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Clare_CA
09-26-2009, 12:55 PM
Does anyone grow 'Kru,' and if so, what do you think of it? Thanks.

BB73
09-26-2009, 01:03 PM
Just a few days ago, my Kru arrived, so I can't tell you very much about it yet, but it'll be an interesting plant and hopefully with lot's of delicous fruit. I'd say: Go and get it!

Clare_CA
09-26-2009, 01:18 PM
Thanks, BB73. I wish I could find it here! From the description that I read of it, the fruit sounds wonderful. Good luck with yours. I would love to see pictures of yours, if you can post them, when it flowers and fruits.

Richard
09-26-2009, 01:21 PM
Thanks, BB73. I wish I could find it here! From the description that I read of it, the fruit sounds wonderful. Good luck with yours. I would love to see pictures of yours, if you can post them, when it flowers and fruits.

If you haven't already, check with pitangadiego.

kaczercat
09-26-2009, 01:47 PM
Hey Clare, i have a kru that just put its first leaf out and it so nice, the p-stem is red and green . such a beautiful plant. currently 18-20 inches tall :) . one of my favorites.

sunfish
09-26-2009, 01:50 PM
I have Kru.

Clare_CA
09-26-2009, 02:03 PM
Thanks, Tony and Kaczercat. I'm going to see if I can get one, but I have another question. Is Kru the same as 'Red Iholena'? I just saw the variety 'Kru Red Iholena' here: http://webebananas.com/culture.html I'm confused about whether they are the same, or perhaps that's a hybrid of the two.

sunfish
09-26-2009, 02:13 PM
They are two different plants. I have Red Iholena also.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=23875&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=23875)KRU

sunfish
09-26-2009, 02:18 PM
I think there was a comma missing.

Clare_CA
09-26-2009, 02:22 PM
Oh, okay. Good. Thanks. I have 'Red Iholena' too. I just got it at Green Thumb Nursery.

Richard
09-26-2009, 02:24 PM
Did your plant from Green Thumb Nursery have a "La Verne" tag on it?

mjdsinsacto
09-26-2009, 04:11 PM
i have a baby kru that i got off of justin's divorce sale here; have it now for a few weeks, maybe a month; compared to the ensetes that i also got from justin, the kru is vvvvvvvvvvvvery slow growing.

i don't know much about it.

Worm_Farmer
09-26-2009, 04:51 PM
I really like mine, I have not had any fruit from it yet so I can not comment on the fruit. The color is great, but it makes a lot of pups.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=22795 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=22795)

Clare_CA
09-26-2009, 05:31 PM
Thanks, mjdsinsacto and Worm Farmer, for the info, and thanks also, Worm Farmer, for the great picture.

Richard, the Red Iholena had a tag that says "Arlin Nursery, Fruiting banana, growth to 20', 6" green fruit in medium bunches. Rapid growth, very stately, slight orange flavor to the fruit." The only other tag was the Green Thumb price tag.

Off to see what Justin has left...

pitangadiego
09-26-2009, 08:05 PM
Kru is tall, slender, cold sensitive, but good eating.

CValentine
09-26-2009, 10:26 PM
Hi Clare!
I have a Kru, it is young...but doing well though!

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=23890&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=23890)

Will be one of the ones I bring indoors for the winter season... ~Cheryl

banfan
09-27-2009, 12:24 AM
Clare the Kru I planted last year are now in young fruit that should be ready to eat by the end of the year. It is a nice looking slender banana and plant. :0519:

planetrj
09-27-2009, 01:35 AM
I don't know if this is the right spot, but I have just one Kru left for the year, so PM me if someone needs one. It's an overwintered stalk w/corm about the size of a football.

fishoifc
09-27-2009, 01:44 PM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=23233 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=23233&ppuser=3890)


My Kru's are my favorite plants they look so good. They grow very fast for me here,If you cant find a pup I have a some.I have a couple that have about ten foot of P-stem thought they would bloom but nothing yet.

ron_mcb
09-05-2010, 05:58 PM
kru v/s red iholena i know since everyone is still learning there will be lots of mistakes, but whats the verdict here.. i kept asking about the red splotches on the top leaves of my red iholena and no one growing red iholena had anything to say about it.. only one member said his red iholena never had any red splotches on the top of the leaf ever.. he thinks red splotches may indicate kru. i have never grown kru so i cant really say anything for sure.

