TNAndy

After all these years of growing bananas, I've finally got a flower! Last week I saw what I suspected was a flag leaf starting to unroll right before we left for vacation. We got back last night and this morning I discovered about six inches of flower poking out. I can't believe how fast this is growing.

It has taken me so long because I live in Tennessee and earlier I was growing a variety too tall to bring inside for the winter. Worse, my sunroom gets cool and the plants go dormant from time to time. I could only grow Dwarf Red Jamaicans for about a year and a half before they no longer fit in my sunroom. I replaced the Reds with Super Dwarf Cavendish two years ago.

Question: Is there anything I should be doing to encourage the production of fruit? It is potted in a 24 inch diameter, half-whiskey-barrel liner full of Miracle-Gro potting mix. I've been adding Osmocote regularly. I want the sweetest bananas I can get. Should I be applying fertilizer? A different fertilizer? Change the water schedule? Is there anything else I need to know?

amantedelenguaje

Congrats! Sounds like you're taking excellent care of your nanner. Would like to see a pic if possible.

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Abnshrek

Congrat's... Where's the Pic? :^)

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

Illia

Congrats!! I'm so excited for you. I don't have any advice that you could really do at the moment, but because of my personal beliefs I really think in the future you should lean less on fertilizers like miracle grow and more on things like compost, manure, and even banana peels. Cheaper, better, safer. I'd love to see photos of the progress though!

Snookie

What he said:}

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Mayor of Lizard Creek

2woodensticks

so where in the guitar do you live??I spent several years in white county{Sparta}and Hendersonville near Nashville..what type are you growing now???

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got to love em..{neotropical rattlesnake..cascabell}

TNAndy

Because I live in Tennessee, I have to grow my bananas in a 24 inch diameter pot. All that compost you're suggesting won't fit in the container, much less break down. I'd rather do it your way, but I suspect edible bananas won't survive in the ground, here in zone 6, no matter how much I mulch them.

Pictures to follow...where's that camera...?

TNAndy

On another forum they say, "Pictures or it didn't happen!" So here are some pictures:









The SDC is planted in a 24 inch diameter, plastic, half-whisky-barrel liner. I used regular Miracle-Gro potting mix, not the moisture control stuff. I added Plantone Starter Fertilizer, the kind with the mycorrhizae built-in. Since then, from time to time I add Ozmocote. I've also added spent coffee grounds, but only after the previous coffee grounds have completely rotted away.

LilRaverBoi

Excellent!! Congrats...continue to care/fertilize as you have been doing cause it's working well. I'm kinda jealous. I have SDC and have had it even taller/larger than yours and I've never gotten a bloom. Recently, it's had an unfortunate existence, but I've got 2 small plants and 4 pups currently.

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BANANA RAVE!
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I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

Lau

It looks great. Congratulations.

trebor

WOOT Way to grow! Looks great... Congrats to ya

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If ya can't eat it, it ain't growing in my back yard !

Snookie

Poo Yaah I like DAT me

Congrats again

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Mayor of Lizard Creek

TNAndy

I searched my email to figure out when I bought this banana plant. It was January of 2011, so it has taken this Super Dwarf Cavendish 2-1/2 years to grow from pup to making fruit.

JERICO

TNAndy,

So very happy for you!!!

I know when we saw our first bloom, we could hardly believe it. We had hoped for it,
but never thought it would happen. Now we have our 2nd bloom, and this
is a much healthier plant.

Hopefully, we can do like Illia said to protect until it matures.

Of course we don't have near as hard weather as you have.

We know you are jumping up and down over that, and we are too!!!

Congratulations!

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Sorry, we have no bananas today!

Varieties Growing in Zone 8:
Ice Cream, Raja Puri, Gran Nain, Williams, Cavendish, Mekong giant, Basjoo, Double Mahoi, Ensete Snow, Viente Cohol, Saba, FHIA-3 Sweetheart, Thousand Finger, and one BIG mystery Banana.

TNAndy

Today's pictures--taken exactly one month after my previous pictures:

(Above) Flower, straight on.


(Above) Flower, photo taken from left.


(Above) Flower, photo taken from right.


(Above) Banana plant, photo from the front.


(Above) Banana plant, photo from the back. Yes, I know it's time to cut some dead leaves.

Brian_Banana

Congrats Andy!

My Cav bloomed this year also. Just hope it stays warm enough for harvesting here in SC.

I also read somewhere to reduce nitrogen content when you fertilize and stick with postash on the high side to speed/insure maturity of the nanners.

Others please correct me if I'm wrong.

saltydad

Wonderful news, and great pics. I too had success for the 1st time after many years,; mine was with my basjoo and an Ensete glauca. Makes all the work worthwhile, doesn't it!?

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bananaMUM

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TNAndy

It's been another month, so it's time for more photos. This is exactly 31 days since the last pictures.

Is it just me, or are some of those bananas beginning to ripen? Isn't this way too early for them to turn yellow? They are still VERY small for Cavendish bananas.

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Since last month, when the flowers turn black, I pull them off.

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In my third August 6th photo, you can see this large pup between the larger p-stem and the side of the barrel liner. I decided it didn't have enough room to grow there, so I cut it out and repotted it. It now resides in its own 24 inch half-whisky-barrel liner with a fresh serving of Miracle-Gro.

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When I cut out the larger pup above, I couldn't help but cut this tiny one, too. It was no larger than a golf ball, but I think it's going to be fine. It appeared quite dead for almost a month and then this. It's hard to kill a banana plant without freezing it.

TNAndy

Here's my final report on the 2013 crop.


Here they are on the plant. (Above) I notice they did not grow any longer after the growing tip of the flower passed them by. They did seem to get somewhat fatter.


Above is the first TENNESSEE banana I ever ate. It was three inches long. Being a Cavendish (Super Dwarf, but Cavendish nonetheless) it tasted like every other banana in the store. There was plenty of sweetness and flavor.


By the time I ate the bottom row, I had my fill of bananas. I hate to admit it, but I let a few get overripe. Once they begin to ripen on the plant, they ripen FAST!!!

HOORAY!!!!!!!!! I ATE HOMEGROWN BANANAS!!!!!!!!!!! How cool is that?