Houston, we have a flower!

37.667910 · 08-08-2018, 10:07 AM

Well looks like my dwarf Orinico has decided to flower after 18 months.
Problem is, we are running out of clock for this year.

Is there anyway this things fruits before the cold sets in, roughly mid November?

https://imgur.com/a/XU4hcMj

beam2050 · 08-08-2018, 12:19 PM

ALRIGHT!

meizzwang · 08-08-2018, 03:03 PM

If the fingers are developed well enough before the cold sets in, they should be able to handle light frost, especially dwarf orinoco. With certainty, they won't finish until next year.

37.667910 · 08-08-2018, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meizzwang

If the fingers are developed well enough before the cold sets in, they should be able to handle light frost, especially dwarf orinoco. With certainty, they won't finish until next year.

Thanks,
Yeah I'm ok with that. Just hoping not to loose them.

meizzwang · 08-09-2018, 01:27 PM

If it doesn't get below 30F this winter in your exact microclimate, provided we continue to have warm weather until around late October of this year, they'll almost for sure make it. Challenge is if you lose all the leaves during the winter, I'm not sure what will happen.

My aeae bloomed Feb. 2018, and had about 4 good leaves on it at the time. Come end of May 2018, there were 3 leaf "stubs" left with only about 10-15% leaf material left (the rest turned brown). The fingers at that time hadn't filled in much because there was almost zero growth between Feb-May (this year, we didn't have spring, just winter and summer!) You'd think there wasn't enough leaf material to get those fingers to finish, but they continued to plump up once it warmed up! The bunch could probably be picked now, but I'm going to wait until the first finger turns yellow. Aeae is way less cold hardy than Dwarf Orinoco, so I'm pretty optimistic you'll have success with yours!

Just be sure to keep that soil slightly moist but not waterlogged during the winter months, cold plus wet could rot out the corms. My plants grow on a slope, and the leaf canopy is so dense, very little water gets into the soil during the winter unless it's a very heavy storm. Even if it does, it dries out and drains very quickly, as there's a gravel bed underneath the topsoil layer.

37.667910 · 08-09-2018, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meizzwang

If it doesn't get below 30F this winter in your exact microclimate, provided we continue to have warm weather until around late October of this year, they'll almost for sure make it. Challenge is if you lose all the leaves during the winter, I'm not sure what will happen.

My aeae bloomed Feb. 2018, and had about 4 good leaves on it at the time. Come end of May 2018, there were 3 leaf "stubs" left with only about 10-15% leaf material left (the rest turned brown). The fingers at that time hadn't filled in much because there was almost zero growth between Feb-May (this year, we didn't have spring, just winter and summer!) You'd think there wasn't enough leaf material to get those fingers to finish, but they continued to plump up once it warmed up! The bunch could probably be picked now, but I'm going to wait until the first finger turns yellow. Aeae is way less cold hardy than Dwarf Orinoco, so I'm pretty optimistic you'll have success with yours!

Just be sure to keep that soil slightly moist but not waterlogged during the winter months, cold plus wet could rot out the corms. My plants grow on a slope, and the leaf canopy is so dense, very little water gets into the soil during the winter unless it's a very heavy storm. Even if it does, it dries out and drains very quickly, as there's a gravel bed underneath the topsoil layer.

That's encouraging. Last winter I didn't lose any leaves until that stupid freak cold spell that came late January. It's always warm here until at least late Oct in Livermore.

37.667910 · 08-15-2018, 10:43 AM

One week update:
https://imgur.com/a/BJwQcmB

edwmax · 08-15-2018, 11:49 AM

This one?

edwmax · 08-15-2018, 12:43 PM

From the droopy looking leaves, this plant needs some water. Mist the leaves about 3 times a day and water the ground. A grown nana plant will transpire about 1 1/2 gal of water per day. That's a lot of water round the area of the roots. When the leaves droop, the plant IS NOT growing.

Also. soak some SOP (sulfate of potash) or MOP (murate of potash) a couple of hand fulls in a couple of gallons of water. Save the solids in the bottom for the next batch. Pour this on the plant about every 4 days. This will help to make the fruit to develop faster. ... Foliar spraying the bunch with 1 1/2% potassium will help too.

You have time to get 4 or 5 nice fat hands.

37.667910 · 08-15-2018, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwmax

From the droopy looking leaves, this plant needs some water. Mist the leaves about 3 times a day and water the ground. A grown nana plant will transpire about 1 1/2 gal of water per day. That's a lot of water round the area of the roots. When the leaves droop, the plant IS NOT growing.

Also. soak some SOP (sulfate of potash) or MOP (murate of potash) a couple of hand fulls in a couple of gallons of water. Save the solids in the bottom for the next batch. Pour this on the plant about every 4 days. This will help to make the fruit to develop faster. ... Foliar spraying the bunch with 1 1/2% potassium will help too.

You have time to get 4 or 5 nice fat hands.

Thanks. For the life of me, I've never been able to post pics to this site lol.
I'll give her more water. It always closes the leaves mid aft here with our 90F+ scorching days.

edwmax · 08-15-2018, 07:06 PM

If there is water in the ground, the leaves shouldn't droop until the temps are about or over 100° . Misting upper plant will help cool the leaves in the bright sun.

37.667910 · 08-21-2018, 03:40 PM

Week 2 update.
This flower is going to be Massive!
https://imgur.com/a/6GPNrVG

edwmax · 08-21-2018, 05:01 PM

37.667910 · 08-21-2018, 05:55 PM

Thanks!
Still not sure why this site never allows me to post pics direct.

