Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, I don't seem capable of formulating an appropriate search string to find my desired results;
however, I was wondering how you are supposed to plant your bananas back in your garden when you have overwintered them with the BIgdog method, once you decide that temperatures are high enough. I wonder if there's a special method to plant them back, or there are some suggestion and/or observation i should be aware of.
Two years ago i planted carelessy a Dwarf Namwah and a "Comune di Sicilia" and both of their pseudostem rotted (the "comune di sicilia" rotted to the corm). I planted both in the middle of march and two weeks later there was the wettest aprile ever, with cold temperature (but well above freezing) and they suffered a lot i guess.
Moreover, here the soil get very cold during winter, so i was wondering if i should open an hole in advance to have te sun heating the deepest layer of the soil, or if i should mix the amendants in advance. The plant, as for now is really wihout roots, and half leaf, so i guess that once I plant it outside, it will have a big transpiration, but leaving half leaf seems the standard in the plants overwintered with this method.
Any suggestion? Should i be worried? I have always seen picture of people bringing their plant inside for winter, i've never seen picture of people bringing their bananas out for spring.

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

Replant and make them raised beds w/ a bunch of mulch on top.. :^)

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

I always grew overwinter pups in pots in a warm room when I lived in N Carolina. With lighting and a small fan to circulate air. Planted them in the garden after the last official day of frost passed. The idea was to get them as big as possible to offset the 5 cold months they can't be in the ground. Planting in raised mounds will work as long as the corms are not constantly wet.

By the way Pan did you see what Keith said about the taste of the Viente Cohol? Very good news.

Dan

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

Good news indeed! Veinte Cohol seems a good banana all around. The only real complain i can make is the lack of cold hardiness, but advantages look like can offset that. Expecially the fact that it does keep a reasonable plant size, comparable with the smallest dwarfs.

Daniel, if i recall correctly you managed to fruit one of your plants with this method of potting up while you lived in NC. Which cultivar it was? Did it fruit outside and you potted it after the flower showed up, or did it flower while potted?

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

The one I fruited in N Carolina was Dwarf Orinoco.

To recap ---- Mid October 2001 I was walking to the garden with the dog, and looking up I saw the DO had popped a flower. Totally unexpected.
Made the decision, on the spot, to dig it up and pot it and bring it in the house. First freeze was forecasted in 2 days. It was very heavy but I managed to get it to the 2nd floor. I had put it in a clay pot which I regretted later. Put it in the master bedroom tub because there was a skylight above it. Four months later I harvested 72 fingers. Wrote an article for the newspaper that never ran.

The DO tasted wonderful to me since it was the only bunch I ever grew. Brought the corms to S FL and had a very big full sized bunch of fingers.

Then I found out what the DO really tasted like and
never grew it again! lol

Then I found Going Bananas nursery down where my cousin lives and the rest is history.

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

Amazing! It does seems a good sized bunch too! Why don't you grow them anymore? Are they so bad? I have read good things about tall orinoco, apparently.
I have a D.O. too, which i hope to bloom soon, it is 4 feet tall. Started it as small plant in may 2012. Takes some time!!! This year I potted it in august, and it was able to overwinter keeping 3 leaves, so i'm hoping for a quick start once the temperature rise.
I have choosen this cultivar because, aside from hardiness, i hope to be able to eat even the undeveloped fruit, if they fill enough. It is a good characteristic, in places with a short growing season. Too bad they take forever to ripe.
Why did you regret the use of the clay pot?

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

Oh no do they taste that awful I to have a D O in hope of having some good eatin and the fact it should stay a smaller size so i could bring it in during cold months :doggyandnaner::2182:but it soumd like I have messed up :(( I thiught they where suppose to taste pretty good ! This is bad news for me I live in zone 7 an knowing It won't last the winter here I would bring it in just for the fruit but if they taste bad I may not want to go through the trouble considering it may get pretty big this makes me wannt to get a super dwarf cavendish lol ! Do they taste any better ????? newbee ha ha and thanks yawl for you info I just live my bananas :)

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

The taste of the DO is ok. What I meant was --- there are so many that taste better. And it's very cold tolerant. Going Bananas introduced me to Goldfinger which is so good the mat will never be replaced. Then I found Pisang Klotek. Taste over the top - but it takes a year and a half from sucker to fruit on the table. \\

Today I wait for my first Morado, Pisang Raja, ARH, Njalipoovan, Chini Champa and Viente Cohol mats to produce.

I regretted the clay pot because of the extra weight. The pstem plus wet soil was heavy enough!!! Didn't have a big enough plastic pot at the time.

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

Omgoodness you have a big variety :) an what are some other cold hardy that taste good???? That would mayb grow where I kive but stay small do you know?

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

The Chini Champa grows in the foothills of the Himalayas in India. Has good cold tolerance. But it gets tall. There is no such thing as cold hardy bananas. Cold tolerant yes.

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

Banana pstem can be really heavy. You can't imagine how much they weight till you have lifted one for the winter! The "comune di sicilia" wich was little under 7' was so heavy that i was barely capable of uprooting it in the autumn of 2011. I don't think i can grow anything over 7-8 feet, under any circumstance.

I'ts good to hear that Goldfinger is so good. I have one wich survived its first winter. I wonder how well it can do in pot. I think that asacomm has one potted. The time from flower to harvest should be not very long, so if i can get an early bloom...

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

That's when you need one of these.. Holds up to 1000 lbs..

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

I'm about to buy one! But it should of those with three whell on both sides, capable to bring things upstairs too. :0519:

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

that looks like the one i have. thanks

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

Looks like the one I have too.. :^)

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

I could not manage without a hand truck. I drilled some holes in the load plate and mounted a larger platform for big pots and bags of fertilizer, etc.

Also --- the number one thing to do is replace the inflatable tires with solid rubber ones. Pricey, but will last forever. Just don't leave the HT outside. And lubricate axels and wheel ball bearings frequently.

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

Before
Plant leaves are halved to cut down on space and light foot print in basement and water requirements.
Plants are put side by side in a basement for 5 months with little light and water.
Ambient temp...........65F or more.




HERE is a pic of plants being taken out of the basement...

After 5 months
Plants look almost just as good as they were put in the basement.
BUT ......These plants are stressed..........Let me say it again STRESSED.
Pstems are soft and lethargic as well as the leaves.
Bloods take it the worst....However this year my Viente Cohols went back to the corm.....recovering.

THESE pics are from the last two years .........Same similar story

I repot most of these plants in the spring with a new soiless mix and uppot up many as well:)
I will also separate the last years pups from the main plant, I try to do this in the spring
to give them a better start.

My soil is not that great to work with.... Glaciated clay... UGH.
That is why I do containers.





And then....I tuck the containers in here and there.



Photo of some good Ohio glaciated clay in the yard



:ha:

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

Good idea.

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

Wow I have no room for all that lol I will deffinetly have to keep mine outside all winter but they are beautiful ;)!!!

Re: Time to put the bananas outside for spring!
 

My big ones will have to stay out next winter, i am thinking pups 3 feet tall or less will make the garage trip next fall.