Vette-kid

It's still in the 80s right now but it is going to start getting collet in the next month or so. Rarely below freezing overnight but we will see some mid 40s or low 50s as high temp's in January. How difficult is it going to be to get fruit out of this? Orinoco is supposed top be cold hardy, does that extend to ripening fruit, or is one night (4 hours or so) below freezing going to ruin it?

37.667910

If you're in NW Florida, you'll certainly hit WELL below freezing if a typical winter occurs. I have the same plant and 1-2 hours below freezing and all the leaves will be toast till spring. So I'd be shocked if you will get fruit considering it waited too late to flower.

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edwmax

I think the coastal breezes is what keeps you in the 9b temps. Getting fruit will be a hit & miss. ... Try using a 'frost bag" (a large clear garbage bag; use white in a pinch) over the bunch to protect from frost bites & as a mini greenhouse during cooler days. ... I don't think you normally get hard freezes until late January or mid February. So you still have a chance to mature the fruit.

I use a frost bag (white) couple of weeks ago for 3 days when night temp were dropping to mid 30°'s. The nanas & plant (Orinoco) came though great.

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Vette-kid

Yeah, we really don't get "hard freezes" or anything well below freezing. If it does drop below freezing, it's no more than a few hours. 20 miles north is a totally different story. I'll look for some clear bags.

edwmax

I think the extra heat from the mini greenhouse (frost bag) helps. Orinoco will start dropping their leaves at about 28°'s & below. Be careful not to over heat & scald the bunch when the temps are above 80°.

Push the bunch hard by fertilizing with potassium. I use potassium sulfate. I put 3 or 4 hand fulls in a 2 gal bucket and fill with water. The potassium will dissolve to a concentration of 111 g/L. I give 2 1/2 gt to the plant weekly. Refill the bucket until the potassium sulfate is gone.

Tytylor uses mutate of potassium. PM him for his recommendations for application.

With some warm weather & luck, the bunch might mature in about 60 days.

I think in you location, some regular fertilizer will help keep the plant and pups going strong thought a mild winter. I will be applying some to my plants this month and in January.

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Vette-kid

@TyTalylor, what say you since I see your in here now. I've ordered some potassium sulfate and had been using fruit fuel. Switch to just the potassium? I had slowed down on it as its cooled of and getting less sun. I was having occasional issues with new leafs coming up before the previous one opened. I guess that won't be am issue now that leaf production is over. So just potassium sulfate now? Or alternate somehow?

Nancy

Good luck! I'm in Tallahassee, and two of my Orinocos flowered last week, which is really bad luck. The odds are extremely low that the fruit will mature, and it's extra disappointing because they're just cranking out tiny bananas right now. I hope you manage to stay above freezing, and/or retain just a few extra degrees with a plastic bag.

JCA433

I am south of Miami Florida and worried about a possible freeze this winter. The temperature has not dropped below freezing the last six years, but the upcoming winter looks cold. We had a very bad freeze here in December 1989 which was the last time there were widespread low temperatures below 30F. This will likely repeat sometime in the near future.

cincinnana

Awsesome....catch.....

Now if you can do it with a predictable fashion
...

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