![]() |
Welcome to the Bananas.org forums. You're currently viewing our message boards as a guest which gives you limited access to participate in discussions and access our other features such as our wiki and photo gallery. By joining our community, you'll have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload photos, and access many other special features. Registration is fast and simple, so please join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. |
|
Register | Photo Gallery | Classifieds | Wiki | Chat | Map | Search | Today's Posts | Mark Forums Read |
Main Banana Discussion This is where we discuss our banana collections; tips on growing bananas, tips on harvesting bananas, sharing our banana photos and stories. |
Hey there! It looks like you're enjoying Bananas.org but haven't created an account yet. Why not take a minute to register for your own account now? As a member you get access to all of our forums and posts plus the ability to post your own messages, communicate directly with other members and much more. Register now! Already a member? Login at the top of this page to stop seeing this message. |
![]() |
|
![]() |
The most chatters online in one day was 17, 09-06-2009. No one is currently using the chat. |
![]() ![]() |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools |
![]() |
#1 (permalink) |
Location: Kansas
Zone: 6a
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 595
BananaBucks
: 92,458
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 1,396 Times
Was
Thanked 939 Times in 334 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 44 Times
|
![]() ![]() P-stem is currently about 3' (it was around 4' when I trimmed it back last month). 4/27 4/28 4/29 I received the plant in the mail on 1/28/2012 as a 2" tall tissue culture plant from Wellspring Gardens. Here's a pic of it then (from left to right: Gran Nain, Dwarf Red, Dwarf Cavendish, and Truly Tiny)-- Here it is right after I planted it 15 months ago: Here it is in October after a good summer of growth (very center of 1st pic just right of the papaya; hiding in the background just left of the Dwarf Red in the 2nd pic): Unfortunately all of the bananas stopped growing at that point. By January the leaves were all half yellow and by March they were all dead/yellow. I recently cut all the pstems back till I found green, and they all began to leaf back out. The DC only managed to push out 4 leaves before sending up the flag, though, so I may end up trimming off half the hands in order to get the remaining hands to fill out well. If the bananas hadn't all stopped growing in October, I think the plant would have flowered sometime in November with a dozen or so big green leaves to power it. The bananas grew fine through their first winter (when they first arrived as tiny tc's), but I nearly killed them in October when I had to shut down the system's water circulation for a couple of days. I had some supplemental aeration going, but it wasn't good enough and the plants basically almost all drowned (all growth immediately stopped and didn't resume till I cut them back about a month ago). Furthermore, whereas during the 1st winter I bounced a lot of extra sunlight into the greenhouse (keeping it both warmer and brighter), this past winter the plants had to make-do with less light and heat because I built a structure just south of it (only place I could put it) last summer that unfortunately blocks a lot of that 'extra' light. But oh well. Far from ideal, but I'm not complaining. Down the road I'll pamper them better; for now I'm happy to have my first flag leaf. ![]()
__________________
Set out runnin', but I'll take my time; a friend of bananas is a friend of mine. www.GreenFinGardens.com Last edited by GreenFin : 01-16-2014 at 08:31 PM. |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Sponsors |
![]() |
#2 (permalink) |
Location: Homestead, Florida
Zone: Zone 10
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 330
BananaBucks
: 88,746
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was
Thanked 433 Times in 162 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 4 Times
|
![]() Looks like you have some papayas. What kind of papayas do you have?
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#3 (permalink) |
Location: Kansas
Zone: 6a
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 595
BananaBucks
: 92,458
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 1,396 Times
Was
Thanked 939 Times in 334 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 44 Times
|
![]() Red Lady
__________________
Set out runnin', but I'll take my time; a friend of bananas is a friend of mine. www.GreenFinGardens.com |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#4 (permalink) |
Location: Homestead, Florida
Zone: Zone 10
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 330
BananaBucks
: 88,746
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was
Thanked 433 Times in 162 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 4 Times
|
![]() You will have a treat. Nothing better than home grown papayas! Good luck with your banana.
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Said thanks: |
![]() |
#5 (permalink) |
Location: South Florida
Zone: 10b
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 55
BananaBucks
: 13,442
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 52 Times
Was
Thanked 82 Times in 39 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times
|
![]() Very nice! Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you're growing your bananas hydroponically? Can you please describe your setup?
