Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Hi Patty, congrats on the growth and best of luck for fruit this year!

RE: day & time not showing up
If you look at the left part of the dark blue area that seperates the posts in the thread, you will see the day and time that the post was made. Slightly above the text in each post is the day and time it was posted.

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Hey Patti!!!
Don't give up...LOL How cool that your IC is so large.. It will be a great adition to your landscape I'm sure.. Did you get pic's...I have an IC but pulled it in the fall so just now getting around to finding somewhere it plant it..Here in Texas the afternoon sun is so brutel some late shade helps..
Kylie

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Hey, Patty.
Nice meeting you here.
I am Benny!
The crazy guy who wants to builld a sunroom or addition for my bananas to be. This is my new craze- bananas.
See my new babies I just bought on Earth Day in Modesto California. I drove 114 miles one way to get there.
I am learning a lot in this forum. I resolve to have a fruiting banana this year or next.

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Thanks Anna & Kyley (sp), I didn't mean that I'm giving up on the bananas, it was weird that I couldn't see my post so I wrote "I give up" - & now I went back & deleted the posts. LOL.
Hey Benny, how would I not recognize you!! And, Garnetmoth posted here too! I cannot wait to get the big IC in ground. It grew 5-6 leaves since Oct -about 1 per month, but better than being wrapped & dormant. I carted it out on the deck few days ago. Soon, I will dump pot over & remove as much soil from roots as I can & drag it to spot to plant. I'm sure it won't hurt it much if some roots get pruned??? I'll bet it will really take off when inground... I will post pics when I figure out how to here. In fall, I will dig it out & wrap it up real well (I'm sure it will be too big to get back into sunroom's 12 1/2 ft ceiling) & store under sunroom crawlspace (JoeReals idea). It will be a shame if it starts to set any flowers in fall! They will all die over winter won't they?
Now, I can pot up the double Mahoi that Garnet sent me!
Thanks all, this is a fun forum.
Patty

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Patty:
From my experience all of my bananas stayed green and growing in my make do 'sunroom' that was just a covered patio and a strip of cleared plastics on the side with night tempt from 39*F to low 40's. Also all of my citrus kept on growing, flowering and fruiting the rest of the Winter. Would it be more perfect if I have a sunroom like yours that you can regulate the temperature?
Yes, I bought me 2 ice creams also annd you said they grow up to 15'?
Actually I am concentrating growing dwarfs so I have dwarf orinoco, Brazilian, raja puri etc so I can put them in half wine barrel and see what happens.
The matured dwarf Brazilian Joe Real Gave me last Feb 28 has its first spear coming up.
It's exciting to see new spears coming up with your new babies. But I have enemies.
Some 3 cultured bananas I found there was caterpillar reside inside the spears and eat the new leaves.
Yeah, Spring is here.
I woke up and the tempt outside at 5:30am is 51*F

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Hi Benny, I think my IC will really take off this summer after I plant inground. Todd (in SC) last yr said his got to I think 18 ft tall!! I will have to dig it out & store over winter as my sunroom is only 12 1/2 ft tall. Just hope it won't start to flower later this summer!
Yes, I love my sunroom, although I really do not have heat control. When it got below freezing, I opened the French doors going to it from kitchen to let house heat in. In summer, I open windows & have ceiling fan on in there & keep Fr. doors closed when AC is on. I think next winter, I will keep temps between 45F to high of 60F so that will keep soil temps down to make plants go into dormancy. I will save on heat. Will have to put a film on south window for less sunlight too. Remember, Millet says when soil temps are below 55.5F, the plant is not able to absorb the sunlight, as it is dormant. I'm still confused about this, as most plants did fine & I KNOW the soil temps were at or below 55.5 at times. IC grew a slow 5-6 leaves all winter in there.

I think you could just get by with a sturdy vinyl/plastic covered greenhouse for winter...enough to keep frost out. Like what EZ did with his inground Cherimoyas!! They made it through the frost....is he same zone as you?

I also have a Dbl. Mahoi about 8 inches tall, but have to learn about it.
Anyone know how big it will get & how long to set flowers & fruit?
Good luck on our 'nanas!

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Patty:
Here's what I got for double mahoi:

Hardiness Zone: 8 and higher
Type: Dessert
Height: 5 to 7 feet
Form: Musa
Remarks: Good for containers. Excellent sweet fruit. Conversation piece.