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35907&ppuser=4695><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35907&size=1 border=0></a>

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35908&ppuser=4695><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35908&size=1 border=0></a>

i dont think this this plant is kru . i noticed all of the people posting kru picks dont have any red wine color on the leaf's underside. my plant (red iholena?) has plenty of it ... also my p stem has more of it than any kru pics. i dont think many people (probably none) on this site have really fruited and confirmed red iholena. there is really no noticeable green in the p-stem as of today its virtually all wine. i can post more updated pics to illustrate... i know what iholena fruits look like (fruit flesh is salmon color) because i have a few pics of the iholena fruit (no leaf pics).. i think i can easily id it when i get fruit.. i cant post the pics i already have because they dont belong to me.

fishoifc
09-06-2010, 11:31 AM
Hey Ron it looks similar but I dont think its Kru. The Kru seem to have a wing thing happening on the petiole right before the leaf starts.They also have a dark burgandy color down the center vein when young.

Worm_Farmer
09-06-2010, 02:12 PM
I would like to update and also say, Kru is nice looking but very cold sensitive and dies back very fast from little cold. Kru always seems to look ratty or in poor condition, the leafs die back pretty quick. It has been a slow grower for me 2nd year and still no fruit. It is a good looking plant but I have decided that Kru needs to be further south then my zone 9b. I will be replacing the Kru with either a Raja Puri of Dwarf Namwah soon.

I have been told by a few people that Kru is the BEST tasting banana there is. I can not speak from experience, but I will say when you keep it trimmed and warm it looks very nice and I really like the color show you get as the fruit ripens.

I am not trying to discourage you in anyway, by all means give it a try. I am even willing to send you a pup to get you started. Kru is a fun grow and the color show impresses most(including myself).

ron_mcb
09-06-2010, 03:36 PM
pretty sure it wasn't kru after comparing the pics... i just want some of the people who have grown iholena (red or white form) to speak about the red splashes on the top of the leaves... with every person i ask the conversation usually goes dead. i wonder what ever happened to a simple i dont know,or i cant recall?? i have heard several times that the iholena is supposed to be difficult to grow,and thats as far as i can get anyone to elaborate.. weird.

when i look at pics of any form of iholena i never really see any red splashes because of one of the same reasons the photos are too dark, dont really show good detail , or the leaves in the pics are shredded too badly.. im wondering if the red splashes fade away as the plant matures?? mine is a little taller than waist high now and its growing. most of the iholena pics i see are not taken in the Continental 48 states,and they are mature,and its odd that i never see any pups in the pics so i can compare..

if anyone wants to comment the pics are right there.

im thinking there is only one way to find out for sure..... observe it ,and get the plant to fruit maybe next year... :lurk:

sunfish
09-06-2010, 05:21 PM
No red splashes on my Iholena

sunfish
09-06-2010, 05:28 PM
kru v/s red iholena i know since everyone is still learning there will be lots of mistakes, but whats the verdict here.. i kept asking about the red splotches on the top leaves of my red iholena and no one growing red iholena had anything to say about it.. only one member said his red iholena never had any red splotches on the top of the leaf ever.. he thinks red splotches may indicate kru. i have never grown kru so i cant really say anything for sure.

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35907&ppuser=4695><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35907&size=1 border=0></a>

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35908&ppuser=4695><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35908&size=1 border=0></a>

i dont think this this plant is kru . i noticed all of the people posting kru picks dont have any red wine color on the leaf's underside. my plant (red iholena?) has plenty of it ... also my p stem has more of it than any kru pics. i dont think many people (probably none) on this site have really fruited and confirmed red iholena. there is really no noticeable green in the p-stem as of today its virtually all wine. i can post more updated pics to illustrate... i know what iholena fruits look like (fruit flesh is salmon color) because i have a few pics of the iholena fruit (no leaf pics).. i think i can easily id it when i get fruit.. i cant post the pics i already have because they dont belong to me.

