Melissa31487

Hi everyone.

This morning I walked outside and saw my blue Java banana tree with almost mature fruit snapped in half. It’s been leaning a lot as the fruit has grown and I have not staked it up. So it is now snapped in half with the fruit still on it on the ground. The fruit is still firm and has not begun to ripen to a yellow color anywhere on it. Can I leave it like this and will it still mature or what do I do?? I’m so worried this fruit will die before harvesting!

Has this happened to you and if so what did you do??

Spaceag07

Have you considered removing the fruit and force ripening? I hear that putting them in a bag with a few apple peels or banana peels will do the trick. They need to be in the presence of sufficient quantities of ethylene to turn yellow and soft.

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Currently growing: 3X Gran Nain, 2X Dwarf Brazilian, 2X Blue Java
Wanted: Pitogo, Dwarf Orinoco, Dwarf Namwah

Melissa31487

Is this a proven method that will help my fruit or an old wives tale that may jeopardize my fruit?

HMelendez

Melissa,



It works!.....Throw a couple of apples inside of a paper bag with the Blue Java fruit and it will help you ripen the fruit!....Hopefully the Blue Java bunch is fill-in enough!.....Has been mentioned before the ethylene on the apples will help, speed up the ripen process!....Please post some pictures of the harvesting Blue Java fruit!...


Also, I suggest next time to prop/brace The Blue Java plant when flowering, blooming!.....Specially if you live in a windy area!....Musa Blue Java is notorious of leaning to one side, sometimes to the extreme when flowering, blooming!...




Hopefully it helps!....Good luck!....

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edwmax

Unless the leaves turns brown, leave the fruit alone. The bunch is still getting sap/nourishment though the break. ...You want to raise the bunch off the ground slightly to keep ants away. ... I've seen bunches grow and ripen after the pstem breaks from hurricane damage.


Next time put a support under the bunch to take the weight off of the pstem.

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Spaceag07

It's actually the way commercial growers ripen grocery store bananas (ethylene gas). Apple peels are just easier to get a hold of.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripening
https://www.catalyticgenerators.com/...-for-students/

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Currently growing: 3X Gran Nain, 2X Dwarf Brazilian, 2X Blue Java
Wanted: Pitogo, Dwarf Orinoco, Dwarf Namwah

Akula

I picked my bunches early (probably had a monh to go before fully filled) last year due to a coming freeze and they ripened. Took my Namwa about two weeks to change color and my Unknown about a month. I didn't do anything other than hang them up in my laundry room.

edwmax

Actually after getting a few hands or bunch ripe, harvesting the rest green will allow you to ripen the rest as you need them. Just store the green nanas in a cooler or cold garage to slow natural ripening.

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pjkfarm

I would reinforce that - if there is any tissue holding the two parts together, make sure it does not break further, prop up the broken piece of pstem and fruit so it does not break further - not always easy - or at least brace so that they do not move around and break further. Surprising how little tissue is needed to keep nutrients flowing. Nature is VERY keen to have that fruit ripen enough to make seeds ! I doubt she has paid attention to the breeding work done to make seedless fruit :-)

venturabananas

I’d just add that commercial grown Cavendish bananas we buy at the supermarket in the US are harvested at about 3/4 full, i.e., not fully mature, yet they ripen fine when when gassed with ethylene. If yours are close to filled out, they will ripen, on or off the plant. They might fill out more if left on the plant, as other folks mentioned.

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Melissa31487

Thanks. I cut them the day I posted that thread and they have lost formation and are floppy bananas and a bit softer but not changing color so I may now put them in a bag with apples to try the ripening trick.

pitangadiego

For the future:
If there is any connection left in the flower stem, they will ripen normally ON the plant.
The best course of action is to leave them exactly as you found them. If the connection is already 100% severed then the have already been "picked" for you, and whatever will be, will be. If they are not 100% severed, moving them in any way may do more damage and get you to 100% severed.
I have ripened more than a few bunches that were "on the ground."

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Encanto Farms Nursery
http://encantofarms.com
We Be Bananas
http://webebananas.com

Melissa31487

Great advice thank you!