ArchAngeL01

How long does it take for
1. Ice cream
2. Gran Nain
3. Saba
to fruit?
I've been waiting four years on my Ice cream to fruit and it hasn't done anything.
I'm thinking of keeping my Gran nain in pots so that I can bring them in during the winter so that I won't lose any growth time.

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Brad

alemily

My Ice Cream is fruiting after 13 months in the ground since planting (396 days to be exact), but I live on the Gulf Coast and don't have to dig my bananas up for winter.

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Fruting: Pisang Awak, Rajapuri, Dwarf Brazilian, Gros Michel, Dwarf Red, FHIA-1 'Goldfinger', Veinte Cohol, FHIA-3 'Sweetheart'
Ornamental/Species: M. bauensis, M. velutina, M. "Milky Way", M. "African Red"

oakshadows

Do you have to protect it in the winter? Last couple of winters here in central Florida were quite cold. If so, what method do you use.

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"What this country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds."

alemily

None. Leaves fried of course, but the psudeostem came through. The mat is planted next to a cement patio as well as alongside a brick house. Both I presume helped with residual heat during the brief few hours the temps were below freezing. Got lucky I guess.

The cold did kill my Cavendish to the ground even though that one I covered with blankets and a cardboard box to trap residual ground heat (worked the first few nights and then the wind knocked the box off overnight).

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Fruting: Pisang Awak, Rajapuri, Dwarf Brazilian, Gros Michel, Dwarf Red, FHIA-1 'Goldfinger', Veinte Cohol, FHIA-3 'Sweetheart'
Ornamental/Species: M. bauensis, M. velutina, M. "Milky Way", M. "African Red"

oakshadows

Lost some plants that were covered two years ago when the temps dropped into the teens for several nights. Won't happen again as I intend to supply some heat. Have several that I think would enjoy the south wall of our garage that isn't being used. Just hope the winds don't get to high.

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"What this country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds."

sunfish

I have a Saba from TC going on three years ,no fruit yet.

From Pup To Fruit

Nicolas Naranja

Gran Nain can be pretty quick if you push it with fertilizer and irrigation. I got TC plantlets in January, transplanted to the field in April and the plants fruited in November. They were then decimated in January by an unusually prolonged spell of cold weather.

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

bananimal

Very large bananas like Ice Cream take a year or less for fruit in hand.

My Saba, being a giant, took 16 months to pop flower -- then 4 more months to fill and ripen. The big winds took it down before it was finished. No more very tall naners for me!

hydroid

Alemily- I live in Gulf Shores and most of my bananas froze to the ground this past year, although I saved a couple of Raja Puri by winterizing them, I lost most all my tall Saba, Ice Cream, Goldfinger, Dwarf Cavendish, even Orinoco.

oakshadows

Does one cut the leaves off and then cover wiith protection? Some that I hope to leave in the ground may be to tall for me to cover enough to save them. My other Plants are usually covered with sheets and blankets down to the ground which lets the ground supply some heat for them. If the temps are going to get too low this winter there will be some light bulbs shining under there.

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"What this country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds."

hydroid

I winterized a few this past winter on the shorter Raja Puri and Dwarf Cavendish by filling leaf bags with grass clippings and leaves and stacking next to the stems and wrapping them with line and tape. I have my first bunch of Raja Puri almost ready to eat.
The Raja Puri did well but the smallish Dwarf Cavendish still froze.
It would be harder to do this with the taller bananas.

ArchAngeL01

Every year I save the psuedostem by digging them up and putting them in the garage. I still have no fruit and the Ice cream actually shrunk down from it's original size. My saba is huge though and I was thinking about keeping the Grand nain in pots while keeping them inside so that it will increase the chances of fruiting.

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Brad

sunfish

The Rajapuri and Double Mahoi fruit at around 4' p-stem for me. These two are small enough to pot up and grow inside over winter.

oakshadows

Since most of this is new to me having to keep them warm will continue to be a problem. I watch the weather very well, something I learned while living in Key West. No problem with warmth there but storms were another story. For sure you have seen many also. Have lived through 6 good size hurricanes and hope not do so again. The info here is tremendous so I may get to enjoy a fresh banana some time in the future. Many will have to go into pots and although they may remain outside they will get covered and heated. Wish me luck.

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"What this country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds."

alemily

Hmm. Despite you being closer to the water, I'm thinking my backyard may have a slightly warmer microclimate. Probably should go dig my weather station out of the garage and put it up in the backyard to see really how hot/cold it gets...

- Amanda

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Fruting: Pisang Awak, Rajapuri, Dwarf Brazilian, Gros Michel, Dwarf Red, FHIA-1 'Goldfinger', Veinte Cohol, FHIA-3 'Sweetheart'
Ornamental/Species: M. bauensis, M. velutina, M. "Milky Way", M. "African Red"