How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

:woohoonaner:

Bought a nanner at OSH, marked dwarf red. Tags says 6-8 ft tall max. Seems to match the pics in the wiki here, red on the stem, red vein on underside of the leaf. About 4ft tall right now in a 1 gallon pot, kinda rootbound, imo. Appears to have 1 pup starting right at the base of it.

Before I put it in the ground, however, I just want to be super sure I got the small variety. Any quick and easy way to tell?

Thanks!

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

Well, I'm no expert on this. There may be a way to tell them apart at that size but I don't know it. My advice is to let it grow....if it gets larger than 8 feet, it's the 'full-sized' variety! I realize this isn't much help...but what's the problem with having the wrong size since you already have the plant? I could see it being an issue before purchasing the plant, but once you have it in your possession, the only thing you can do is grow it and enjoy it!

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

The reason it would be a big problem, is I already have a honkin' big banana clump that is taller than the house roof and hooks over the powerlines with it's flowers and fruits, that I am getting rid of, to plant the dwarf red.

The dwarf is meant to replace that.

I don't want to have to kill this plant too. Yes, I got it already, but if it's a giant, I would rather put it in a different spot than go oops and chop and dig a couple years later. Or I could sell it while it's still little. Whatever.

And if it is a dwarf, it will go nicely in the spot vacated by the big banana, and I can save the other vacant spot for a different bigger variety. Thousand finger, or ice cream or something else.

So yeah... it is a problem...:2141:

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

Sounds reasonable to me.

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

The dwarfs have very wide shorter leaves..I seem to recall that there is a thread within the forum that covers this...

http://www.bananas.org/f2/musa-tall-...-red-5292.html

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

See how tall it gets?

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

LOL...yeah, that's pretty much what I said. It's kinda like that old saying of how to tell a black bear from a grizzly bear....just climb a tree. If it follows you up the tree, it's a black bear, and if it pushes the tree down, it's a grizzly. Guess that's not helpful for immediate identification, but that was my initial thought too.

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

Thanks guys... I guess I'll just have to put it in the ground and pray it stays small... LOL

How fast do they grow? And is it any help that at 4ft high it already has started a pup, or will the giant do that too?

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

Dwarf Reds have very broad leaves (in relation to the rest of the plant) even when they are very small....you should be able to tell the difference....do you have any pics?

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

A couple of pics, sorry about the bad quality, took these in the evening. Flash photo, hence the washed-out colors. Also, the pink/red color on the p-stem has faded somewhat in the shade. Does it look like a dwarf red to you??

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

Definitely not Dwarf Red....

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Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

Huh. So what in heck does it look like, then? I am confused. And admittedly banana illiterate :ha:

Thanks for the pics you posted, I am seeing the differences, I think. Mine has smaller leaves, short but not as wide, and the leaves don't grow one after the other in a fan shape like yours. Does have the pink/red on it, but it's faded in the shade...

It is a smaller plant, the white bucket in my pic is 2ft tall, so only 4ft high not counting the leaves. And it was only in a 1 gallon pot. So I wonder if that would make a difference?

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

that big one looks cool kind of like a white bird how they all grew evenly side to side

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

I consulted with another on of the members and he responded with....

"I looked at those pictures that Anna posted of her alleged Dwarf Red. While the pictures may not show all the same characteristics of a DR, there may still be a chance that it might be a DR. Some redeeming features are that the coloration is akin to a Red banana for sure and the length of the leaves are shorter than what you'd expect if it were a tall. The fact that the leaves are narrow compared to a DR, may just be due to the growing conditions and nutrition. Transplanting it to a larger pot or in the ground, and with proper nutrition may reveal its "true colors"."

Not the answer you were looking for..PM "Gabe15" he can probably answer...or "momese" as he grew tall reds for a long time and is now switching to Dwarf Reds.....

Regards

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

Any body wanna sell one? Please.

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

What is the red tinged banana in this pic??
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Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

Good eye. I loved it, but lost it last winter.

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

Bummer...what was it?

Dwarf red?

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

Yep. First one I owned. It is probably my favorite. Actually the same spot was reserved for it this year and is still vacant. All I can find is lil one's. Need to find a decent sized one so to fill the space. Any suggestions? Hey, you still sellin those Saba pups? Lost the one I got from you last year along with several other nana's.

Re: How to tell red dwarf from tall red?
 

Very nice..you have an amazing garden in Kansas no less...I actually lived in Kansas in 6th grade...1972-1973..

:bananas_b

BTW..nice plumeria popping up there...where did you score that?

A few figs on that fig tree...