Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

Hey everyone,
I'm so excited! The next bract opened showing all male flowers this morning so I've got a final count on the bunch. There are six hands each averaging 12 fingers or so. My current count is around 78 fingers. Is this a pretty good count for an Ice Cream? I know different varieties have different yields :ha: Also, the fingers are actually pretty blue-green with a dull waxy coating--that's still consistent with a Namwah type?

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

It definitely is a Namwah. Note the short pedicels with a pink tinge on them.

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

Looking great Andy!!! :woohoonaner:
At what height did it flower?

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

Thanks Kostas! It flowered at almost 9 feet exactly in a 30 gallon pot.

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

Congratz, that definitely sounds like a healthy number of fingers.

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

Thanks Andy! :)

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

It looks great. Congratulations. :goteam:

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

Let's settle for the name Ice Cramwah. Has a nice ring. :ha:

You will be happier with the fruit in your pics, believe me!

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

lOOKING Good !

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

How old is it?

Congrats!! I'd be over the moon! Will you have time for fruit to mature or will it be moved inside?

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

SO....

it is a Tall Namwah and not an IC?

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

Thanks wolfyhound! It's been so exciting after several years to see the plant flower and fruit! I got the plant as a Tissue Culture last spring and planted it sometime around may in a container, so it's not quite two years old and it has already produced fruit. I'd say something like 16 months. I'll have to bring it inside when the fruit is about halfway mature, sometime in mid to late October. It will be interesting to see how the fruit finishes maturing indoors--a plant that big just won't fit in my house :ha: so I'll have to put it in the unheated basement.

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

That's a good question Darkman! There's a lot of confusion surrounding the Ice Cream variety. When I got mine last year, I thought there was only one Ice Cream. But I was told later that year that there's an original variety in the South Pacific and Hawaii that is a related but totally different variety. It's been dubbed the "real Ice Cream." For some reason, the variety sold in the US as "Ice Cream" is actually a Namwah type that's closely related to Dwarf Namwah and Tall Namwah. However, it seems that the general consensus on bananas.org is that the Namwah Ice Cream (the Ice Cramwah :ha:) actually is a tougher plant with better tasting fruit than the "real" Ice Cream. From my own experiences I would recommend this variety in a second to anyone. It's been the hardiest, most cold tolerant and fastest to flower of all my other varieties. Can't say anything for taste yet though haha

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

My Tall Namwah AKA "The Banana formerly know as Ice Cream" has a bunch hanging now so we both get to form an opinion this year. The real test will be to have Bo Hydroid taste them He recently worked in the South Pacific and has tasted the "Real Ice Cream".

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

That's awesome Darkman! Congrats it would certainly be interesting to see what his opinion on the two would be. Do you know how long Ice Cream takes to ripen before the fruit's ready to cut down?

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

For me in Hawaii, My Namwahs and real Ice Creams both have taken about 5 months.

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

Unfortunately that means ours will take 6 months plus.

Fortunately we can cut the bunch when it is completely filled out and take it inside to finish maturing.

Orinocos only take 4 months and is a reliable fruiter in my climate.

Yea Yea I don't care what you naysayers think. A properly ripened Orinoco has a great taste.

Now I'm really going to make some people mad. I've tasted a ripe Pisang Klotek (Thank you Bananimal) and I found the taste of Orinoco very similar. The texture of the PK was firmer but the tatse was similar. Sorry! I report it as I taste it!

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

Thanks robguz24! That's really helpful!

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

Hey Charles ---- PK vs Orinoco taste. That is a good comparison. The PK are pretty tart when early and a bit less at mid range ripe. When full ripe I find the PK flavor more complex. But there is a definite taste similarity throughout the cycle.

I know several mango fanatics that turn green at the thought of the slightest bit of tartness, or stringy fibers getting caught in their teeth. They don't know what their missing. A good flavored fruit with a balance of sweet and tart is wonderful. Think Carrie. This year I got a 15 gal potted new mango named "Sweet Tart". It's flushing new growth like crazy now and should produce some fruit next year. One of the newest selections from the famous Zill bros.

Re: Fruit on Ice Cream!!
 

Fruit wise, you'll be much happier with Namwahs. They taste way better than ice creams.