sides and a little more in the rear by the fence line. I still have some corms to remove but they are right next to flowering plants so I left them for the time being. Yay I can see the sky again!

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=21870&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21870)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=21871&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21871)

austinl01
08-29-2009, 06:59 PM
Very cool. Those bananas are TALL! I bet it was a lot of work.

momoese
08-29-2009, 07:24 PM
Yeah and it was really hot today too! A lot of water and sports drinks were consumed!

coast crab
08-29-2009, 07:36 PM
Mitchel.

That's a beautiful picture. Please explain the thinning process and why you did it. Was it to remove plants and send more strength to those that had set fruit? By thinning did you dig them out or just cut them off at the ground?

Thanks for the help.

Russell

Velutina
08-29-2009, 07:56 PM
Beautiful plants! Makes me excited about the tall Brazilian I just planted :)

Any more pics?

momoese
08-29-2009, 08:02 PM
Thanks Russel. There were several reasons for thinning. The method for removal was to chop them bit by bit them remove the corm and big lower part of the p-stem at the same time. Most of the larger ones were cut to about 6 feet tall and then completely removed. The only corms we left are connected to plants that are fruiting now.


1= More sunlight equals less stretching from the plants. As you see they are rather tall!
2= Less competition for nutrients equals healtheir plants and larger fruit bunches.
3= The stand was so thick at the ground level plants were satrting to grow in the air basically, which is not a good thing. Corms on top of corms in other words.
4= Some of the plants were growing over my neighbors yards making it difficulty to maintain and harvest them.
5= I was getting concerned they might take out my wood fence when the Santa Ana winds kick up in Sep and Oct.
6= when the sun is low in the sky this winter the other parts of the garden will get more sun.

I think that covers it.

momoese
08-29-2009, 08:04 PM
Beautiful plants! Makes me excited about the tall Brazilian I just planted :)

Any more pics?

Thanks Adam, if you look in my photo gallery I have a whole Tall Brazillian/ Hawaiian Apple folder with loads of pics.

coast crab
08-29-2009, 08:55 PM
Yes, Mitchel, I think that covers it too!

That's kinda what I figured, but I appreciate the explaination.

R

Bananaman88
08-29-2009, 10:59 PM
As Austin said, those really are tall! What are they, in the neighborhood of 20+?

Bob
08-30-2009, 01:38 AM
Hope you saved some of the hearts for curry!

MediaHound
08-30-2009, 08:32 AM
Awesome, enjoy them :)

Dalmatiansoap
08-30-2009, 09:03 AM
Great looking plants. How are they in wind resistence?
:woohoonaner:

momoese
08-30-2009, 10:12 AM
Yes they are over 20 feet of psuedo stem so maybe 30 feet to the top of the tallest leaves.

Bob, I have some Monzanos that I plan on using for the curry in early winter.

NANAMAN
08-30-2009, 09:49 PM
Those things are Monsters!!!!

momoese
08-30-2009, 10:13 PM
Great looking plants. How are they in wind resistence?
:woohoonaner:

I just noticed your question. They do ok considering how tall they are. The tall Jamaican Reds I grew were problematic and when they fell down it was the collateral damage to other plants that bummed me out.

LilRaverBoi
08-30-2009, 10:35 PM
Holy CRAP those are tall! Those look saba tall!! I really wish I coulda seen the before picture!! Sounds like you guys had to put in some serious time, but I'm sure the results will be worth it! Thanks for sharing your story/pics!

bencelest
08-31-2009, 03:19 AM
Wow! I like the pic of the fruit. Are they the same Hawaii apple banana in the island? I know it is not the same as manzano or apple banana here in the mainland. Which is better tasting?

momoese
08-31-2009, 08:33 AM
Wow! I like the pic of the fruit. Are they the same Hawaii apple banana in the island? I know it is not the same as manzano or apple banana here in the mainland. Which is better tasting?

Yeah Benny, same as the one grown in Hawaii. I grow both Hawaiian Apple AKA Tall Brazilian and Manzano. I prefer the taste of the Hawaiian Apple. The Monzano is along the same lines taste wise but a bit milder.

conejov
08-31-2009, 08:49 AM
Those are Great looking nanners! So did you throw Away all the corms you dug up? Your nanners look very happy.

momoese
08-31-2009, 08:53 AM
Those are Great looking nanners! So did you throw Away all the corms you dug up? Your nanners look very happy.

They are in the back of my truck and going to the dump today. :0519:

bencelest
08-31-2009, 10:13 AM
They are in the back of my truck and going to the dump today. :0519:


Oh! no!!! But nevermind, I don't have room in my yard for a 20 foot monster (lol).
Which one is hardier, Hawaiin apple or Manzano?
I am settling for a Balbisiana for its leaves and heart (flower).

Benny

momoese
08-31-2009, 10:39 AM
There will be plenty more where those came from, it's kinda like mowing the grass! I haven't seen any difference in hardiness between the two.

It's been said the flower bud from Balbisania is a good one for eating.

bencelest
08-31-2009, 10:51 AM
There will be plenty more where those came from, it's kinda like mowing the grass! I haven't seen any difference in hardiness between the two.

It's been said the flower bud from Balbisania is a good one for eating.


Thanks! So I have a manzano growing. I like its taste. When we were in Hawaii it appeared that all they sell was the Hawaiian apple banana on the road stand.
That's right. My wife constantly bugging me for a flower when I have just one flower to show.
And I've got one now but she has not seen it yet.
Here's one a Raja Puri which is starting to come out of its shell 8 31 09
Is the flower of RP good to eat?

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=21981&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21981)

momoese
08-31-2009, 01:14 PM
I don't know about the Raja Puri flower, but Chong might. He has said that some of the flowers are just too astringent to eat.

ewitte
08-31-2009, 01:17 PM
Speaking of eating flowers I saw banana flowers at a local grocery store.

Bob
08-31-2009, 02:57 PM
They are in the back of my truck and going to the dump today. :0519:

Compost them!

momoese
08-31-2009, 03:00 PM
Compost them!

Believe me, if I had the space for a giant compost pile and way to chop them up without spending days with my machette I would! That would be awesome!

LilRaverBoi
08-31-2009, 03:00 PM
Bob, that seems like a good idea, until you realize that they're just gonna grow back up in the compost pile and he'd have to fight them there. That's actually how I got my first naners....a corm was chopped into pieces and thrown in a compost pile and grew into 7 plants.