Is it good to cover banana flower?
 

Hi all,

One of my bananas planted outdoors in the ground has flowered when the
nasty rainy season is about to begin here in the main lands of Japan.

I have read cautious people use plastic bag to cover the whole bunch in order
to prevent diseases and pests mainly casued by rains.
Is it practically good to do so, or not to do so?

Your comments are anticipated.

Re: Is it good to cover banana flower?
 

Hmmm...I don't know the answer, but surely someone here does. Especially those in the hurricane areas.

Re: Is it good to cover banana flower?
 

A tricky one this. I have not heard of bananas being damaged by rain, and we have 4.5inches in 12 hours on occasion, with constant high humidity. My worry would be that lack of air circulation and damp conditions inside a plastic bag could cause more problems. If you were really worried about the rain - perhaps an umbrella or something to let the air circulate while keeping the flower dryish. The commercial growers here cover the bunch when fully formed to prevent the fruit from being marked, but the hot sun ensures that there is no moisture inside the bag. Hope this helps, Asacomm.

Re: Is it good to cover banana flower?
 

I would agree with the above. The clear plastic bag thing is primarily to protect the plants from the cold. If you had it there in the rain I would worry about the moisture getting trapped.