I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Help!! We Had A Mild Winter And Did Not Cut The Bananas Back. Imagine The Thrill To See A Bloom In April With Fruit!!! The Leaves Have Barely Started Growing. I Have Already Mulched With Cow Manure And Fertilized.

As Per Pic In My Gallery, I Immediately Made The Official Bananas.org Banana Tree Support From The Diagram Sent To Me. THE TREE IS APPROX 12' HIGH. It's Getting Water. I Want To Be Successful And Get Fruit Off Of My Trees. My Last Bloom Was In October And It Didn't Survive.

So Please Jump In With Your Nanner Fruit Advice So I Can Graduate From A Newby To A Banana Grower!!!

Zone 8b Conroe, Tx.

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Congrats. on the bloom, I'm in zone 5 and just over wintered my first nanners!!!

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Congrats on the fruit bunch in April! If you have a few leaves on the plant, the bunch should develop just fine. Just keep doing what your doing.

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Woo Hoo Chicago!!! That cannot be a small feat!

So is a bloom in April normal? I'm blown away and will have to rig up some way of protecting my big nanners when we have colder winters. This is a 40 yr old mat that I've revived - after being here 4 yrs, last yr was my first bloom (which failed) .

But I have revived them thanks to all the wonderful Nanner advice here..........

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Congrats on your nanners!!! :09:

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

That is awesome!

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I don't have a plant in bloom, I have a Dwarf Cavendish that made it through the winter in my 3 season room, and is looking really good since we got our first 60 degree temps this past weekend, I'm a first time ever trying to grow Bananas and Citrus since last June, I'm elated with fact that my DC made it. Three season room is unheated but lots of windows, in early Dec. I covered the windows with an opaque plastic to cut light and watered sparingly, she made it and has pushed some new leaves in the last couple weeks. For me I'm ecstatic, this plant has become my Task. Check out my gallery for a little history on this plant and my step kids, ( Very affectionately known as the S.O.S, spawn of satan) Awe I love'm and they know it, but still it's fun mess'in with them, They're my measuring stick for the Banana plant. I wish my plant had a flag leaf, but alas, I'm new and very inexperienced, But looking to warmer weather and SUN. :)

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Congratulations Jewelbaby - I know how you feel! The first of my replacement bananas has just put out a flower bud! Woohoo indeed!

Cassie

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

congrats on your new flower!:D:bananarow::bananarow::bananarow:

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Karen,

How large is this mat of bananas? At 40 yrs. old it must be quite large! Probably one of the reasons that you haven't seen a bud up to now is that there are most likely WAY too many pseudostems coming up together. Most of us here (I think) manage our bananas to where they have the main pstem (the one we are expecting to fruit that year) along with no more that one or two replacement pups. This allows the main plant to put most of it's energy into flowering and fruiting. Of course, you'd have a lot of work to do to clean up a 40 yr. old mat. Maybe it's best to leave well enough alone if you've got a bud already. Just food for thought in case you get ambitious! Good luck!

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Brent, you are so right, it was a lot of work. I added pictures of the mat for you to look at. It is a 6'x8' area on the SE corner of the house.

Last spring, with the advice from "ya'll" on the forum we dug it out leaving a choice few plants, added in loads of "Black Cow". Last fall we had our first bloom though too late. I might have saved it with a support/ or not.

Please look at the picture of the mat today and tell me if there is more that I can do. It's ugly now, but as we heat up that entire area will be a beautiful jungle of leaves. Is there anything that we can companion plant around the front base of them?

I'm starting to think that these are Orinocos.

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

They look like one of mine which I was told was probably 'Orinoco' as well. It's up to you, but I'd probably try to reduce it a bit more like I mentioned before. It's not totally necessary so don't worry about it too much. I keep my mats pretty small mostly so I can have room for more plants...much to the dismay of my wife! Anything tropical looking would be good in front of them, such as elephant ears or gingers. You could also just plant some summer annuals in front of the too if you like.

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Brent, for that 6'x8' area how many would you have? Are you saying that you just have 1 stem and 2 pups per growing area? I've started 2 other small mats with these. I want to have several fruiting varieties around the yards and yes I do want to actually landscape that area!

Also do I cut down the one that is now blooming when it is done?

Thanks to all of you for your encouragement, it's taken me 4 yrs to get to this point.

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

A few on the Org have said they wait for it to die back some before cutting it off.

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

cool!

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Congrats Jewelbaby!!:2559:

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

there are somethings that are worth the wait.but if you are impatient( like i am) it can seem like a lifetime for one flower. lol!

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Well MsKitty I agree! I'm originally from Ventura,CA and a very adventurous farmer way back when actually bought a few acres of land sandwiched between the 101 freeway on the coast and put in a Banana Farm!!! We had never had them in our area before that. His fruit was so incredible I became determined to raise them someday...........

So yeehaa after 4 yrs we're getting there. Our place is right on a 90 acre lake, our soil is hard pan clay, high water table. We rehabbed a summer house for f/t home, now we have the challenge of the yards. We're on a downhill slope, get the road run off and now we are being faced with the possibility of putting in an aerobic septic system (per county) on a lot that is too small for one.

Ahhhh, bananas................

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

Hello again! I'm not sure that there are any hard and fast rules for how many you should have in a 6'x8' area. You could probably get away with having two main stalks with about 2 pups each in an area that size. Yes, you can cut down the main pstem after you have harvested the fruit.

Re: I Have A Bloom In April!
 

ohh that doesnt sound good! i always wanted a nana tree and the first one got me hooked. we are suppossed to get a freeze here in middle tn this weekend. that sucks! most (all but 8) of my nanas,as well as a lot of other plants, have been outside in the shade for a week or two. now im gonna have to move them under the eves and cover them all with blankets. it will be ok though. i have worked in my yard all day today and thats the place i love to be. i feel your pain about having the "cliffs of oblivion" in your yard. and i dont not envy you on having to landscape that area. i can suggest red hot pokers for the area though. they have an amazing root system that will hold ground better then anything ive seen, this side of sawgrass. they can take a drought . just a suggestion. i hope everything goes well in your yard.