1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

I believe....

california gold banana plant - eBay (item 220373604467 end time Mar-13-09 13:28:36 PDT)

I don't know this seller. Maybe he/she is a member here???

Harvey

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

I wonder if it is California Gold or the California Cold Hardy????

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

The seller says it is California Gold purchased from Jeff Earl. Jeff's brother-in-law Shawn sells the California Hardy. Jeff does not sell that plant.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

I'll have one at the end of the month depending on how the one under my house has done.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Someone already put a bid on it..............Wonder who?

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

I'm not familiar with the California Gold, is that a fair price for that banana?

Michael

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Outside of Ae Ae and some other variegated bananas which I'm nuts over, I don't think any pup should go for over $50 but Jeff Earl regularly gets over $100 on eBay auctions for his bananas on eBay. Since this guy got his mother plant from Jeff Earl, it should be worth the same. I believe the lowest price Jeff got on eBay in 2007 was about $41 but the prices stayed much higher than that in 2008. I gave away three pups in 2008 but don't think I'll have any in 2009 (I am not going to keep a waiting list, I just give them to friends in return for other favors, etc.)

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Seeing how special this cultivar is, what exactly is a California Gold? Which existing cultivar is it nearest/most similar to? It's like you guys wondering Kluay 'What' = Pisang 'What'. Thanks :ha:

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Jon has a whole collection of quotes on his site, some of which are from here, with a lot of wild guessing of what California Gold might be. Jeff Earl bought it from some now defunct nursery in Texas many years ago from a Mexican guy that didn't know what it was, as I recall.

ENCANTO FARMS

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

I have 4 pups with my Caifornia Gold right now but they are still small.
See my pics of the mother with flowers.
But I bought the mother for more than $200 so it is not cheap.And I had to dig it up myself and drove about 90 miles.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Benny, I remember you paid something like $200 for his original large California Gold so that makes even my Ae Ae purchases seem good. lol

Benny, you better sell your pups for $50 at least to recover your "investment"! ;)

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Here's an old picture.



but it has a flower riight now.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Ha-ha Harvey. I intend to but no takers yet. I already promise one for Laaz.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

And here's how it looks today.
And to think that the height is only 4'6" in the middle of the fruit stem to ground. and only 5' 4 " at the top of the fruit stem.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Benny, I was telling Kern about your banana yesterday (I rode with him and his wife to Gene's). He has had a lot of cold-related deaths of his avocados and I told him that he really should try to build a temporary shelter for them. Congrats on your Cal Gold.

I got one Cal Gold from Joe and bought another direct from Jeff in 2007, but it has grown slowly. He suggested I dig it up and mix up the soil with more compost, etc. to see if that gives it a jump start as this has worked with him for some of his slow growers.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Has anyone stored them over the winter dry root under there house? If yes was there any success?

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

And I already gave one to Joe Real a while back. But he is a special friend who supplied me with his home made wine which are made from different citrus and other fruits. My favorite is his pomegranate wine. Totally impressive.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

It must be a pup from what I gave him.
The picture above was a pup from what I gave to Joe also.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

I got one Cal Gold from Joe in June 2000 when it was a nearly mature plant (it bloomed 2 weeks after I transplanted it). He said he got it directly from Mike. This is a version that is taller, fruiting at 9'. Jeff said he usually culls those out. I'm hoping my other plant from Jeff will fruit at the normal height.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

We are fortunate enough not to do that. I live in zone 9 and all I need for my bananas to survive during winter time is to put a clear plastic cover on top of the bananas without any heater or Christmas lights. That is after they are more than 3 feet tall. If smaller than that, I put clear plastics around and over them. Or put a 30 gallon pot at night and remove them during the day. I seldom do that only when the tempt outside goes below 40 degrees.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Taylor stored his under his parents' house last winter and harvested something like 23 fingers last Thanksgiving.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

I have, with mixed results. The first time, I left too many leaves on it and it died back down to the corm. The second time, it still died back a little, but the main pseudostem survived and grew well. This is the third time, and I haven't been under the house to check on it yet. I'll let you know in a few weeks!

Frank

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

With that kind of dedication you and others like yourself seriously need to think about relocating to a warmer zone!

