Is this a banana flower?
 

I was stringing up some string beans last night and looked over at my banana plants and saw what looked like a stem had snapped forward.... until I took a closer look. Is this really a banana flower? I am in the Mid Atlantic states and did not expect to see something like this until late in the year.

Re: Is this a banana flower?
 

Congrats.. :^)

Re: Is this a banana flower?
 

good going..what kind??how long growing??

Re: Is this a banana flower?
 

It is a Musa Basjoo. This is its third growing season. The flower is on the mother "stem". I bought one plant in 2011 and proceed to nearly kill it with too much Miracle Gro. I bought this one as a replacement and planted them side-by-side. The first one survived and they grew to about eight feet the first year.

I overwintered them with the leaves, chicken wire, agriculture cloth, upside trash can method. We had a mild winter and the stem started to grow in early 2012. They grew to over 12 feet.

Last year, I decided to use plenty of hay and giant tarp since the diameter of the stems at the base are nearly a foot across. No room for chicken wire or a trash can. Then Sandy came along and blew all the tarps off. We also had several follow up winter storms with high winds. When I took the tarps off in April, most of the banana plant stems had rotten. I had to cut this one down to about two feet.

This summer has been so wet, we had 13 inches of rain in June and these guys were sitting in water for several days but they have been growing like crazy. They are already eight feet in height.

I had an ice cream, a blue java, and a dwarf cavendish but none survived the winter.

What should I do now that I have a flower? Any special care?

Re: Is this a banana flower?
 

Pray for good weather and make sure it gets water and ferts as needed. We got a bloom on a Praying Hands and it is doing good with 5 hands, the rest have fallen of the bloom but it keeps putting them out. Thought I might cut the bloom and try it for a side at supper. Good growing, down here in Florida the weather changes often but with the better forecasts it is easier to care for the plants. Also a lot of rain as most of the east coast had also. Stay healthy.

Re: Is this a banana flower?
 

I have been giving the plants a light feeding of Miracle Gro every two to three weeks since April, about half a teaspoon in four gallons of water.

It has been very wet here this summer. I installed an elaborate (for me anyway) dribbler system Memorial Day weekend. I have not had to turn it on once. However, this weekend has been all 90+ days.

I will keep up with the water and keep my fingers crossed.

BTW, the flower bud has dropped lower and the pistels (???) are now exposed. I am truly amazed this has happened in the middle of summer.

Re: Is this a banana flower?
 

Here is how it looks today.

Re: Is this a banana flower?
 

That flower is beautiful!! :ha:
I can't wait for mine to bloom.
How tall is was it when it began blooming?

Re: Is this a banana flower?
 

Congratulations! I was also completely surprised by my first banana flower, so I know how it is. I had been told that I was too far north for bananas to produce fruit, and I knew so little that I got worried when an unusually short leaf came out. I figured I had done something wrong, and I only got more worried when no leaves whatsoever emerged for quite a while. Then came the day that I looked out and the tree seemed to be giving birth to a football. It's been years now, and those flowers still amaze me.

By the way, having been told that my banana would never flower, I have had the thrill of eating my own bananas. I had to cut them down before a frost and let them ripen hanging in my garage (which was a real test of patience), but they were delicious. You just never know.....

Anyway, enjoy your banana flower! I'm very happy for you.

Re: Is this a banana flower?
 

the first bananas since we left Key West and can't wait for them to ripen. 2 plants have fruit, praying hands and orinoco. there are several others that we feel sure will also blooms and fingers are crossed. Good growing.