The p-stem on my Red Iholena is all green. The midrib on Kru is a pink/red that I dont see on Iholena

ron_mcb
09-06-2010, 06:53 PM
The p-stem on my Red Iholena is all green. The midrib on Kru is a pink/red that I dont see on Iholena

thanks tony..

1. you didnt get your plant as a tissue culture did you??
2.did you get one form or another of your iholena to fruit once?
3.if so was the flesh like a cantaloupe's flesh in color??

maybe we can get down to the bottom of this sooner or later...maybe i should contact an expert on iholenas (i hope) and see if i can get a shout back. i think it was last year (before i got this plant) i was chatting to this woman about iholenas once. i will see if i can find her. i will ask her about red splashes.. another opinion wont hurt.

sunfish
09-06-2010, 07:03 PM
thanks tony..

1. you didnt get your plant as a tissue culture did you??
2.did you get one form or another of your iholena to fruit once?
3.if so was the flesh like a cantaloupe's flesh in color??

maybe we can get down to the bottom of this sooner or later...maybe i should contact an expert on iholenas (i hope) and see if i can get a shout back. i think it was last year (before i got this plant) i was chatting to this woman about iholenas once. i will see if i can find her. i will ask her about red splashes.. another opinion wont hurt.

I had a white Iholena fruit. the fruit was cantaloupe/Salmon color. The Red was a tc very similar to the white but the underside of the leaf is much darker and the plant is much taller.I'd bet it's the real deal

sunfish
09-06-2010, 07:44 PM
kru

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36383&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36383&ppuser=2868)

ron_mcb
09-06-2010, 08:15 PM
i dug up the contacts:0517:
thanks tony i gave my pictures to a few people who may be able to help...( i would assume) since they should see the things almost daily and work in conservation of native Hawaiian plants .. i will post what they say on this thread soon as i get a shout back.:nanadrink:

sunfish
09-06-2010, 08:40 PM
Ron look at the pic's of Red Iholena at Encanto Farms. Perfect match for your plant.My Red Iholene is shaded maybe that's why it's p stem does not have the red .

ron_mcb
09-07-2010, 08:06 AM
Ron look at the pic's of Red Iholena at Encanto Farms. Perfect match for your plant.My Red Iholene is shaded maybe that's why it's p stem does not have the red .

i saw that. the iholena in the pic and mine are about the same size,and look identical. the only thing thats bothering me are the red splashes that are present on mine...i know there are many forms of iholena but i would still like to hear what the iholena experts (or so i hope) have to say.

Caloosamusa
09-09-2010, 07:39 AM
Kru like Red Iholena likes partial shade and Wind protection. Then they do extremely well. I have two Kru mats in full sun and they do not grow as well and have produced no pups yet. At the same time 3 Kru mats in partial shade are twice the size with many pups on each mat.

Kru in full sun.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=30853&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=30853&ppuser=2441)

Kru in partial shade.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=28473&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=28473&ppuser=2441)

Red Iholenas behave the same same way, they must be protected from the wind first, with partial shading. The two shaded mats of Red Iholenas have more than four times the growth rate of the non-shaded mat.

Red Iholena that is wind protected and in partial shade.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36415&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36415)

I hope this helps.:2239:

mushtaq86
09-09-2010, 04:17 PM
Any red iholene pups i have seen have never had red splashes on the leaves,mine never had any. The only red was on p-stem and underside of the leaves.If you look at caloosamusa 1st pic of kru which is in the sun,the second leaf on the right next to the petotel it has two red splashes on it.caloosamusa large red ihoelne has no red splashes on the leaves,until you zoom in on the pup which has faint red splashes on. Matt kaczerat thread my red kru,his kru has red splashes on the leaves.I guess the mystery continues.

ron_mcb
09-10-2010, 08:29 PM
Any red iholene pups i have seen have never had red splashes on the leaves,mine never had any. The only red was on p-stem and underside of the leaves.caloosamusa large red ihoelne has no red splashes on the leaves,until you zoom in on the pup which has faint red splashes on. .

