dcel22

Hello,

I am new to this forum.

:woohoonaner :

I am looking for suggestions on a plant that will produce edible fruit in Southeastern Michigan. I believe I am zone 6. I can either overwinter the plants or bring them in during the winter. If bringing the plants in for the winter can help provide a longer growing season and allow the plant to bear fruit I'd be willing to bring the plant in each year. For searching around it seems like an "Ice Cream" would be a good plant? Yes, no? Thoughts? Thanks for the suggestions!

Also, is there a good section on the forums to read some basic info for beginners? I am looking to find out exactly what pups are and if I can cut the "pseudo stem" as tall as I can fit indoors when bringing in for the winter. I am assuming the pseudo stem to be the stem? Anyway, anywhere for learning terminology would be great as well. Thanks!

Illia

The "Ice Cream" that most nurseries sell is often Namwah I believe, which yes, is a good variety however you are indeed pretty cold up there. I really would recommend you bring them in, whether as a bare corm or in a very large pot in the winters.

Some short season bananas include, at least to my knowledge, - Rajapuri, Goldfinger, and California Gold. Veinte Cohol can produce in less than a year unlike most others, but it isn't cold hardy, so you'd need to send it packing before it freezes. Most other bananas, as long as you can provide for them during the winter, are pretty good choices but won't fruit for over a year considering the months taken off during their dormant winters. If you're going to be moving nanners about during the fall and spring though, my best advice is for dwarf varieties. Dwarf Namwah, Dwarf Orinoco, Dwarf Brazilian, California Gold, Rajapuri, are some great ones with decent cold hardiness though I doubt to your zone, so like said, be careful once fall comes around. Less cold hard dwarf varieties that really need to be watched are Cavendish types like Gran Nain, Double / "Mahoi," Williams, and the non-Cavendish Dwarf Red. Rose is another short banana, don't know how cold hardy it is yet, but the downside is that it pups heavily, so, you might have quite the bundle to move around.

Edited to add, be aware that some varieties take longer for fruit to develop and ripen than others, so if your banana flowers too late in the year, you're out of luck. Consider variables like how warm your summers get (the warmer the better) and how long your season is (longer the better) It's always wise to choose varieties that don't take too long to mature, fruit-wise. That way the banana can flower later in the year and you don't need to worry as much. Because, truth is, bananas can flower whenever they feel it is best, - Which means it can happen as soon as they come out of dormancy in the spring or even right as fall is coming along.

raygrogan

Pawpaws - sometimes called "Indiana banana" are a tasty fruit that can grow as far north as Ontario.

Illia

I was thinking of saying that, but, didn't know if it would be too irrelevant to the subject of bananas. Pawpaws are incredibly amazing though. I've got 7 trees, and that's just a starter. I haven't been able to attest to their flavor but most people I hear say they are more like mango-banana than vanilla or straight banana-y flavor. The texture is always said to be custardy though.

Abnshrek

IC or Namwah would be fine if you have 20' ceiling in your home, other wise I'd stick to a Dwarf variety. I have 3 Cali-gold pups I'm going to list come the end of the month. They are pretty hardy but all banana's that fruit (etible) don't like frost or to be froze yah know.. :^)

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

raygrogan

Not to be a pawpaw hijack ... but flavor - hope you get lucky this year. It is unmistakably tropical, but not really banana. If it is an average variety and picked averagely (when soft) about half the people I give them to like them OK, about a fourth love 'em. If it is one of the top tasters, and I let them ripen 100% on the tree (put a soft landing something under to drop on), that can be as high as 100% true love.

Illia

Do you have a seedling or named variety? I'm aware that they should be quite ripe, and aren't too banana-y. I'm hoping I will love them as much as I am excited about them but have indeed heard of people who don't like 'em. I have currently 4 different named varieties and 3 seedlings from locally grown varieties (since with our poor climate, I can't risk getting seedlings from, say, someone in the midwest) So, who knows, perhaps one will taste incredibly good and another not as much. I hope to love 'em all though.

(sorry for the brief hijack)

dcel22

All good with the hijack Any info helps as I haven't grown much!

I've seen on the internet to winterize people will cut the stem of the plant around 2 feet tall and cover it with mulch for the winter. If I were to bring the plants in during the winter could I cut the stem around 8 feet tall? I am wondering since my ceilings are only 8 feet tall, I'd like to bring in as much of the plant for the winter to help give it that much more of a chance to produce fruit for the next season.

Thoughts? Could this be possible? If the banana plants are held at 45 degrees or above would that be fine also for most plants? (Wondering because I'd most likely store them in the basement where it is cooler but there is more space)

Thanks!

Illia

Storing them at anything non-freezing but below 55 degrees is fine. Cutting back that much is fine, but also remember that they can be leaned against the wall which helps save on height. Another thing, by the time they're 8-10 feet they should be able to flower in a season. But, this is where dwarf types always come in handy. Cutting back a banana is perfectly fine but don't cut them at too tall or too late an age, as you might cut the flower bud inside.

So, if you want to cut, don't do it too late. Your first year you should be fine, it's the next year that you'll really start asking questions. In a year, a standard 10+ foot variety will grow, at least out here, a max 7 feet at the P-Stem. It's still got a lot left especially in terms of time, so no cutting is needed. But, if it were, it's still early enough that it would be okay. Once you put it out the second year, it will continue to grow taller and that's when you start asking questions about the next winter, unless of course it is an earlier blooming variety.

raygrogan

Pawpaws - I've tasted about 30 named varieties and 60 seedlings. Of the varieties there are a half dozen I really like (Susquehanna and Shenandoah from Peterson (and I think his Potomac), NC-1, Taytwo, and #21 - can't remember name). The Shenandoah is probably the quickest to start fruiting, and overall one of the most dependable. Of the seedlings I have settled on only one of them being in the same class as the very best.

2009 Pawpaw Cultivar List and Fruit Photographs

waggoner41

Since the subject of PawPaws has been raised.

Does anyone have an idea how they would do in zone 11?

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Soil Type: Black Loam

Illia

Wow, lucky you! I've wanted to try some Peterson varieties but worry about them fruiting too late for our short cool summers. If Shenandoah is that early though, perhaps I should give it a try. At the moment I have Taylor, Davis, Mango, and Penn. Golden. Plan to do NC-1, Overleese, TayTwo, and Sunflower.

PawPaws are not for zone 11. They require at least 900 chill hours. But remember, in zone 11 you get ALL of their relatives, so why one could complain? (Biriba, Ilama, Soursop, Sweetsop, Cherimoya, Custard Apple, Atemoya, etc)

waggoner41

When you know nothing you have to ask.

You've given me a start, the internet will provide more information.

I have a family of ten to feed and would like to have enough to provide to the poorer families in our Barrio.

We will be planting a large variety of fruit trees here but bananas give us a quick start in production.

Thanks again.

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Soil Type: Black Loam