Musa 'Double (Mahoi)

Musa 'Double (Mahoi)- Dwarf plant that grows to about 5 (1.5m) to 7 (2.1m) feet tall. A very rare and unusual plant that produces two large heads of fruit on the same plant. Can occasionally produce a third head of fruit also. Fruit is very tasty and sweet. Double (Mahoi) makes an excellent container plant. A must for serious collectors. A 'Dwarf Cavendish' mutation. Mahoi means twins in Hawaiian.
I know Millet said those things but somehow his data does not work here in my place.
I still believe him and trust him I just think that here is an excption or just because the tempt goes higher during the daytime so the soil tempt goes higher also so the plants start its machinery and say hey guys let's go the door is open and let's grow!

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Double Mahoi in the wiki
Ice Cream in the wiki

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Ahh....I got it. Now I know I can post my pictures here.
Here's my bananas I grew. Pics taken Dec 4 2004 in the middle of winter and my bananas were thhriving. I did not protect any of my plants by the addition of heat. I just let them grow natural.
So I know I can grow bananas at my place.
I did not know this forum or any citrus forum then. I just plant my plants by instinct I guess.
Now I am learning a lot in this forum.
Thanks a million.

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Thanks Mediahound & Benny!

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

You are welcome Patty.
Hey, you got me to thinking why can't I just install as many skylights and two 8 foot-sliding doors on East and South walls of my covered patio and totally enclosed it.
That way, I can save megabucks and dealing with the California city gods and codes.
My problem is how can I install skylights and what is the biggest skylights in the store I can buy. Is there a possibility half of the made of glass?

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Benny, skylites will need a lot of support so you will need to build walls & roof/rafters to support all of this. You told me you cannot get permit for this addition or that it would be too costly (remember last yr we talked about it?) My opinion, in looking at your pic, is to do the same. Make it high enough to fit your banana trees in. Use a thick plastic/vinyl that you can roll up & store for summer. Just leave the framing up so that it looks like a lattice type covering over your patio/deck area instead of a enclosed room, or the permit "police" will get you LOL.
I think tomorrow I will plant my bigger IC 'nanna inground in garden, now that we are finally having decent weather! To think that 10 months ago it was about 2 inches high, & now is just over 6ft high from soil! WOOO HOOOO
The other will go in that same 30 gal pot.
Patty.....going to sharpen the spade now!

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

OK. I think you are right.

2 inch to 6 feet in one season?
What do you feed it and what type of soil?
You said you planted it in 30 gallon pot? It must be a huge pot. Is it plastic?
Yes, that's what I did with my bananas when ithey outgrew their wine barrel pot. I planted them on the ground. And when none did not flower- out they went and I bought a lot that I knew will fower that I knew their origin and names.
The bananas I had I just got those and none were flowering when I got them. She had plenty in front of her house but none flowered for a number of years.

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

The 2 I bought last yr were same size & the2nd one is in a 5 gal pot & is almost half the size because of smaller pot. The big one is plastic -- 24" W X 18 " high. I used reg potting soil, CHC's & perlite & made sure I didn't overwater last winter. I feed it tomato food 18-18-21,...high in K (potassium). Bananas are high in potassium. Sometimes I might give Peters 20-20-20. And, I add 1 Tbls of epsom salts mixed in 1 gal water at feeding time (I do this with all plants). Inground, I will also scratch in Osmocote in soil.
You know, I think I wil take a pic of the 2 side by side before I plant the big one inground ( I dug the hole today ...oooo my back!) I will have to figure how to post the pic here.
I'm so sorry you threw your nannas out! I know these will not flower this yr., so I will do what BigDog did to overwinter (read his thread!) I will dig it up in fall & wrap it & store for winter. I'm sure it will be more than 12 1/2 feet tall - which is ceiling height in my sunroom, so I need lots o'luck in finding a place to store it. The smaller one will be in the big pot & I'm sure it will fit in sunroom. I just cannot wait for next yr when they will fruit!!!
I think I am now a bananaholic LOL I'm also excited over my dble. Mahoi which grew nicely over winter. That will stay potted. I hope that it will bloom next year too.
To any banana pro's out there, what will happen if the IC starts to bloom later this summer or fall? Will it just die off when I dig it up & store it? Should I consider it toast? Thanks all,... & Benny, don't throw any trees out this yr if they don't bloom! They prolly wil next yr.

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Ah.... I got everything you mentioned. I expect to receive the 14 cu ft CHC I ordered from Crystals.
And I got a double mahoi also. Compliments of Joe Real.It's about a foot and a half and at the moment the spear is unfolding slowly.
Joe also gave me a Sweetheart about 2 feet high and planted on the ground last February. This morning I am seeing a pup coming up. I can't believe what I am seeing. I am excited.
Of course all my bananas are now tagged and I am not going to throw them away for sure. I am also becoming a bananaholic.
Imagine driving 228 miles just to buy banana pups. And I was not sorry.