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Said thanks: |
Sponsors |
![]() |
#6 (permalink) |
Guero fronterizo
Location: San Diego, CA
Zone: 10
Name: Guerote
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 227
BananaBucks
: 85,573
Feedback: 1 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 74 Times
Was
Thanked 84 Times in 61 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
|
![]() Very cool you're tropical fruits in Kansas! Keep the pics coming!
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Said thanks: |
![]() |
#7 (permalink) | |
Location: Kansas
Zone: 6a
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 595
BananaBucks
: 92,458
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 1,396 Times
Was
Thanked 939 Times in 334 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 44 Times
|
![]() Quote:
My system has a 1,700 gallon fish tank and a 165 square foot gravel grow bed. Water from the fish tank carries fish waste through a set of channels in the grow bed, where it is eaten by worms, broken down by bacteria, and consumed by the plants. The resulting clean water is then pumped back into the fish tank in a constantly repeating cycle. The bananas are planted directly in the gravel grow bed. If you follow the path past the bananas... ...you'll arrive at the tilapia tank. Here's a pic of them gathering near the surface right before feeding time: Here are a couple that I netted out and set on a 5-gallon bucket for size reference: Tilapia are delicious when raised in a clean environment. My favorite way to prepare them is to filet them, soak the filets in saltwater over night, then rinse thoroughly and either pop them in the Frydaddy (coated in onion ring mix)... ...or bake them with butter, basil, garlic powder, lemon salt, and black pepper. Tilapia have a strip of bony red meat along the middle of their filets, so when I'm fileting I prefer to cut that out, yielding half-filets that look like what you see below.
__________________
Set out runnin', but I'll take my time; a friend of bananas is a friend of mine. www.GreenFinGardens.com |
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#8 (permalink) |
Location: South Florida
Zone: 10b
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 55
BananaBucks
: 13,442
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 52 Times
Was
Thanked 82 Times in 39 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times
|
![]() Thanks for the insight! I'm very familliar with aquaponics and have been planning to setup a CHIFT/PIST system here soon raising Talapia, too. But, I'm jealous of your 1,700 gallon tank! I was planning on something like 150-250 gallons due to space limitations. Great setup and delicious-looking fish!
Last edited by Figaro : 04-30-2013 at 08:13 AM. |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#9 (permalink) |
Guero fronterizo
Location: San Diego, CA
Zone: 10
Name: Guerote
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 227
BananaBucks
: 85,573
Feedback: 1 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 74 Times
Was
Thanked 84 Times in 61 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
|
![]() Yeah that whole system of the tank, the fish, and the bananas is incredible; wonderful for the environment.
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Said thanks: |
![]() |
#10 (permalink) |
Location: Palm Bay, FL
Zone: 9b
Name: Mike
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,533
BananaBucks
: 63,089
Feedback: 14 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 5,326 Times
Was
Thanked 1,830 Times in 679 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,866 Times
|
![]() I really like this! I have been wanting to try out an aquaponic setup for some time. I was considering using an above ground pool as my fish tank and having LOTS of fish. How fast do your fish reproduce? It looks as if your graven bed in on the ground the fish tank above the bed. How do you get the water to return back from the ground gravel to the fish tank?
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#11 (permalink) |
Happy Growing Location: Beaumont Texas
Zone: 8b, but 9b weather..
Name: Migael / Michael
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 9,493
BananaBucks
: 236,908
Feedback: 45 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 10,447 Times
Was
Thanked 16,443 Times in 5,238 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,318 Times
|
![]() Can we get a Banana update too? :^)
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#12 (permalink) | |
Location: Kansas
Zone: 6a
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 595
BananaBucks
: 92,458
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 1,396 Times
Was
Thanked 939 Times in 334 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 44 Times
|
![]() Quote:
![]() The fish reproduce fast and will overpopulate in short order if you don't account for it. The most natural and convenient way to control it is probably to stock some largemouth bass or other apex predator in there to balance the system. That's what I did. It works well, and you get some big game fish out of the deal. Doesn't require many, maybe 1 for every few hundred tilapia. You have a good eye noting the relative heights, and how they are inverted from what is generally seen. The original plan was to have the gravel grow bed a bit higher than the fish tank, but I just ran out of energy and motivation digging the hole for the fish tank (it was the middle of winter, the ground was frozen, and I was chipping at it with a pickaxe). So I inverted the design and added a deep 'hole' in the grow bed that is close to 3' deep. The water flows through the grow bed to that hole, at which point I use an airlift to pump the water out of there up to the fish tank, where it then overflows back to the gravel. I don't recommend the inverted method, and wish I would have just put in the extra time and work to fulfill the original design. I have experimented with above ground pools. I'm currently using 5 (a 600 gal, two 1,700 gal, and two 4,000 gal). I don't really like them, but that's skewed by the particular experiment I was running (exploring the limits of greenwater aquaculture), which was disappointing. If you hook up sufficient grow beds to them, they should work fine (once 'broken in' and cycled for a while), with the added plus that it's especially easy to set up those grow beds at waist level in that type of a system. So a user-friendly system is definitely possible via that route. I'll probably re-purpose my pools for growing that way next year.
