Larry

LarryK · 03-01-2017, 06:37 PM

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

sputinc7 · 03-01-2017, 06:59 PM

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.

Tytaylor77 · 03-01-2017, 07:08 PM

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.

cincinnana · 03-01-2017, 07:15 PM

Welcome to the jungle...

cincinnana · 03-01-2017, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sputinc7

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tytaylor77

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.

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

..

JBijl · 03-01-2017, 08:56 PM

Welcome Here Larry

Tytaylor77 · 03-01-2017, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cincinnana

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

..

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

Veinte Cohol Flowering

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

HMelendez · 03-02-2017, 05:23 AM

Welcome to the banana gang!.......

Snarkie · 03-02-2017, 02:29 PM

Hi Larry-

Welcome aboard the Banana Express.

scottu · 03-02-2017, 07:54 PM

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.

sputinc7 · 03-03-2017, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cincinnana

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

..

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...

CraigSS · 03-04-2017, 02:37 PM

Welcome to the group.
Craig

Tytaylor77 · 03-04-2017, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sputinc7

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...

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?

03-01-2017, 06:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
LarryK Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 2 BananaBucks : 1,388 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	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

03-01-2017, 06:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
sputinc7 Location: Palm Bay, Florida Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Name: Steve Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,394 BananaBucks : 101,842 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 352 Times Was Thanked 2,430 Times in 971 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 295 Times	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. __________________ If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win. https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel. What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

03-01-2017, 07:08 PM	#3 (permalink)
Tytaylor77 Banana Plants for Trade Location: East Texas Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Ty Join Date: Jun 2015 Posts: 1,367 BananaBucks : 47,677 Feedback: 11 / 100% Said "Thanks" 4,612 Times Was Thanked 3,726 Times in 1,185 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 424 Times	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. __________________ 150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more! CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES OF MY MUSA COLLECTION! www.bananapups.com

03-01-2017, 07:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
cincinnana container grower Location: Southwest Ohio U.S.A.🇺🇸 Find me on the map! Zone: HZ 6/5 Microclimate - Elevation 750 feet- 228.60 meters Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 8,782 BananaBucks : 745 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,865 Times Was Thanked 11,706 Times in 4,870 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,943 Times	Re: Larry Welcome to the jungle... __________________ Cincinnana/Hostafarians Photo Gallery 🌴

03-01-2017, 08:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
JBijl Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 112 BananaBucks : 2,917 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 579 Times Was Thanked 206 Times in 98 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 67 Times	Re: Larry Welcome Here Larry

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03-02-2017, 05:23 AM	#8 (permalink)
HMelendez The Banana Gang Enforcer Zone: 10B-11 Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 2,750 BananaBucks : 192,888 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 11,104 Times Was Thanked 5,278 Times in 1,618 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 737 Times	Re: Larry Welcome to the banana gang!....... __________________ HMelendez Photo Gallery

03-02-2017, 02:29 PM	#9 (permalink)
Snarkie The Cat Whisperer Location: Charlotte, NC Zone: 8b, pushing 9a Name: D.A. Hänks Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 2,119 BananaBucks : 155,250 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,218 Times Was Thanked 1,970 Times in 1,145 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,049 Times	Re: Larry Hi Larry- Welcome aboard the Banana Express. __________________ Doug (D.A. Hänks) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2955582/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 The Only Eastern Redwood Forest in America "Nuke my 'nanners, will you?!"

03-02-2017, 07:54 PM	#10 (permalink)
scottu <div style="font-weight: bold;"><div style="font-weight: bold;">&lt;div style=&quot;font-weight: bold;&quot;&gt;&amp;lt;di v style=&amp;quot;font-weight: bold;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&a mp;amp;lt;di v sty scottu 's Photo Gallery Location: Bethlehem,Pa. Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Name: scott Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 1,192 BananaBucks : 7,509 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,595 Times Was Thanked 857 Times in 368 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3,323 Times	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. __________________ Viva La Banana

03-04-2017, 02:37 PM	#12 (permalink)
CraigSS CraigSS Location: Smith Mountain Lake; SW VA Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Name: CraigSS Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 238 BananaBucks : 15,880 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 365 Times Was Thanked 323 Times in 146 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 172 Times	Re: Larry Welcome to the group. Craig __________________ Find me on the map!

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