thanks mushtaq
the plant came from agristarts i dont know exactly where they obtained their mother block .

after questioning one seller who grew these "red iholenas" from agristarts. she told me hers had the red blotches on the top leaves untill the plant matured (maybe like calamoosa's plant). she has been the only person who really talked about the blotches on the agristarts "red iholena"... she has probably since gone missing:ha:

seriously after talking to a hand full of people from the Polynesian triangle, i have come to to the conclusion that this plant is more than likely a member the iholena subgroup.
everyone i showed the pic to commented about the super red pigmentation, and the red blotches on the top leaf. most agreed that it had the outward appearance of iholena type bananas. no one wanted to call it red iholena. i think mostly everyone has a fear of being wrong? i wont quote anyone i questioned directly because of this.

as i said before i will have to agree that it looks like a member of the iholena subgroup and leave it at that for now.. i may have fruit by next year. i will keep everyone interested up to date on any new developments.

MediaHound
09-10-2010, 09:07 PM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=6622&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6622&si=kru&what=allfields&name=MediaHound&name=MediaHound)

MediaHound
09-10-2010, 09:08 PM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=6624&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6624&si=kru&what=allfields&name=MediaHound&name=MediaHound)

MediaHound
09-10-2010, 09:08 PM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=3656&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3656&si=kru&what=allfields&name=MediaHound&name=MediaHound)

MediaHound
09-10-2010, 09:10 PM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=3652&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3652&si=kru&what=allfields&name=MediaHound&name=MediaHound)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=3534&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3534&si=kru&what=allfields&name=MediaHound&name=MediaHound)

MediaHound
09-10-2010, 09:11 PM
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=6620&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6620)

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=6623&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=6623)

MediaHound
09-10-2010, 09:13 PM
They sure are pretty. And they are delicious. These also probably make my favorite banana breads.

proletariatcsp
09-10-2010, 10:45 PM
kru v/s red iholena i know since everyone is still learning there will be lots of mistakes, but whats the verdict here.. i kept asking about the red splotches on the top leaves of my red iholena and no one growing red iholena had anything to say about it.. only one member said his red iholena never had any red splotches on the top of the leaf ever.. he thinks red splotches may indicate kru. i have never grown kru so i cant really say anything for sure.

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35907&ppuser=4695><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35907&size=1 border=0></a>

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=35908&ppuser=4695><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=35908&size=1 border=0></a>

i dont think this this plant is kru . i noticed all of the people posting kru picks dont have any red wine color on the leaf's underside. my plant (red iholena?) has plenty of it ... also my p stem has more of it than any kru pics. i dont think many people (probably none) on this site have really fruited and confirmed red iholena. there is really no noticeable green in the p-stem as of today its virtually all wine. i can post more updated pics to illustrate... i know what iholena fruits look like (fruit flesh is salmon color) because i have a few pics of the iholena fruit (no leaf pics).. i think i can easily id it when i get fruit.. i cant post the pics i already have because they dont belong to me.

I have a young Mysore, its about 3-4ft tall. It has the pink powder coating under leaves and very pink midribs top and bottom. The P-stem has pink green and a lot of black in it, very dirty looking like Cavendish. I haven't ever seen a Mysore pup so I don't know if they have the red spots when they are young.

ron_mcb
09-10-2010, 11:03 PM
I have a young Mysore, its about 3-4ft tall. It has the pink powder coating under leaves and very pink midribs top and bottom. The P-stem has pink green and a lot of black in it, very dirty looking like Cavendish. I haven't ever seen a Mysore pup so I don't know if they have the red spots when they are young.

yeah i looked at a lot of different possible matches. i also questioned whether or not this was a form of mysore/misi luki (Polynesian triangle source) i looked up red mysore/misi luki but couldn't find any good pics to compare.

im still leaning towards iholena subgroup based on its appearance at this stage.

i dont feel like asking the supplier about the origin of the mother block (really dont feel like pulling teeth) i will be waiting for this to mature and fruit for sure.

