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Old 04-19-2012, 10:11 PM   #1 (permalink)
 
Location: Florida Keys
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Drummer Greetings from the Florida Keys
My name is Scottie aka topshotta and currently, I'm growing Gros Michel, Mysore, and Drawf Plantain. I had Lakatan a few years back but lost them.

In addition to my bananas I grow Ackee, Sweetsop, Mango, Pineapple, Key Lime, Breadfruit and Sugarcane. I give away everything I grow in exchange for a donation, in any amount, of which 100% goes to support missionary work in Jamaica.

I really love this site as I have no formal education in agriculture. I'm also a musician and boys FHSAA lacrosse referee.
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Old 04-19-2012, 11:33 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Default Re: Greetings from the Florida Keys
Welcome, Scottie? No lychee, jackfruit, durian, or mangosteen???

Has the Gros Michel fruited for you? Do you know what clone it is?

Hope you enjoy or stay here.
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Old 04-20-2012, 07:13 AM   #3 (permalink)
 
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Welcome, Scottie? No lychee, jackfruit, durian, or mangosteen???
LOL, space is at a premium...


Quote:
Has the Gros Michel fruited for you? Do you know what clone it is?
Yes, it is fruiting right now...I am not knowlegable enough to know about clones. I purchased it from Going Bananas years ago. Here is a pic. I will post more later...

[IMG][/IMG]
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Old 04-20-2012, 09:49 AM   #4 (permalink)
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Default Re: Greetings from the Florida Keys
Scottie, keep taking photos and post it in the banana ID thread along with the height, etc. and our ID expert Gabe can give his thoughts. Congrats!

Sounds like you need to offer landscaping "consultations" to neighbors so you can plant things in their yards besides just your own!
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Old 04-21-2012, 12:29 AM   #5 (permalink)
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Default Re: Greetings from the Florida Keys
That flower looks great Scottie! How old is the Gros Michel?
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Old 04-21-2012, 08:57 AM   #6 (permalink)
 
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That flower looks great Scottie! How old is the Gros Michel?
I'm not quite sure...here are some more pics...

[IMG][/IMG]


[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]
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Old 04-24-2012, 01:43 AM   #7 (permalink)
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Default Re: Greetings from the Florida Keys
They look so nice Scottie! I'm a tad jealous lol. Congratulations really; it's amazing to be growing them so well. Are all those pictures of the Gros Michel, and I think what I was trying to ask you before was how long your varieties usually take to fruit?

Thanks in advance. Wonderful plants you have again
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Old 04-24-2012, 08:10 PM   #8 (permalink)
 
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Are all those pictures of the Gros Michel, and I think what I was trying to ask you before was how long your varieties usually take to fruit?
Yes, those pics are the Gros Michel and it'll take about four months, but at the three month mark we cut off some for boiling. These are some of the best boiling bananas I've ever had...
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Old 04-24-2012, 08:30 PM   #9 (permalink)
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Default Re: Greetings from the Florida Keys
Wow! I wish my nanners grew that well.
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Old 04-24-2012, 08:56 PM   #10 (permalink)
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Default Re: Greetings from the Florida Keys
In response the specific type of 'Gros Michel' clone ID, it is the standard tall form, just called 'Gros Michel' typically.
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Old 04-24-2012, 09:01 PM   #11 (permalink)
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Yes, those pics are the Gros Michel and it'll take about four months, but at the three month mark we cut off some for boiling. These are some of the best boiling bananas I've ever had...
It takes four months for a stalk to fruit, or four months for the fruit to ripen? I'm trying to figure out how long it takes for a banana, from sucker to mature, to produce a flower bloom.
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Old 04-26-2012, 04:19 PM   #12 (permalink)
 
