nyoung

I am a complete newbie. My husband bought a Gros Michel plant, and I am going to try my best to help it grow. However, in all honesty, this was a venture I never, ever thought I would be involved in. So, that being said...

Hey! Nice to be here. I apologize in advance for my complete lack of knowledge. I love to learn, though, so that's a good thing. We live in the Seattle, WA suburbs, about 25 miles outside of downtown.

Our backyard is mostly sunny during the day, with areas of shade on the side. We have decent with shade at night, in the summer, and in the afternoon, during the winter. I am mostly looking for straightforward help to help me not kill my plant. Your patience and kindness is appreciated. I will do my best to get up to speed as quickly as possible. Nice to meet you and thanks in advance for the help.

edwmax

Welcome to the Bunch. ... A Gros Michel is not a good choice for you. Orinoco, California Gold or may be a Namwah would be better suited for your first time. The GM is very temperature sensitive and difficult to grow even in Florida north of zone 10.

I think you may be in growing zone 8 due to the warmer coastal breeze. I'm in 8a in south Georgia. I lost 4 GMs that I planted in the November of 2016. The corms didn't make it through the winter. ... So you would need to grow your GM in a green house; or dig it up each fall to over winter in the garage with a min. temp of 45 deg. F

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nyoung

Thanks for the "welcome". I did not ask for advice from anyone on which plant to get. Thanks for the unsolicited chastisement of the plant we ALREADY have. Like it said above, I am just trying to make the best of a situation that I find myself in, and not kill it. If it fails, so be it. But, thanks for descending to my level and taking it upon yourself to be the unwelcome wagon. Not new to forums, by the way. I just know to ignore you from here on out.

bushwack

welcome to the nanner gang, best wishes to a successful growing season,,
these guys have some good advice.

Mark Dragt

Welcome to the neighborhood! I hope to see you around!

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise

cincinnana

Welcome to the Jungle...

Have fun here.

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edwmax

Have at it. ... I wasn't trying to be an UN-welcome wagon or chastise you. But only letting you know the GM is a difficult nana plant. I also gave you info how to get it through your winters if you care to keep growing the plant. Otherwise the plant should do ok through the summer months if planted in the ground. ... You did say you were "excited to learn". Apparently, you meant "on you own" without help.

You'll learn just like the rest of us ... by killing our first (or couple) nana plants! ... Bananas like company, get another plant or two (or more). Haha

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Akula

Welcome!

Plenty of information can be accessed by looking through the old posts, using the search function and reading the local wiki on bananas. Information, questions, techniques, and problems have been accumulating since 2007.

Ed gave you some solid if a bit blunt advice based on real experience but it may be possible to successfully grow the GM in your grow zone with resources and effort. I'm growing two cold hardy varieties on the Gulf Coast of Florida and its tough during the winter. Check out the photos in my gallery to see the efforts I have expended to grow my plants in Northwest, Florida as an example.

On a potentially positive note you may not even have a GM. Seems like more than half the bananas people on this site purchased turned out to be something else...the only catch is they found out two years down the road which is a bit frustrating. Haha.

Good Luck!

beam2050

all right EXCITEMENT. its been stuffy in here lately.

wad I miss?????????

a yeah.


WELCOME

hey ed. hower all yer bananas doin after this past winter? looking as pathetic as mine?

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

edwmax

Every thing died back. Looks bad. In the small patch, the plants have been pushing new for a month now except the Gros Michel & Gran Nain. This after noon I found the Namwah mat has a pup pushing in the big patch. ... I still hoping I haven't lost many corms. ... i do have a Hua Moa & Blue Java growing in the Green house as a back up. ... Are your nanas showing yet?

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beam2050

pretty much lost all my mother plants. got a dwarf red just starting to show. and a namwa mother that's struggling, finally cut her to the near ground, with this warm weather she should be ok. only lost one totally and that was a namwa, she was 7 ft at Christmas. lost her pup to. but go figure 8 ft away my kandarin which did the best is flourishing, her and her pup. with 60 degree weather at night the snow nanner is starting to pop. everything else thru out pups. thought id lost myflorida variegated but discovered a second pup yesterday. the ones that did the worst were the dwarf Cavendish and gran nains, which those are the ones everybody wants to sell around here. go figure.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

duaneh

i think you seriously need to chill he wasn't chastising you . he was trying to give advise based on his experience.maybe you should try to learn from others and not take offence when someone offers advice.

HMelendez

Welcome to the banana gang!.....




Max (edwmax) gave you a very positive advice, based on his growing expererience!.....

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