mushtaq86
09-11-2010, 01:44 PM
How much difference is there between a flowering red ihoelne and flowering kru, it would be interesting if someone has had both of them to flower to see the difference in fruit and flower.

sunfish
09-11-2010, 02:51 PM
Musa Red Iholene - Bananas Wiki (http://www.bananas.org/wiki/Musa_Red_Iholene)

mushtaq86
09-11-2010, 03:21 PM
Thanks Tony,but that one doesn't count as its the air brushed one in every red iholene pic you see either in a book or website selling them:ha::ha:

sunfish
09-11-2010, 03:33 PM
Here is a White if that helps,not air brushed

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=24162&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=24162)

ron_mcb
09-11-2010, 03:41 PM
Thanks Tony,but that one doesn't count as its the air brushed one in every red iholene pic you see either in a book or website selling them:ha::ha:

they use the stock photos because they are probably not copyrighted or royalty free. i think its annoying that there are so many faded old stock photos being recycled... the date of a lot of these photos are around 1986 ?? im not bashing the photographer of these photos im talking about how they are overused by almost everyone.

i dont know how expensive it would be for a lot of the online plant sellers to update their pics.. if they need to condense or save space they should just use divided pics,and could show more detail as well . originality..originality...originality.

like i said before luckily i managed to get my hands on several copyrighted iholena pics. i cant post em here... i think there may be enough of us posting new pics on this site and other sites to do a halfway decent job of banana identification.

Caloosamusa
09-12-2010, 03:34 PM
I have some pictures I have taken of another of my Red Iholena mats, and some updated Kru pictures. I hope they help.

Kru
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36551&size=1[/ur

Kru leaf underside
[url=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36556]http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36556&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36551)

Red Iholena
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36540&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36540)

Red Iholena
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36539&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36539)

Leaf underside Red Iholena
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36538&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36538)

:2239:

Gabe15
09-12-2010, 04:14 PM
I haven't really followed this thread, but I saw that 'Iholena Lele' ('Red Iholena') bunch photos were requested. Here are some. It is a totally different cultivar from 'Kru'.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36552&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36552&ppuser=5)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36553&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36553&ppuser=5)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36554&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36554&ppuser=5)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=36555&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=36555&ppuser=5)

Caloosamusa
09-12-2010, 04:23 PM
Thank you Gabe,

I though the Iholena Lele was the White Iholena. I will take pictures of my White Iholena sometime this week, and you'll see the source of my confusion on that point. Your Iholena Lele looks like my White Iholena.

Yours looks really good, especially the fruit! :2239:

Gabe15
09-12-2010, 05:27 PM
'White Iholena' is a little bit of a mystery, but likely it is a less colorful mutation/tissue culture sport of 'Iholena Lele' (syn. 'Red Iholena/Iholene').

Clare_CA
09-15-2010, 12:51 PM
Here is my Red Iholene in the center of the picture (the tallest ones) and Kru (from Tony) to the right of it (with the red stem).

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l153/Clare_CA/bananas/091510056.jpg

mushtaq86
09-15-2010, 03:36 PM
[QUOTE=Gabe15;141290]I haven't really followed this thread, but I saw that 'Iholena Lele' ('Red Iholena') bunch photos were requested. Here are some. It is a totally different cultivar from 'Kru'.

Hi Gabe15

How come only the second pic of your red iholene photos has a red p-stem and petiole.

Gabe15
09-15-2010, 04:49 PM
[QUOTE=Gabe15;141290]I haven't really followed this thread, but I saw that 'Iholena Lele' ('Red Iholena') bunch photos were requested. Here are some. It is a totally different cultivar from 'Kru'.

Hi Gabe15

How come only the second pic of your red iholene photos has a red p-stem and petiole.

The second photo is from a plant in Miami Florida, while the others are from a plant in Honolulu. Differences in environment can significantly affect what a plant looks like, even if they are clones of each other. Color especially changes very easily and can change depending on location and even the varying conditions within a specific location. There is the chance they are also slightly different varieties and there was a mutation, but like I said color changes very easily depending on conditions.