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homedepotgirl1111 05-03-2008 11:18 AM

how do I make my banana bloom?
 
I have had them for 2 years , am I supposed to be doing something to make them bloom?

Dean W. 05-03-2008 12:54 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
homedepotgirl1111,

First of all welcome to the forum. Do you know what kind of bananas they are? Do you have pictures? Maybe, someone here with more experience than I can help you out. :o

mskitty38583 05-03-2008 02:22 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
welcome! welcome! welcome!:bananajoy::bananajoy::bananajoy::0496:

Gabe15 05-03-2008 02:43 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Welcome!

Before answering your question, we need much more information. What type of banana is it? In what conditions is it growing (in a container, indoors, outdoors, in the ground, in a greenhouse etc...) and what kind of care do you give it? Have you seen the flowers/fruit of other bananas you know are the same type?

homedepotgirl1111 05-03-2008 04:32 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Thanks everyone for the nice welcome :) I am in upstate NY so they are in large containers and I took them inside for the winter, was I supposed to cut them down?

One is from Florida and it was a large pup and I cut it off and took it home. So I do not know what kind it is as it was on a friends new property they had just moved into but the other plants with it had bananas on them, normal size like you would buy in the supermarket. It is now about 6' tall and growing like crazy.

The other 2 are dwarf with supposed to be edible fruit one I still have the tag for the other I don't, the one is a a super dwarfbanana tree is all it says and musa acuminata says it produces fruit in the first year but it didn't.

homedepotgirl1111 05-03-2008 04:35 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Is it just not humid enough here to make them bloom?

Should I plant it in the ground for the summer?

SHould I winter them still growing inside or let them dry out like others have said and start them up again in the spring?

Thanks Banana People :)

banana berserker 05-03-2008 05:40 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Well, when it blooms depends a lot on where it's at. I've heard you have to wait up to 3 years sometimes. it needs to be in very good condition to bloom and you need to fertilize constantly. If it's in great shape I've heard you can rush it by putting a garbage bag over it (if the tree is small enough) and put a half of an apple in with it but I would just let nature take it's coarse.

jpfloors 05-03-2008 06:26 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by banana berserker (Post 36500)
Well, when it blooms depends a lot on where it's at. I've heard you have to wait up to 3 years sometimes. it needs to be in very good condition to bloom and you need to fertilize constantly. If it's in great shape I've heard you can rush it by putting a garbage bag over it (if the tree is small enough) and put a half of an apple in with it but I would just let nature take it's coarse.


Hmm, Interesting. I know that works for pineapples, but doesn't require the garbage bag over the plant. Just put the apple in a closed paper bag near the crown.

homedepotgirl1111 05-04-2008 10:49 AM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Put the apple at the base of the plant of the top?

Gabe15 05-04-2008 02:43 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Although there is real science behind the apple trick, I don't see this working well with bananas (plus even it were to initiate flowering, you wouldn't know it worked for another 4-6months possibly), a much better method would be to give the plant everything it needs to fruit, and then it will. Edible varieties will normally always take longer in a container (there are some ornamentals that flower profusely in small containers), especially if it doesn't have an unbroken growing season. The container needs to be fairly large (about 2ft wide and 2ft deep, but bigger in this case is better). They need lots of food, water, sunlight and warmth. If you can give them all of this, they will fruit eventually. Do you have any pictures of your plants?

banana berserker 05-05-2008 04:26 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Ya, I know you can do it with pineapples. and I think someone told me you could with bananas but as Gabe said it's best to just give it what it needs. to me I think that would be slower but the apple would be very unreliable, and if you force a banana tree to produce fruit when it's not in it's prime. It's not going to do good. So as Gabe said I think you should just make sure it's got food water sunlight warmth and fertilizer. Keep it up and you'll be getting a flower. :)

mskitty38583 05-05-2008 04:43 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
why would you want to force your nana to bloom? i dont even buy flowers that have been forced to bloom, it puts to much stress on the plant, bulb, rizone. i want to see flowers on mine but its just not the right time. when your nana flowers, i believe( if i have learned correctly ) that once it flowers and fruits the main nanas dies, but it should shoot out pups. i would enjoy what i have and let nature take its course, forcing it to bloom could kill it before it has a chance to pup. just my opinion!

dgadberry 07-13-2013 10:32 AM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
I have the same question, but for different reason. I want the banana to bloom early in the spring/summer so the bananas will mature before the first frost.

If that isn't the best option, then how can I protect a 35-30 banana tree, and the bananas, from frost?

Abnshrek 07-13-2013 11:28 AM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by dgadberry (Post 223452)
I have the same question, but for different reason. I want the banana to bloom early in the spring/summer so the bananas will mature before the first frost.

If that isn't the best option, then how can I protect a 35-30 banana tree, and the bananas, from frost?

Well if you could force one to fruit early there is some chance you wouldn't harvest anything since what you get from a mature plant is a product of the strength of the plant.. Banana's that flower @ the wrong time leave you with no bounty. Knowing your zone, area, environment might help with answering your protection issues.. :^)

sunfish 07-13-2013 11:36 AM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
One word AZMOCOTE oops Azomite

dgadberry 07-13-2013 01:17 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Abnshrek,

I am in Houston, TX. And we don't have hard winters, but occasionally it gets down in the 30s which kills the fruit and usually the leaves.

Thanks.

Worm_Farmer 07-13-2013 02:11 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Sometimes I just talk to it. I will cut a one of the pups down and dig it out. Then tell the plant that had not flowered that it will be next if I don't get from fruit soon. I swear 6 weeks later it flowers. How ever this could all just be in my head, regardless I will keep talking to and threatening my plants.

Snookie 07-13-2013 02:25 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Worm_Farmer (Post 223461)
Sometimes I just talk to it. I will cut a one of the pups down and dig it out. Then tell the plant that had not flowered that it will be next if I don't get from fruit soon. I swear 6 weeks later it flowers. How ever this could all just be in my head, regardless I will keep talking to and threatening my plants.

I do the exact same thing, a sharp machete makes them co-operate rather easily if you stand large and in charge when you talk to them:}

Be FIRM!

[IMG][/IMG]

bananimal 07-13-2013 06:05 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by sunfish (Post 223457)
One word AZMOCOTE oops Azomite

Oh--- so you do like AZOMITE!

You weasel you! lol

bananimal 07-13-2013 06:11 PM

Re: how do I make my banana bloom?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by dgadberry (Post 223452)
I have the same question, but for different reason. I want the banana to bloom early in the spring/summer so the bananas will mature before the first frost.

If that isn't the best option, then how can I protect a 35-30 banana tree, and the bananas, from frost?

I force bloom early with potassium sulfate - ultra fines grade. Made by Diamond K. Get it from Peaceful Valley. Works good. Got all my naners that were near fruiting size to pop early enough to fill in fingers in before Dec/Jan of 2012. This is a tip I got from a certified organic farmer in my rare fruit tree club.


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