Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

I've seen a number of partial lists, but the big banana list, not yet. If anyone has such a thing, it would be you all! Any leads much appreciated!

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

This is the most complete list that I'm aware of, 82 varieties evaluated in Puerto Rico. Time to harvest will vary with climate and conditions, but this list is probably a good way to get a general sense of which varieties are relatively fast and which are relatively slow.

Accessions with Descriptor and Evaluation

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

Thank you Mark! That is a great start!
Kinda funny with all of us banana obsessed folks that someone hasn't put together the definitive list, bearing in mind that your results may vary.

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

thanks - great list does the title DAYSPLTOHT - mean days plant to harvest?

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

Yes. They also give bunch weight, time to fill fingers, and lots of other useful info if you click the right buttons.

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

.

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

Interesting indeed! Perhaps the question should be, is there a list ranking the relative speeds of the cultivars? One can imagine some data & banana obsessed soul compiling such a thing, using common cultivars as benchmarks to compensate for varied growing conditions.....
I better get my new 'nanners in the ground first.

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

Isn't that what the list in the link is?

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

I started keeping record of the leaf count on my banana pups. The Namwa pup from July 1, 2013 has grown 35 leaves so far and about 10 feet tall. I have another Namwa pup from July 2013 that also has 35 leaves. My Goldfinger stem planted May 22, 2013 grew only 32 leaves before inflorescence and the first hand appeared December 29,2013. That bunch has already been harvested. I have one more Namwa bunch that is ready to harvest now and after that it will be at least 6 months before the next bunch is harvested. I only have 4 mats! It will be interesting to
see how many leaves grow before inflorescence.

My first Namwa pup flowered after about 13 months growth and another 4 months before the bunch was harvested. The first Namwa banana stem
planted flowered after only 11 months after planting.

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

Yes! But there are quite a few cultivars that many of us grow which are not listed. Or at least that I don't know by those names. There is so much to know about bananas, I'm still learning from you all.

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

Now I get it. Yes, there are a lot that aren't mentioned.

I would reiterate the point that where you grow bananas will affect the relative time to harvest. A variety that is fast relative to another one in the tropics may be slow relative to that same other variety in a temperate area. A pair that come to mind that are like that are Cavendish and Namwah. Namwah is faster to fruit for me in my temperate climate than Cavendish varieties, but the two are about the same in the tropics, based on that list.

But the more information the better. It's just worth trying to keep track of what climate and growing conditions it came from.

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

Now that is very interesting and unexpected! Any theories as to why it might be? I'd have expected that the varieties would be equally affected by climatic conditions as their genetics are probably quite similar.

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

For me, Cavendish types (Double Mahoi & "Ladyfinger") take any where from a couple weeks less to 4 weeks longer than Namwah. Williams seem to take more like 4 weeks longer than Namwah. So overall they do seem about the same in the Hawaiian tropics anyway.

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

I think it mostly comes down to their genetics. Pisang Awak ("Namwah") varieties have ABB genomes and Cavendish varieties have AAA genomes. With some notable exceptions (e.g., the plantains, AAB genome), varieties with more B in their genome are more tolerant of cool and dry conditions than those with more A in their makeup.

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

Now you've inspired me to study the A vs.B, ploidy etc. aspect. Thank you!!

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

That list was made in Puerto Rico and is riddled with errors. I grow in Puerto Rico and don't use the data in that list, some of the basic "Flower to Harvest" data is very inaccurate, 7 weeks early on some and 3 weeks late on others.

I prefer to read properly done studies.

African Journals Online

Your Gateway to U.S. Federal Science


BTW in the tropics, a Namwa grows slower and also takes 6 to 7 weeks longer from "Flower to Harvest" than a Cavendish.

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

Flower to harvest for Namwah varieties (Dwarf Namwah, Misi Luki, and "Ice Cream") and Cavendish varieties (Dwarf Cavendish and maybe Williams) has been similar in my temperate environment, in the 6-8 month range. But planting to harvest has been pretty different: typically 2 to 2.5 years for Namwah varieties and 3 to 3.5 years for the Cavendish varieties. The Cavendish ones just stop growing over winter, while the Namwah ones keep making at least some progress. And yes, it takes a long time to grow ripe bananas in temperate zones!

Re: Definative Days to Harvest list?
 

Namwahs keep growing in the cool, nice observation. Will watch for similar patterns here, as this part of the coast is a few degrees cooler than most.

Wow!!! Does it!, and astonishing that you are able to do it! I'm gonna try real hard to stop fretting about how much time it takes here, a nanosecond in comparison!