A few questions....
 

I have been trying to read and research but I'm finding it difficult in a reasonable time to get answers. So please be friendly and answer a few if you know the answers or link to the answer if you know where it is.....


I have what must be a double mahoi (because it has two flowers in bloom was labeled dwarf cavendish) in zone 8b blooming right now. The first hands have been out for about 3-4 weeks and have gotten bigger by about double. I know it takes months to ripen but how long (on average assuming decent weather say 80 day and 60 night) to pick green and ripen indoors.

Can you pick them at any length and ripen indoors? or do they have to have filled out?

How long does a double mahoi banana normally get?

I have read conflicting information but... It seems I've read if I can keep the tree / bananas from freezing they will continue to grow and ripen in the spring (the banana fruit, I know the plant will continue to grow).

Is there any use for unfilled(not filled out, picked early) bananas? can they be cooked like plantains (of course if you can ripen unfilled bananas then that answers itself)

What in the world do you do with hands and hands of bananas, is there any reliable way to preserve them for fresh eating or just freeze them for cooking.

do they ripen faster off the tree in a bag? So you could pick a hand and ripen it and leave the others on the tree for storage (I think I have seen one reference to this).

My hubby and daughter love bananas do you have a reliable way to delay some fruiting so that you can have bananas fruiting/ripening at different times.

Do shorter bananas ripen faster?

I read fertilizing with potassium help them finish fruiting faster is this true?

I know it is alot but I've got the bug now that I have blooms :goteam:

Re: A few questions....
 

I don't have any double mahoi,but I have plenty of other kinds and they have to fill out to where there are really fat and plump,and the flower ends have long fallen off.as far as any use for unfilled bananas use I don't know of any other than maybe cattle food or pig food..there are plenty of banana experts on here that can help u more than myself...just keep checking your thread and you will find the expert help u r looking for......good luck....

Re: A few questions....
 

just knowing I have to wait for the flower bloom to fall off is great information. I knew I had to wait but couldn't figure out other than plump other indicators. Mine still has flowers coming that look like they will form hands. So you meant I have to wait for the boys to flower and then the end to fall off or just the flower off the end of the individual banana?

Re: A few questions....
 

long after the flower ends fall off the end of the banana,and the fruit get real big and plump.kinda hard for me to explain cause I can tell just by looking at the fruit..when the banana is real full and plump,cut and bring in to ripen,or u can leave on the tree.on the tree just takes longer to ripen the fruit.also when they change from dark green to just about a light greenish yellow look then they are ready to pick......hope that helps you.....the experts on them mostly replie to ? at night...

Re: A few questions....
 

I'll await their responses but you have been very helpful. I'm just worried that I won't recognize plump enough.

I hope one of them can weigh in on if I keep them above freezing will they continue to ripen in the spring. I'm butting up against cool weather now but think I have that covered with a cold frame/greenhouse. I can keep them above 57 for probably 3 to 4 more weeks but after that I'll be shooting for keeping them above freezing. I really want to have these bananas but... only time will tell.

Re: A few questions....
 

Knowing when to harvest a banana will provide you with sweet, juicy treat. Although bananas are a tropical fruit, some areas of the southern US are lucky enough to have a banana harvest as well. Bananas are thought to have originated in Southeast Asia and to have been spread to other tropical areas by sailors and merchants over the course of centuries.

Timing Your Banana Harvest

In the tropics, bananas are grown year round and produce crops in 75 to 150 day intervals. Bananas are not technically trees, but are instead giant herbs. The tree-like part of a banana plant dies off after its fruit matures, but sprouts around the base of the plant will continue to grow and produce more fruit.

Bananas grow on long thick stalks that hang down from the main trunk. The stalk produces 6 to 10 groups of bananas called hands. The stalk of bananas is typically cut from the plant before the bananas are fully ripe, both for shipping purposes and because tree ripened bananas loose some of their sweetness. Here's how to tell if the time is right for your banana harvest:
•Fade Away. The end of the banana stalk has blooms that flower as the bananas mature. One good sign of impending ripeness is that these blooms will start to fade as the bananas become ripe.
•Plump not square. When young bananas form, they have a square cross section. As the fruit matures, the fruit becomes plump and the cross section becomes round.
•Is it yellow yet? As green bananas ripen, they take on the familiar yellow color. Ripening takes place on the lowest bananas first, so when the first hand begins to show yellowing, you're ready to harvest.
•Ripening time. In semi-tropical climates, it can take up to five months for bananas to go from stalk formation to ripe bananas. Given the growing season in these regions, this means bananas are typically ripe in the fall. Cooler temperatures will slow or halt the ripening process, so it's best to cut the stalk down when the first hand is ripe and bring the stalk indoors to continue ripening.