37.667910 · 08-29-2018, 08:52 PM

Week 3:

37.667910 · 09-05-2018, 11:49 AM

Final update:

08-08-2018, 10:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
37.667910 Find me on the map! Zone: 9B Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 172 BananaBucks : 22,141 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 164 Times Was Thanked 198 Times in 106 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 44 Times	Houston, we have a flower! Well looks like my dwarf Orinico has decided to flower after 18 months. Problem is, we are running out of clock for this year. Is there anyway this things fruits before the cold sets in, roughly mid November? https://imgur.com/a/XU4hcMj __________________

08-08-2018, 12:19 PM	#2 (permalink)
beam2050 banana cereal killer Location: middleburg fl. Find me on the map! Zone: 9b-8a Name: walkinbeam Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 2,445 BananaBucks : 18,792 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 10,886 Times Was Thanked 3,384 Times in 1,553 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 816 Times	Re: Houston, we have a flower! ALRIGHT! __________________ ................................................... npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7 npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

08-08-2018, 03:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
meizzwang Zone: 9b Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 235 BananaBucks : 80,180 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 647 Times Was Thanked 1,032 Times in 218 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Houston, we have a flower! If the fingers are developed well enough before the cold sets in, they should be able to handle light frost, especially dwarf orinoco. With certainty, they won't finish until next year.

08-09-2018, 01:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
meizzwang Zone: 9b Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 235 BananaBucks : 80,180 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 647 Times Was Thanked 1,032 Times in 218 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Houston, we have a flower! If it doesn't get below 30F this winter in your exact microclimate, provided we continue to have warm weather until around late October of this year, they'll almost for sure make it. Challenge is if you lose all the leaves during the winter, I'm not sure what will happen. My aeae bloomed Feb. 2018, and had about 4 good leaves on it at the time. Come end of May 2018, there were 3 leaf "stubs" left with only about 10-15% leaf material left (the rest turned brown). The fingers at that time hadn't filled in much because there was almost zero growth between Feb-May (this year, we didn't have spring, just winter and summer!) You'd think there wasn't enough leaf material to get those fingers to finish, but they continued to plump up once it warmed up! The bunch could probably be picked now, but I'm going to wait until the first finger turns yellow. Aeae is way less cold hardy than Dwarf Orinoco, so I'm pretty optimistic you'll have success with yours! Just be sure to keep that soil slightly moist but not waterlogged during the winter months, cold plus wet could rot out the corms. My plants grow on a slope, and the leaf canopy is so dense, very little water gets into the soil during the winter unless it's a very heavy storm. Even if it does, it dries out and drains very quickly, as there's a gravel bed underneath the topsoil layer.

08-15-2018, 10:43 AM	#7 (permalink)
37.667910 Find me on the map! Zone: 9B Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 172 BananaBucks : 22,141 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 164 Times Was Thanked 198 Times in 106 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 44 Times	Re: Houston, we have a flower! One week update: https://imgur.com/a/BJwQcmB __________________

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08-15-2018, 11:49 AM	#8 (permalink)
edwmax Location: Cairo, Ga Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 2,891 BananaBucks : 111,060 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,740 Times Was Thanked 4,437 Times in 2,093 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 414 Times	Re: Houston, we have a flower! This one? __________________

08-15-2018, 12:43 PM	#9 (permalink)
edwmax Location: Cairo, Ga Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 2,891 BananaBucks : 111,060 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,740 Times Was Thanked 4,437 Times in 2,093 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 414 Times	Re: Houston, we have a flower! From the droopy looking leaves, this plant needs some water. Mist the leaves about 3 times a day and water the ground. A grown nana plant will transpire about 1 1/2 gal of water per day. That's a lot of water round the area of the roots. When the leaves droop, the plant IS NOT growing. Also. soak some SOP (sulfate of potash) or MOP (murate of potash) a couple of hand fulls in a couple of gallons of water. Save the solids in the bottom for the next batch. Pour this on the plant about every 4 days. This will help to make the fruit to develop faster. ... Foliar spraying the bunch with 1 1/2% potassium will help too. You have time to get 4 or 5 nice fat hands. __________________

08-15-2018, 07:06 PM	#11 (permalink)
edwmax Location: Cairo, Ga Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 2,891 BananaBucks : 111,060 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,740 Times Was Thanked 4,437 Times in 2,093 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 414 Times	Re: Houston, we have a flower! If there is water in the ground, the leaves shouldn't droop until the temps are about or over 100° . Misting upper plant will help cool the leaves in the bright sun. __________________

08-21-2018, 03:40 PM	#12 (permalink)
37.667910 Find me on the map! Zone: 9B Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 172 BananaBucks : 22,141 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 164 Times Was Thanked 198 Times in 106 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 44 Times	Re: Houston, we have a flower! Week 2 update. This flower is going to be Massive! https://imgur.com/a/6GPNrVG __________________ Last edited by 37.667910 : 08-21-2018 at 03:42 PM. Reason: Link

08-21-2018, 05:01 PM	#13 (permalink)
edwmax Location: Cairo, Ga Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 2,891 BananaBucks : 111,060 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,740 Times Was Thanked 4,437 Times in 2,093 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 414 Times	Re: Houston, we have a flower! __________________

08-21-2018, 05:55 PM	#14 (permalink)
37.667910 Find me on the map! Zone: 9B Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 172 BananaBucks : 22,141 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 164 Times Was Thanked 198 Times in 106 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 44 Times	Re: Houston, we have a flower! Thanks! Still not sure why this site never allows me to post pics direct. __________________ Last edited by 37.667910 : 08-21-2018 at 06:38 PM.

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