Hello from Los Angeles
 

:waving:

Hi everyone!

My name is Anna :)

I have backyard bananas that grow like weeds, I just add water. After some research I believe I have the Orinoco variety (you can see it in my avatar pic) - GOOOD eating, but they are big honkin' plants almost as tall as my house, and one of the clumps is in an unfortunate spot where it is starting to catch on my power lines... So I am looking to tear it out and plant a smaller variety. And since I know nothing about all the different varieties available, I came here! :D

Looking forward to learning from you all...

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Hi Anna! Welcome to the International Banana Society. How tall are your Orinocos, and where are you located? The answers to these two questions will help us to help you find a) shorter plants and b) ones that are hardy in your zone.

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Hi Ana and welcome. There are several if not many growers here from your area who'll I'm sure be glad to help you. On the blue line on top you'll see a "wiki" and "search" buttons that you can look up items of interest. Some of the varieties you may want to consider are Dwarf Orinoco, D, Namwah , D. Brazilian and some related to D, Orinoco such as California gold and Ca. cold hardy. You should do a bit of research and snooping around this site since in your area the sky's the limit as far as varietal choices and there are many. Good luck . Hope to hear more from you.

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Hi Anna, a big welcome to the board! :goteam: Maybe you should try something for fun like planting a whole lot of Super Dwarf Cavendish with a bunch Dwarf Cavendish behind as backdrop. They are nice eating though a little out of fashion. But.... it's the only forest of 'naner which you can look down and admire the view!:ha:

All the best to your final choice and do keep us posted.

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Hello Anna! :) you've found such a nice place...hang out in the sun sipping a margarita, under the nana's in a hammock; talk with your online friends...
Gino

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Hello Anna and Welcome!

That's a nice looking banana you're holding in your avatar! Though I don't think it's an Orinoco. It looks closer to a Hua Moa. The stem and tip end of the Orinoco are more tapered. The fruit you're holding has rounded ends, suggestive of the Hua Moa. What color is the pulp?

Again, welcome!

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

That one is kind of a monster fat 'naner, most of them are smaller and more pointy. But what do I know, LOL

The flesh is a little darker yelow than the commercial (cavendish?) supermarket bananas, with a hint of orange when they are completely soft and the skin turns black. The taste is a bit more acidic than the commercial banana. The flesh doesn't turn dark brown when it sits exposed to air for a while like the commercial bananas do.

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Hey neighbor! I'm in West LA close to the Culver City Art District, where are you located? I have Dwarf Cavendish, Raja Puri, and an unknown that I'm thinking is Dwarf Brazilian. Let me know if you need a pup.

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Welcome to the organization Anna!

That looks like your doing well with bananas already! Best wishes and good growing. :2239:

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

We ARE neighbors, I'm in West LA too! I'm happy to see that you're growing these dwarf varieties locally - nothing better than experience to know what does well here. If I end up picking one of those varieties, I just may take you up on that offer :)

:pinwheelnaner:

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

I have some mid sized plants that might work for you too! As for the leaves touching power wires I don't worry about it at all. Now if the P-stem (trunk) is touching then you have a problem. Lmk if you want to see the garden and maybe take some pups home.

Oh, Reds will loose their leaves and or at minimum turn yellow and look ugly during winter here, but I've never lost a plant completely and the fruit is amazing!

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Yup, that is indeed the problem. They grow taller than the power line and then when they flower I can end up with the whole big bunch of bananas hanging hooked over the line! So that one clump will have to go.

Dwarf Reds sound like a possibility, then...

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Oh yeah, you have to remove those!

I'm replacing my Tall Red Jamaicans with Dwarf Reds this year. Unless we get another arctic frost like we had in 07 I don't see a problem growing them here.

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Can I ask at this juncture...(I have read this on several posts...) what is acronynm for 'P-stem'? What does the 'P' stand for? Thank you in advance,
Gino :)

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Pseudo Stem

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Welcome Anna,

You will find a wealth of knowledge on bananas here and very helpful people willing to share their experiences.

Michael

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Thank you Today, 04:27 PM #15 (permalink)
momoese. I do know what a pseudo-stem is, and now understand the posts better. :)
Gino
edit: to spell his screen name proper :)

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

It's just easier to type, especially for keyboard challenged people like myself!