__________________
Set out runnin', but I'll take my time; a friend of bananas is a friend of mine. www.GreenFinGardens.com |
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Said thanks: |
![]() |
#13 (permalink) |
Location: Kansas
Zone: 6a
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 595
BananaBucks
: 92,458
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 1,396 Times
Was
Thanked 939 Times in 334 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 44 Times
|
![]() Here's the DC bunch as of today (click to enlarge):
How close to ready do you suppose this bunch is? 80% of the way there?
__________________
Set out runnin', but I'll take my time; a friend of bananas is a friend of mine. www.GreenFinGardens.com |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#14 (permalink) |
Banana grower
Zone: zone 10
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 7,590
BananaBucks
: 84,446
Feedback: 9 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 3,754 Times
Was
Thanked 10,888 Times in 3,311 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 729 Times
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#15 (permalink) |
Location: Kansas
Zone: 6a
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 595
BananaBucks
: 92,458
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 1,396 Times
Was
Thanked 939 Times in 334 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 44 Times
|
![]() It's been around 3 months since the last hand of female fingers was exposed. (Is that the proper start time, or is it from when the tip of the bud is first exposed?)
Here it was on May 13th and July 19th
__________________
Set out runnin', but I'll take my time; a friend of bananas is a friend of mine. www.GreenFinGardens.com Last edited by GreenFin : 08-26-2013 at 01:06 AM. |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#16 (permalink) |
Banana grower
Zone: zone 10
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 7,590
BananaBucks
: 84,446
Feedback: 9 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 3,754 Times
Was
Thanked 10,888 Times in 3,311 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 729 Times
|
![]() Your conditions are obviously different than mine but here all my bunches take about 6 months from bloom (first hand exposed) to ripe. Sometimes a little longer depending the weather. If your conditions are more like the tropics they could be 80%.
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Sponsors |
![]() |
#17 (permalink) | |
Member
Location: Port St Lucie, Fla
Zone: 10a
Name: Dan
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,512
BananaBucks
: 598,426
Feedback: 12 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 4,688 Times
Was
Thanked 4,979 Times in 1,509 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 191 Times
|
![]() Quote:
Don't wait for yellow skins - not necessary. Good job with the G H. |
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#18 (permalink) |
Location: Homestead, Florida
Zone: Zone 10
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 330
BananaBucks
: 88,746
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was
Thanked 433 Times in 162 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 4 Times
|
![]() That bunch is very close to ready. It appears more than 90% filled in. Congratulations on your banana bunch!
I have NEVER tasted home grown bananas. My first bunch still has at least another 5 weeks before it is ready for harvest. |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
#19 (permalink) |
Member
Location: Port St Lucie, Fla
Zone: 10a
Name: Dan
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,512
BananaBucks
: 598,426
Feedback: 12 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 4,688 Times
Was
Thanked 4,979 Times in 1,509 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 191 Times
|
![]() If you are going to be in the Port St Lucie area this week you can stop by and taste some Pisang Klotek. Still have some green fingers left that will be yellow soon. And take some avocados too. Have lots.
|
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Said thanks: |
![]() ![]() |
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
Thread Tools | |
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Curled leaf turned into flag leaf...Mysore 2009 bunch *Pictures | jen | Main Banana Discussion | 6 | 06-21-2022 03:17 PM |
Feeding either a Super Dwarf Cavendish or just a regular Dwarf Cavendish | BillynJennifer | Container Grown Banana Plants | 1 | 04-30-2011 05:04 PM |
Deformed cigar leaf or flag leaf? | exovetek | Main Banana Discussion | 9 | 07-24-2010 05:37 AM |
dwarf cavendish flag leaf | hammer | Main Banana Discussion | 11 | 06-08-2010 07:17 PM |
Flag Leaf on my Dw. Cavendish? | jpfloors | Main Banana Discussion | 38 | 07-08-2008 12:40 PM |