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

[quote=3 I add 1 Tbls of epsom salts mixed in 1 gal water at feeding time (I do this with all plants). .QUOTE]


Patty:

Do you add epsom salt once a month? 3 months?
If your IC will be too tall in your sunroom, can you store it on the floor? You are not going to store it standing up. Are you? If you are If I were you I would clip all the leaves and wrap the p-stem real good specially the roots and put it in your sunroom.
I bought me a california gold with a flower last November and immediately planted on the ground. When winter came I wrapped the p-stem with clothe then Christmas lights and then clear plastics. The part of the leaves that was not reached by Christmas lights were fried but the ones that did stayed green.
So after the frost was over I unwrapped them and the bananas kept on growing and became green. But due to the fact that there was only 2 leaves left and only about 2 feet long, I don't think that is enough to sustain the fruit of energy to get bigger. You can see them in my pics. So I was thinking to cut it level to the ground so that its energy might be redirected to make new pup(s). I still have not seen a new pup coming up whereas the rest of the corms that where this banana came from pop up a new pup already. (See pic).
Any thoughts? Anybody?

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

Hi Benny, I use the epsom salts about every time I fert -- usually once a month. Let it rain in between or plain water.
You brought up a good question for me to ask. If my now inground banana has to get winterized for next winter, should I wrap it & place it horizontal on sunroom floor wrapped? I'm sure it will be too tall to pot up. The temps in there will be low of 45F to high of 60F. Is this too warm to be wrapped up for dormancy? It still grew slowly last winter in there with these temps.
What is a good temp to keep them dormant? The highest temp? Under my sunroom space would get too cold...it'[s open to outside.
I finally put the big IC into ground today. WHAT a job that was! I put tarp on deck, tipped the 30 gal pot over, & gradually worked plant out. I got most of soil off roots & it was still very heavy. I put it on dolly & carted it over to space (already dug out yest.) I planted it this afternoon so the nice warm sun warmed up the soil after hole was dug. Watered well but no ferts yet in case of transplant shock. This will truly be a monster to dig out in fall! I will need help getting it out of ground.
BigDog, I don't know how you do this to so many plants!
I took pics but will have to post later...they are in camera but I'm too tired & have to learn how to post them here.
Funny..the plant looks so much smaller being inground! Still over my head, but looks so small. Ooooh, me achey breaky back.
Tomorrow I will put the other IC in same pot & maybe keep that in sunroom over next winter in semi dormant like this one was last winter. Hope they both produce next yr!
You got a double mahoi also! I potted up the one I got from Garnetmoth today . It grew well over winter & is doing very well. I think we have become bananaholics! I'll try to post pics soon.
Patty

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

I hope somebody will chip in with their experience.
As for my own experience with that temperature between 40 to 60 degrees, your bananas will still be growing and will stay green if there is a cover overhead. See my bananas. It is when the tempt dip below 37 or thereabouts that's when the leaves start to fry but the pstep will still be green. Only if there is a continous low tempt and the bananas got wet that's when they start to rut.
If your bananas will be kept dry and the tempt will be 40 to 60 if that''s mine I would not worry about wrapping them. That's my opinion. it also depends what type of bananas you have. Yours are hardy.
But I have a dwarf cavendish that I will worry even if the tempt is on the low 40's.

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

From my observation here I think for practical purposes, it will be better for you to leave yourIC banana where it is now. It may grow another 6 to 8 feet more so it will be impractical to dig it out.
Some people and I would too, is to buy chicken wire and wrap their banana with that and fill it with leaves or straw. I would also put a foot high chicken wire around the base and filled that too with leaves during winter. I will top it off with a large trash can liner after I dastically cut all the leaves off including the spear. The main thing is to keep the base and pstem dry throughout the winter. I would also put plastics around the base of the plant to keep water away. That's pobably one of the reasons I kept my califonia gold alive last winter.
Also I am consentratig buying dwarfs now ones that will flower at around 6 feet. Those I can let it grow as usual to my make believe patio-green-house for the winter. I have a 10 feet high ceiling and another four feet for the leaves to grow is exactly 10 feet. I have the raja puri, dwarf cav and dwarf orinoco right now.

Re: My first banana - Ice Cream, 3 1/2 months old
 

There is no way that IC will survive a winter inground here no matter how well I insulate it! It will prolly be 12-14ft high by fall. We can get to -0F temps with well below zero wind chills. To me, it would be worth digging it out because I think it will get fruits next yr.
Was thinking of laying on floor in sunrrom & wrapping it to keep it dark & make it dormant. It will be low of 45 to high of 60 in there. Any opinions on this? Won't keeping it dark make it dormant at those temps? Thanks
Patty