Larry
 

Hello banana plant lovers. I live in Southern Alabama Baldwin County) in zone 8, and have been doing research on what banana trees will survive and produce fruit in our area. The best looking match so far seems to be the Blue Java or Ice Cream Banana. Love to hear about other plants that will survive our mild winters and produce fruit.

Be great to also know where the best source for trees would be. How many plants would you recommend planting. I own a small farm with sheep, horses, ducks, chickens and dogs. Have plenty of space to work with.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice you could give a green novice.

Larry

Re: Larry
 

Your zone will limit you. Maybe Veinte Cohol or 3640.. Short cycle bananas you can take a pup from in fall and plant outside in spring to hopefully get a bunch before the next winter.

Re: Larry
 

Exactly like Steve said. Short cycle like veinte cohol. You still have to overwinter the pup. Your goal is having a root bound 3'+ pup after last frost. Plant it in the ground and you will have ripe fruit by winter.

Cold hardy ones like Orinoco, namwa, the real blue java(very hard to get) take 2 years to fruit. You may be able to build mini greenhouses around them or get them through winter some other way. At 32F all leaves die and 25-30 depending on the variety they die to the ground. They will come back up next year but will not fruit. Most take about 300days average to fruit in my 8b then 3-4 months more to ripen.

Re: Larry
 

Welcome to the jungle...:woohoonaner:

Re: Larry
 

Zone 8...a Vc is not a fast plant from pup to fruit....Like y'all been told.

Neither is Patupi...

The climate is just not there from start to finish in Zone 8...or zone 7....or zone 6

..

Re: Larry
 

Welcome Here Larry

Re: Larry
 

These were pretty fast in my zone 8. No clue about colder zones. The bigger bunch rivals bunches I've seen in the tropics. :08:

http://www.bananas.org/f2/veinte-coh...ing-46374.html

My patupi I received as a TC in Feb. when it froze the flag was out the top. :(

Re: Larry
 

Welcome to the banana gang!.......:2723::bananarow::2723:

Re: Larry
 

Hi Larry-

Welcome aboard the Banana Express. :nanerwaveytrain:

Re: Larry
 

VC is the only variety here in zone 6 that I have been able to over winter inside and get an edible banana outside the next fall. Still working on it.

Re: Larry
 

I have a VC here, and so far am not impressed by superior growth, either. Now that winter is over, we will see... It's still about 2 feet tall now.

That said, it's in an area of my yard that's not the best, actually nothing seems to do well over there. You see, here in Florida, when preparing to build, they haul in truckloads of dirt (sand) from wherever to raise the elevation, and some loads are better than others. Apparently the load dumped back there was useless...

Re: Larry
 

Welcome to the group.
Craig

Re: Larry
 

They are very very slow for me until they hit about 5' then they are like a rocket. It's strange. I'm excited to see if they do that at your place also. You will know they are about to bloom when the leaves are sticking straight up and your worried it's gonna choke haha. Hold back the knife! The flower is coming. They seriously start filling before the last hand is made. So fast you can almost sit and watch them like balloons haha.

Good luck with all yours Steve.

Also my Paggi you sent never took off. Instead it popped up 4 pups and they are growing strong. How's yours doing?