Leaning Banana Plant = Soon to Flower?

andy17 · 06-29-2013, 04:00 PM

Hey everyone,

My Ice Cream has started leaning really noticeably in the last few weeks for no reason. It's on it's second year, and it's growing in a very large pot. I wasn't sure if it was a quirky thing bananas do occasionally or an early sign of flowering soon (it seems like quite a few people have had the angle of their plant change during flowering). It's set in a place where it gets fairly even sun light, so it shouldn't be growing that much towards the sunlight. I was just curious--haha I'm hoping for a flower soon! Thanks!

Abnshrek · 06-29-2013, 06:34 PM

sunfish · 06-29-2013, 07:23 PM

Not so. I have lots of leaners that won't flower this year

BigBananaBoy · 06-30-2013, 01:53 AM

My dog

is a leaner and he will never flower

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunfish

Not so. I have lots of leaners that won't flower this year

venturabananas · 06-30-2013, 10:26 AM

My "Ice Cream Namwah" leans a lot after the flower has emerged, but not before.

andy17 · 06-30-2013, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBananaBoy

My dog

is a leaner and he will never flower

haha!

andy17 · 06-30-2013, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by venturabananas

My "Ice Cream Namwah" leans a lot after the flower has emerged, but not before.

Thanks, that's really helpful!

JCA433 · 06-30-2013, 12:29 PM

The flower just emerged from my Namwa banana on the side opposite it is leaning and the pup. It has been leaning slightly since 70 days after I planted it but it is not noticeable and the lean was unchanged before flowering.

sunfish · 06-30-2013, 02:16 PM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Pisa

pitangadiego · 06-30-2013, 05:54 PM

I have had Ice Cream lean before flowering, but not because it is about to flower necessarily.

Leaning can be the result of pup removal, new pup pushing the parent to one side, loss of roots, etc.

Some varieties, and Ice Cream seems to be one of them, seem to stop producing new roots around the time of flowering, and as the existing roots die out, the plant leans and may even fall over around the time of flowering.

Which applies in your case?

The easiest way to tell if a plant is about to flower, assuming proper care (water and fertilizer) is whether the pseudostem is at flowering height. If culture and care is consistent, flowering will occur at nearly the same height every time.

Ice Cream does tend to have a lack of roots near flowering, and will tend to lean and/or fall over. Propping is essential.

My current bunch, hanging for 9 months, is finally beginning to ripen with temps near 90F.

sunfish · 06-30-2013, 07:52 PM

I think they lean so it is easier to pick the fruit

LilRaverBoi · 07-04-2013, 01:31 PM

Yeah, leaning is probably not related to proximity to flowering. I would just rotate the pot 180 degrees and it will fix itself.

06-29-2013, 04:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
andy17 Location: Central Alabama Zone: 8b Name: Andy Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 279 BananaBucks : 102,158 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 251 Times Was Thanked 154 Times in 99 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 18 Times	Leaning Banana Plant = Soon to Flower? Hey everyone, My Ice Cream has started leaning really noticeably in the last few weeks for no reason. It's on it's second year, and it's growing in a very large pot. I wasn't sure if it was a quirky thing bananas do occasionally or an early sign of flowering soon (it seems like quite a few people have had the angle of their plant change during flowering). It's set in a place where it gets fairly even sun light, so it shouldn't be growing that much towards the sunlight. I was just curious--haha I'm hoping for a flower soon! Thanks! __________________ "Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." --Francis Bacon

06-29-2013, 06:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
Abnshrek Happy Growing Abnshrek 's Photo Gallery Location: Beaumont Texas Find me on the map! Zone: 8b, but 9b weather.. Name: Migael / Michael Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 9,492 BananaBucks : 197,050 Feedback: 45 / 100% Said "Thanks" 10,447 Times Was Thanked 16,440 Times in 5,237 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,318 Times	Re: Leaning Banana Plant = Soon to Flower? __________________ I'm a Nannerhead :^)

06-29-2013, 07:23 PM	#3 (permalink)
sunfish Banned sunfish's Photo Gallery Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Name: Tony Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 18,429 BananaBucks : 948,232 Feedback: 8 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,210 Times Was Thanked 20,591 Times in 7,760 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,716 Times	Re: Leaning Banana Plant = Soon to Flower? Not so. I have lots of leaners that won't flower this year

06-30-2013, 10:26 AM	#5 (permalink)
venturabananas venturabananas's Photo Gallery Location: Ventura, CA Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Mark Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,845 BananaBucks : 239,028 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,752 Times Was Thanked 3,968 Times in 1,713 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 39 Times	Re: Leaning Banana Plant = Soon to Flower? My "Ice Cream Namwah" leans a lot after the flower has emerged, but not before. __________________

06-30-2013, 12:29 PM	#8 (permalink)
JCA433 Location: Homestead, Florida Zone: Zone 10 Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 330 BananaBucks : 83,657 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 433 Times in 162 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 4 Times	Re: Leaning Banana Plant = Soon to Flower? The flower just emerged from my Namwa banana on the side opposite it is leaning and the pup. It has been leaning slightly since 70 days after I planted it but it is not noticeable and the lean was unchanged before flowering.

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06-30-2013, 02:16 PM	#9 (permalink)
sunfish Banned sunfish's Photo Gallery Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Name: Tony Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 18,429 BananaBucks : 948,232 Feedback: 8 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,210 Times Was Thanked 20,591 Times in 7,760 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,716 Times	Re: Leaning Banana Plant = Soon to Flower? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Pisa

06-30-2013, 05:54 PM	#10 (permalink)
pitangadiego Senior Member Location: San Diego, CA Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,481 BananaBucks : 129,634 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2 Times Was Thanked 2,707 Times in 923 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Leaning Banana Plant = Soon to Flower? I have had Ice Cream lean before flowering, but not because it is about to flower necessarily. Leaning can be the result of pup removal, new pup pushing the parent to one side, loss of roots, etc. Some varieties, and Ice Cream seems to be one of them, seem to stop producing new roots around the time of flowering, and as the existing roots die out, the plant leans and may even fall over around the time of flowering. Which applies in your case? The easiest way to tell if a plant is about to flower, assuming proper care (water and fertilizer) is whether the pseudostem is at flowering height. If culture and care is consistent, flowering will occur at nearly the same height every time. Ice Cream does tend to have a lack of roots near flowering, and will tend to lean and/or fall over. Propping is essential. My current bunch, hanging for 9 months, is finally beginning to ripen with temps near 90F. __________________ Encanto Farms Nursery http://encantofarms.com We Be Bananas http://webebananas.com

06-30-2013, 07:52 PM	#11 (permalink)
sunfish Banned sunfish's Photo Gallery Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Name: Tony Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 18,429 BananaBucks : 948,232 Feedback: 8 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,210 Times Was Thanked 20,591 Times in 7,760 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,716 Times	Re: Leaning Banana Plant = Soon to Flower? I think they lean so it is easier to pick the fruit

07-04-2013, 01:31 PM	#12 (permalink)
LilRaverBoi Nanner Time! LilRaverBoi's Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Rapids, IA Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Bryan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,937 BananaBucks : 114,215 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 534 Times Was Thanked 2,243 Times in 1,245 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 855 Times	Re: Leaning Banana Plant = Soon to Flower? Yeah, leaning is probably not related to proximity to flowering. I would just rotate the pot 180 degrees and it will fix itself. __________________ BANANA RAVE! Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top! lilraverboi@genxglow.com RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you! I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

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