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Me too momoese, I am just learning this stuff. I can barely type. finger picker. lol (i KNOW the 'lol' from the commercials) Wife types 95 a minute. Geeps...but I can beat her on a dremel anyday :)
Gino

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Welcome to the Org, Anna, A ton of info, from very helpful friendly people! :bananas_b

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Greaaaattt...another person to be zone envious of.

Glad to have you aboard Miss Anna! Hope you find everything you are looking for and more!
BTW, if you read alot of Tog Tan's posts, especially ones of his hunting adventures, you will learn more Malay than anyone in your neighborhood or than you will ever hear in your life!

Shaggy

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Wlecome,
I hope by tear it out you mean just move it
My 1st nanas are on the way from Florida as of yesterday
I wish I lived in a warmer area

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Geezzzzz it's been a while!

Figured I'd update the thread, I should post another intro after all that time...

Lets see... My questionable Red Dwarf that I bought at OSH that had too-small leaves for it's variety, has done really well in the ground. Survived the winter w/o problems, and the leaves are nice and wide now, like they are supposed to be. My best guess is there wasn't enough nutrients when it was potted. Looks like it was labeled correctly, after all.

My Becky/Dwarf Brazilian and (I think?) Raja Puri bananas from Momoese are doing really well, lots of new growth and leaves, non e are flowering yet. The little bitty Psang Klotek pup died over winther though :( Maybe too cold or not enough light, IDK.

My Orinoco weeds are still growing like mad, I have six big bunches coming ripe at the same moment, more bananas than I know what to do with. Banana bread, Banana pies/cakes, banana pancakes, banana eclairs, banana pudding... And I'm gifting bananas to everyone who isn't sick of eating them yet. :)

I also bought an Ice Cream pup (per my mom's recommendation, after she tasted them on her Hawaii vacarion) and also got a couple pups that might be Manzana's. They came from a friend who doesn't know what they are. The mature plants are sort of a dwarf, max out at 10 ft, and their bananas are 3-4 inch long, rounded, fat, and delicious. Still have to find room to stick them in the ground somewhere.

I definitely caught the bug, and I hear it's contagious! :woohoonaner:

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Hey stranger, welcome back and good to hear you are having some success. :) I always have Pisang Klotek pups if you'd like a replacement.

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Welcome back to the forum! :D I was like totally lost on the dates here, LOL! I heard Ice Cream bananas are def sweet and I have one growing like a weed here in Oklahoma. I see u met Mitchel. It was his posts that helped me get my first successful pineapple started [thanx Mitch!]. C U around the threads!
Btw, in post #7 you did "cavendish?" about store bananas. They are Cavendish and the Dole/Chiquita ones are grown in Ecuador.

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Welcome back and congrats!

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Yeah, I didn't mean to drop off the face of the planet... But life got in the way of the internet things, haha.

I may take you up on that replacement. It's not too late in the season to plant a pup now? By the way, this spring I planted that orangey cherry tomato variety I saw at your place, I think it's called Sungold. Best producing and best tasting tomato I've had, AND it's even attracted a family of Hooded Orioles that nested somewhere nearby. (These guys Hooded Oriole - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). Pretty cool to watch, and the first time I had orioles right in my backyard.

So THANKS!

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

Wow that's really cool! I don't remember ever seeing those here. I have seen a few at Kenneth Hahn park though.

I just harvested the last of my Sungolds. Actually the plant is still producing but I have other plans for that area for Fall.

As for planting pups it is getting pretty late in the season but you can always keep one potted and have it ready for spring.

You still have my info? If not just pm me.

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

The orioles were very shy. I tried so hard to get a good pic and all I could manage was a couple blurry shots through the window. But I heard and saw them many times, there was an adult pair and 3 fledgelings. They liked my hummingbird feeder too. I haven't seen them recently. Maybe they decided to migrate.

I still have your info in one of the previous PM's, I think. How cold-hardy are the Pisang Klotek, I don't remember if you told me. I'm debating between getting one sometime soon and potting it or waiting until it warms up next spring and putting one directly in the ground. You have some pups from it now?

Re: Hello from Los Angeles
 

With our weather here you could probably plant one now and have it rooted before winter hits, or just keep it potted and then it will be rooted and ready for Spring. It's cold tolerance is about the same as my others. If we get a frost all the plants will loose their leaves but the pseudo stems and corms will survive. We've only had one frost strong enough to fry the leaves in the last 6 years here.

Give me a holler when your ready.