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It takes four months for a stalk to fruit, or four months for the fruit to ripen? I'm trying to figure out how long it takes for a banana, from sucker to mature, to produce a flower bloom.
Four months from flower to ripened fruit...I'm really not sure about the other...I've never tracked that...I just look for the flag leaf to pop out.
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Old 04-26-2012, 09:52 PM   #13 (permalink)
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Default Re: Greetings from the Florida Keys
OK cool; how long have you been growing bananas?
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Old 04-26-2012, 11:55 PM   #14 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Greetings from the Florida Keys
Awesome! Welcome from NYC! You have a great climate down there and I absolutely love the Florida Keys (Key Lime Pie!). Sounds like your growing great plants!
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Old 04-27-2012, 08:33 AM   #15 (permalink)
 
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OK cool; how long have you been growing bananas?
Maybe about 10 years now but between 2006 and 2009 I spent a lot of time working out of state and my plants really suffered.

My wife is from Jamaica, and I started growing fruit trees and sugarcane so she wouldn't feel so homesick as there are not a lot of Jamaicans living down here in the Keys.

Up on the mainland, in an agricultural district called the Redlands (Southwest Miami), is a place called Going Bananas.
Welcome to Going Bananas of Homestead, Florida!
The owner has five acres of bananas where I was able to buy what I am currently growing.

I try to compost as much as I can to condition the soil and only throw a little fertilizer around them each month.

We love Blue Mountain coffee and I mix all the grounds into the compost so that the plants have a little "Jamaica" in them. We like to think that is the reason they are doing so well
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Old 04-27-2012, 08:47 AM   #16 (permalink)
 
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I absolutely love the Florida Keys (Key Lime Pie!).
I have this Key Lime tree that for years produced hundreds of key limes. Of course you know that key limes are yellow when ripe and a little bit bigger than the size of a golf ball.




A couple of years ago, the tree started producing limes the size of small grapefruits. They still ripen yellow and still taste like key limes but why it is doing this is a mystery to me...maybe someone can enlighten me.
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Old 04-27-2012, 10:04 PM   #17 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Greetings from the Florida Keys
Wow, thats a big lime! It must be getting really good nutrients for the fruit to get that big!
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Old 04-29-2012, 04:49 AM   #18 (permalink)
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Maybe about 10 years now but between 2006 and 2009 I spent a lot of time working out of state and my plants really suffered.

My wife is from Jamaica, and I started growing fruit trees and sugarcane so she wouldn't feel so homesick as there are not a lot of Jamaicans living down here in the Keys.
That's great that you've been growing bananas for so long! And really cool of your to grow plants your wife's familiar with; Jamaica has awesome agriculture.

Quote:
Up on the mainland, in an agricultural district called the Redlands (Southwest Miami), is a place called Going Bananas.
Welcome to Going Bananas of Homestead, Florida!
The owner has five acres of bananas where I was able to buy what I am currently growing.
I've come across Going Bananas a few times in my banana research. They have lots of variety, and good to know their products are good to buy.

Quote:
I try to compost as much as I can to condition the soil and only throw a little fertilizer around them each month.

We love Blue Mountain coffee and I mix all the grounds into the compost so that the plants have a little "Jamaica" in them. We like to think that is the reason they are doing so well
Excellent that you compost! (and include a little bit of Jamaica in the soil) I'm trying to get into it my self since I'm growing organically and have really poor soil that could use some organic matter, not to mention it's great for the plants. I haven't had much success with it though. Could you give me some advice on it, like things to compost, how to get it to heat up, how long it takes? I'd really like to be able to use it to build up healthy soil for my plants

Thanks in advance!
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Old 04-29-2012, 06:00 PM   #19 (permalink)
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Default Re: Greetings from the Florida Keys
Looks like Bearss Lime (aka Tahitian) to me.
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Old 04-29-2012, 07:10 PM   #20 (permalink)
 
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Looks like Bearss Lime (aka Tahitian) to me.
Thanks Richard, but I'm still confused...Wiki says the Bearss is seedless. This has big seeds and is still identical in taste as the hundreds of key limes the tree produced before it morphed into this big thing.
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