To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question.

caliboy1994 · 05-21-2015, 04:45 PM

I have these two bunches that have been hanging for about 7 months and 9 months respectively now. As I'm going to be moving down south for the summer in a few weeks, I want to cut these down before I take off. Here's what we've got.

I have this healthy two year old Misi Luki mat. These have been hanging since around September of last year. They are pretty filled out, but the main p-stem lost most of its leaves to winter frost. The fruits are intact and pretty nicely filled out, but no signs of yellowing yet. Pics:

I also have this Blue Java/Ice Cream bunch that has been hanging since last summer. The mat is of the same age. This one has been an anemic grower, even though the soil it's growing in seems to be pretty good (it's a lot rockier than the Misi Luki's soil though) and I've been giving it fertilizer when I can. Some of the fruits have rotted off, but on the intact fruits the tips seem to be yellowing. Pics:

So is it safe to cut either of these bunches down? I don't want fruit quality to be too negatively affected. Or should I wait a few more weeks? I have until the second week of June.

JP · 05-21-2015, 08:56 PM

I'd wait for them to fill a bit more but I'm no expert...

Kat2 · 05-21-2015, 10:14 PM

Definitely no expert so what I'm suggesting may be totally stupid but, if you will have no further access to ripe fruit from your patch when you leave, why not cut a few hands to take with you just before you hit the road and hope they ripen? I left my flourishing DC in Jacksonville; I'm sure she fruited this year but I have no way to know or even taste my 1st fruit. I have a plantain and 2 others in the ground at my house but I suspect it will be another year before they flower.

crazy banana · 05-22-2015, 01:09 AM

Hi Caliboy,

welcome back. It has been a year, right?
Here is what I would do now: cut a hand of bananas and let them ripen with some overripe apples in a paper bag. They should ripen just fine.
The remaining bananas I would leave until you move back south. They look that they could fill in a little more.

caliboy1994 · 05-24-2015, 03:39 PM

I will do that then! Thanks for the advice everyone!

Quote:

welcome back. It has been a year, right?

And yes, I haven't been on the forums for quite a while. School and work have been really rough on me and I haven't had much free time. My bananas and dragon fruit are doing very well though, they're growing in the campus garden and I check up on them every week.

Worm_Farmer · 05-25-2015, 10:24 AM

NO Yellow NO Pick

Unless you have the choice of cutting them down now or loosing them shortly.

caliboy1994 · 05-26-2015, 07:29 PM

Update: The Misi Lukis have started yellowing!

Pics coming soon.

caliboy1994 · 05-27-2015, 06:29 PM

Yellowing!

Should I cut them all down at once or harvest it hand by hand?

crazy banana · 05-27-2015, 06:57 PM

I would probably cut them all at once, because your photos show that they already have started to split. This is not unusual for Namwah, but slightly impacts the quality of the fruit.

caliboy1994 · 05-28-2015, 08:35 PM

Done. 10 hands, 142 fingers.

crazy banana · 05-28-2015, 08:45 PM

Nice job. Congratulations.

05-21-2015, 04:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
caliboy1994 <div style="font-style: italic;"><div style="font-style: italic;"></div></div> caliboy1994's Photo Gallery Location: SFV, California Find me on the map! Zone: USDA zone 10a; Sunset zone 18/19 Name: Andreas Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 2,301 BananaBucks : 250,902 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,474 Times Was Thanked 2,196 Times in 1,148 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 236 Times	To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question. I have these two bunches that have been hanging for about 7 months and 9 months respectively now. As I'm going to be moving down south for the summer in a few weeks, I want to cut these down before I take off. Here's what we've got. I have this healthy two year old Misi Luki mat. These have been hanging since around September of last year. They are pretty filled out, but the main p-stem lost most of its leaves to winter frost. The fruits are intact and pretty nicely filled out, but no signs of yellowing yet. Pics: I also have this Blue Java/Ice Cream bunch that has been hanging since last summer. The mat is of the same age. This one has been an anemic grower, even though the soil it's growing in seems to be pretty good (it's a lot rockier than the Misi Luki's soil though) and I've been giving it fertilizer when I can. Some of the fruits have rotted off, but on the intact fruits the tips seem to be yellowing. Pics: So is it safe to cut either of these bunches down? I don't want fruit quality to be too negatively affected. Or should I wait a few more weeks? I have until the second week of June. __________________ "The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." ~ Masanobu Fukuoka Find me on linktree here as Solarpunk Farmer: https://linktr.ee/solarpunkfarmer Last edited by caliboy1994 : 05-21-2015 at 04:46 PM. Reason: Typo

05-21-2015, 08:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
JP Location: Trois-Rivières, Québec Find me on the map! Zone: 4 Name: JP Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 1,225 BananaBucks : 147,488 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,953 Times Was Thanked 1,690 Times in 815 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 304 Times	Re: To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question. I'd wait for them to fill a bit more but I'm no expert...