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

If I moved to a warmer zone I could not sell them as well as I do here. No true tropicals in the nurseries here. I have a friend in Florida on the west coast that can't get over what certain tropicals sell for here. Some as much as ten times what he can get because they are common there.

Michael

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Great success. Comes out of the basement in Spring looking like it was fresh and just out of the ground.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Harvey's right. 23 fingers of that mother plant.

I have nothing to do with the one on eBay, in case anyone is wondering.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Ok that give me hope.
Bigdog, when yours died back to the corm, it still came back correct?

Hopefully in about 20 years I can retire to Savanah, that's as warm as I can get my wife to move to.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

WOW!!! Benny Very impressive... I've got an extra $50..LOL
Kylie:waving:

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Kyle: Your offer is very tempting except that the pups are not ready yet. This CG plant is very unrealistic. It is so different and difficult to understand.
First , it took more than 2 years before it had pupped. Then it gave out 2 pups only. When the largest pup was 3 feet tall I thought it was ready for transfer but when I dug it out not a single root was attached to the corm. As a result, it died on me. I am now very careful with this 4 pups it has. One is already compromised. He is waiting for it for over 2 years now. And you know I have to leave one pup at least to continue its species. Then the 2 pups will be one for you but I don't know when. You might get one sooner at some other place and I won't blame you.
I have I think 23 varieties and I never have any problems with any of them plucking their pups. Some are still pups but would put out more pups than it could supply food. And all of them when I dug them out there were always plenty of roots attached. Not so with this CG.
But CG is my cold- hardiest of them all.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Thanks Benny!!!
If you would keep me in mind I would appreciate it.. I don't mind waiting.. If I ever come up with anything you are looking for let me know!!!
Kylie:waving:

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

No kidding! I've considered North Florida, but I just don't personally handle the heat that well, being a big guy. My family has some acreage in Milton, and my folks live in Gainesville. I'd love to move to Milton, honestly. Right near the most beautiful beaches in the Southeast!

Yes, it did.

Frank

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Well I won it. Came in the mail today

Unfortunatly it came with "friends"

lots of them

Needless to say they were't paying rent so I gave them a shower with extra soap. I'm going to assume this is in fact a "Gold" and not a "Cold Hardy" since there was some question. I'll post it back up after this season for positive ID.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

I'm disappointed...that seller was from Arkansas. That's not southern hospitality! Any plants I send will always be top notch!

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

I'm figuring it was indoors in dry air all winter. Still the seller could have rinsed and sprayed. On the bright side it had a tremendous root system, so much I could barely fit it in its temporary home ,a 5 gal pot.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

I wonder if the Seller was just sour grapes for not getting as much as he was expecting.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

That's what I was wondering too. The plant does look healthy though.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

If he's not happy with $54.00 and sent you that in spite, I would honestly doubt his validity....and probably ask Jeff Earl if this guy had bought from him. Not to start a controversy or anything....just my opinion.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

I don't see any need for any such speculation. I'd imagine that the seller was happy to get $54. Until last year, there were several plants that Jeff sold on eBay that fetched for less than that. One sold for $41 in 2007, if I recall correctly. Jeff sold me one in person for $35. I imagine the seller just didn't see this as a problem or know what to do about it. At least it was something you could easily correct. Good luck!

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Harvey, good point! I was only looking at it from one side...

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Chris, I don't think Taylor put his nana to sleep like big dog. If it came out "fresh" with leaves on it, he kept it in a pot & in barely moist soil. Frank cuts the leaves off & keeps dry bare roots. Under the house is diff than a basement.

Congrats Bob...I didnt realize CG was that popular. It looks healthy despite the pests. They still should not've sent it like that.

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Winter of 2007-2008:

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Now that looks familiar, I'll be looking at that x 10 in about 2 weeks

Re: 1st California Gold on eBay in 2009
 

Thanks guys, I didn't mean to imply anything about the seller other than that they could have hosed it off and gave it a soap spray(which I did and will again this afternoon). The plant actually seems very healthy and in fact I should have taken a picture of the root system which was just outstanding. I barely fit them in a 5 gal pot(it will go in the ground in May). Now the big decision is how to best try to induce flowering/ fruiting over the next couple of years. How I'm going to pay next winters heating lighting bill...etc. Thanks.