Hello...Novice needs some help
 

:camelnaner: I've been a member now for a while but haven't posted but have read many of your excellent posts. My 10 year old daughter and I planted some Cavandish bananas last year and watched them grow, good father-daughter time. We were excited to see bananas grow but for some reason they appeared in December (as you see we're novices at this). We live just north of Tampa, FL and were upset to see the recent hard frost appear to kill our banana plants. Does anyone have any idea of what we could do to try an rescue them?

Re: Hello...Novice needs some help
 

We were excited to see bananas grow but for some reason they appeared in December (as you see we're novices at this). We live just north of Tampa, FL and were upset to see the recent hard frost appear to kill our banana plants. Does anyone have any idea of what we could do to try an rescue them?

Do you mean 'disappeared?

Re: Hello...Novice needs some help
 

welcome to the forum! parent child time is very important. if your nanas disappeared go and get a few more. you might next time if its gonna be a light freeze throw a light weight blanket over them and kind of secure them. it will keep the frost or freeze off the leaves, and you can remove it easly. im a newbe also. its just what i do with my iris and my daylilies. it works. again welcome!!! we are glad you decided to post.:2236: :03: :0518: :2212: :jumpingonbednaner:

Re: Hello...Novice needs some help
 

I mean appeared, the banana actually 'sprouted' in December, grew a nice bunch of about 40 6 inch bananas :0490: , I was expecting to see them in the summer months.

Re: Hello...Novice needs some help
 

did the corms below the soil die? if not they should sucker when it is time, a typical banana has 5 primary buds and some don't sprout but will in time of need. if your corms are still alive and send out suckers you should see sooner fruiting. you can always dig up a corm to see if it is alive, if it is either replant or store it somewhere cool, under 50F, and replant when fear of freeze passes.

fruiting typically takes about 10-15 months of good warm weather depending on the cultivar.

Re: Hello...Novice needs some help
 

Post a pic if you can.

Re: Hello...Novice needs some help
 

I would be suprised if the whole plant died as soon as some warmer weather come around you shoud see some pups come up.

Re: Hello...Novice needs some help
 

Nice to see more people on the forum! :-)

Cavendish is one of the least hardy banana-species. Why not try another species such as Ice Cream, Brazilian, Dwarf Brazilian, Saba (if you have space), or Orinoco? These should be better suited to your climate! Also, when a frost like that approaches, cover the plants in something.

Erlend

Re: Hello...Novice needs some help
 

Welcome Narbon! There's a good chance it will come back up, give it some tlc.