05-21-2015, 10:14 PM	#3 (permalink)
Kat2 Location: Now nesting in Titusville, FL Zone: 10A or 9B ish. Like it matters? Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 2,153 BananaBucks : 239,585 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,921 Times Was Thanked 2,669 Times in 1,322 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 595 Times	Re: To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question. Definitely no expert so what I'm suggesting may be totally stupid but, if you will have no further access to ripe fruit from your patch when you leave, why not cut a few hands to take with you just before you hit the road and hope they ripen? I left my flourishing DC in Jacksonville; I'm sure she fruited this year but I have no way to know or even taste my 1st fruit. I have a plantain and 2 others in the ground at my house but I suspect it will be another year before they flower. __________________

05-22-2015, 01:09 AM	#4 (permalink)
crazy banana Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,641 BananaBucks : 10,030 Feedback: 73 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,021 Times Was Thanked 2,961 Times in 1,115 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,969 Times	Re: To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question. Hi Caliboy, welcome back. It has been a year, right? Here is what I would do now: cut a hand of bananas and let them ripen with some overripe apples in a paper bag. They should ripen just fine. The remaining bananas I would leave until you move back south. They look that they could fill in a little more.

05-25-2015, 10:24 AM	#6 (permalink)
Worm_Farmer Worm_Farmer 's Photo Gallery Location: Palm Bay, FL Zone: 9b Name: Mike Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,533 BananaBucks : 44,111 Feedback: 14 / 100% Said "Thanks" 5,326 Times Was Thanked 1,830 Times in 679 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,866 Times	Re: To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question. NO Yellow NO Pick Unless you have the choice of cutting them down now or loosing them shortly.

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05-26-2015, 07:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
caliboy1994 <div style="font-style: italic;"><div style="font-style: italic;"></div></div> caliboy1994's Photo Gallery Location: SFV, California Find me on the map! Zone: USDA zone 10a; Sunset zone 18/19 Name: Andreas Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 2,301 BananaBucks : 250,902 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,474 Times Was Thanked 2,196 Times in 1,148 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 236 Times	Re: To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question. Update: The Misi Lukis have started yellowing! Pics coming soon. __________________ "The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." ~ Masanobu Fukuoka Find me on linktree here as Solarpunk Farmer: https://linktr.ee/solarpunkfarmer

05-27-2015, 06:29 PM	#8 (permalink)
caliboy1994 <div style="font-style: italic;"><div style="font-style: italic;"></div></div> caliboy1994's Photo Gallery Location: SFV, California Find me on the map! Zone: USDA zone 10a; Sunset zone 18/19 Name: Andreas Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 2,301 BananaBucks : 250,902 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,474 Times Was Thanked 2,196 Times in 1,148 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 236 Times	Re: To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question. Yellowing! Should I cut them all down at once or harvest it hand by hand? __________________ "The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." ~ Masanobu Fukuoka Find me on linktree here as Solarpunk Farmer: https://linktr.ee/solarpunkfarmer

05-27-2015, 06:57 PM	#9 (permalink)
crazy banana Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,641 BananaBucks : 10,030 Feedback: 73 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,021 Times Was Thanked 2,961 Times in 1,115 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,969 Times	Re: To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question. I would probably cut them all at once, because your photos show that they already have started to split. This is not unusual for Namwah, but slightly impacts the quality of the fruit.

05-28-2015, 08:35 PM	#10 (permalink)
caliboy1994 <div style="font-style: italic;"><div style="font-style: italic;"></div></div> caliboy1994's Photo Gallery Location: SFV, California Find me on the map! Zone: USDA zone 10a; Sunset zone 18/19 Name: Andreas Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 2,301 BananaBucks : 250,902 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,474 Times Was Thanked 2,196 Times in 1,148 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 236 Times	Re: To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question. Done. 10 hands, 142 fingers. __________________ "The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." ~ Masanobu Fukuoka Find me on linktree here as Solarpunk Farmer: https://linktr.ee/solarpunkfarmer

05-28-2015, 08:45 PM	#11 (permalink)
crazy banana Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,641 BananaBucks : 10,030 Feedback: 73 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,021 Times Was Thanked 2,961 Times in 1,115 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,969 Times	Re: To harvest or not to harvest. That is the question. Nice job. Congratulations.

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