jeffaroo

I'm sure this will get controversial, but I'm just trying to get the new guys pointed in the right direction without making the mistakes I did.

Stay clear of tissue cultures for now. I know it's tempting with the cheap price, combined shipping deals and all. Instead buy large pups from reputable sellers. This gives a huge jump start into the hobby as well as saving a ton of time. Know your climate zone and what has been proven to grow. Ask questions if your unsure. Enjoy and understand your hobby, again ask questions.

Now back to tissue cultures. I've pretty much given up on them due to the time involved and special care the first year. However treat them as a side hobby and you can aquire some pretty cool specimens. Do your homework on tissue culture sellers. Some are good, many are bad.
I've wasted a lot of time and money buy trying to save a couple of bucks. It's not really worth it. Think about it, tc shipping is cheap because you have no weight. Buy a xl pup and you could pay as much as $15 . Bottom line, you get what you pay for

We're all here for the same reasons. If you need help, just ask.

Happy bananaing

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druss

Interesting, in Western Australia the only way to get bananas in is in the form of TC. There are import permits, lab certifications, meristem testing requirements etc. I have bought in 120 test tube plantlets in agar of 21 types all through the gene spectrum and only lost 3. Keeping the temp/light and humidity right for the first 3-4 weeks is the most critical. Quite a few people here have failed with tc plants and I'm not sure why. I havent found them harder than seedlings (once germinated). I have taken a few pups for people and sure theyre like an established plant, but I wouldnt write off tc.

jeffaroo

I'm sure you have your system in Australia. I was referring more to the folks in North America

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Tytaylor77

I agree I prefer pups greatly over TC. Not because I have loss them but like Jefaroo said the time and care. I am very impatient! Especially if you have limited time to grow. They are harder to get and cost more but pups rooted and shipped in soil (like a cloth pot or even nursery pot) they save even more time! Usually this method is reserved for the variegated types or very rare varieties.

Freshly wrapped rooted pups are the most common and are great also. If done correctly they will push a leaf in 3-4 weeks after arriving. Then you have an established plant!

Then the most important part! By buying from a member or trading you get a verified correctly labeled variety. TC you roll the dice and find out what you get in 2 years.

All this said you can really mess up either method. So do your research and ask questions! One question can save you a month delay or even save from killing a plant. TC or corm.
If you can't get an answer then Private Message someone. I welcome a PM from anyone as I'm sure most others do. We all love talking bananas!!

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druss

Pretty sure my varieties are correct as they come from the government research arm that supplies the entire Australian banana industry. Just found it interesting people had that many problems with getting tc going.

Tytaylor77

Oh yes your fine. As are the ones from our USDA Tars in PR. I'm talking Agristarts or other commercial US TC labs. All about $ and not about making sure they have the correct plant material. Or they get mixed up at the nursery/online nurseries are the worst. I can name several varieties which are not in TC labs anywhere! But there they are for sale on the online nurseries site. I've emailed some of these "nurseries" asking and they even admit they "swap with a dwarf cavendish because DC has better cold hardiness than cali gold"

I still have that email from a major online nursery if anyone doesn't believe me. I put the blame on the whole start to finish of TC. It's all about making $ over supplying collectors or maintaining varieties. It's really sad.

Going bananas in FL is the only that seems good. They TC their own stuff and I've never heard a mismatch or complaint. They are high though.

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Narnia

Druss, Did you get your TCs from Nambour Research Station in Qld?

druss

I think so let me check, are you in oz?

Narnia

Yes

druss

If your east coast, bluesky would be your best bet, to get bananas.

sputinc7

I think the best info a newbie needs right away is cultivar selection. So many people in Georgia and northern Texas trying to make a go of D cav as their first banana, one of the most cold sensitive varieties when other varieties could do so much better for them, maybe even left in ground and mulched.
Once they know what they should get, then tell them where to get it.

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Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

Tytaylor77

Baised in what I grow:

Your first banana if your north of zone 9 should be dwarf Orinoco. They are very easy to grow and hard to kill. Also the most cold hardy edible banana. Not the best tasting to me but you will learn a lot.

For zones 7b and warmer try some short cycle varieties like Veinte Cohol, Patupi, Tigua, fhia-3 sweetheart. Have a 2'-3' pup growing in the house/greenhouse and plant it in ground after last frost. Easy here in 8b but very hard to do in colder areas. They are very cold sensitive and go dormant if the temps drop.

Zones 8b/9a my zone. Any variety can be grown here with winter protection except extremely cold sensitive types like reds and cavendish types. My best performers:
Dwarf Orinoco
Fhia 1 goldfinger
Fhia 3 sweetheart
Tall namwa (sold as Ice Cream)
Real Blue Java ice cream (rare plant)
Brazilians
Manzano
Raja Puri

Short Cycle ones:
VC - I harvest many Veinte Cohol bunches every year.
Patupi I will fruit also (planted too late last year didn't ripen)
Tigua (haven't flowered yet)
Fhia 3 sweetheart flowered (was also planted very late)

I will share more info on my newer varieties and 2nd success with the short cycles later in the year.

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jeffaroo

Huge shout out to PR, I just received his order today. Most pup orders are chopped and shipped. PR actually roots them prior to shipment to ensure a strong, healthy plant. He then packages it in a way for zero movement.
At first I thought his prices were high, I totally understand his pricing now and can't recommend highly enough. Well worth the price/wait.
Very nice sir

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Little Belle

Well...since you asked, I could use some help/suggestions. I killed my my Dwarf Lady Finger (Logee's) after growing it for 2-3 years. I would love a dwarf that I can grow in a container outside in Spring/Summer and bring in (either as a house plant if it is not too tall, or let go dormant in my basement). And, of course, I want bananas. I am in Charlotte, zone 8a. I would love to try my hand at growing bananas in the ground, but right now I have my hands full learning to grow stone-fruit trees, figs, mulberries, blueberries and blackberries. I can't take on any more right now.
So which dwarf should I grow in a container that will fruit and has sweet, tasty bananas??? BTW - My Dwarf Lady Finger died during dormancy this past winter - turned to mush.

PR-Giants

Thanks a lot jeffaroo, I'm really happy you were pleased.

I ship the same way I would want to receive plants. Yeah I go a little overboard but if it's worth doing then it's worth doing correctly.

I've received plants before that were completely destroyed because they were packed badly and don't want to see that happen to others. Zero movement is a good description.

I saw that you received a Veinte Cohol brick and a FHIA-03 brick and after reading this thread I hope you didn't make your decision based on anything Tytaylor77 wrote, because the FHIA-03 is definitely not a short cycle even if you stretch the definition.

For your location I would have recommended the Tigua/Kumunamba.

If you read this thread I think there is a person near you growing them successfully. Plus the moderator Harveyc is growing it but don't recall when he received his.

Thanks again for the shout out.

More Kumunamba Pix

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Tytaylor77

PR sorry your sweetheart aren't growing as fast. I thought everything grew faster in the tropics.

I planted mine last year as a 1' tall plant on May 16th and it paused with the flower just poking out in late December. 7 Months for a flower is amazingly fast for me. Most first flowers take around 300days. The sweetheart was planted at the exact same time as my Tigua and patupi. The sweetheart bloomed, the patupi had a flower in the pstem, and the Tigua had nothing. I'm sure it's nothing like a Musa Florida. I can't wait for my Florida to fruit this year. Faster than Tomatoes and Watermelons. Wow. I'm excited. Sweetheart is one of my fastest and best growers. And very cold hardy. It grows while many others goes dormant. My largest is already almost 6' tall. Amazing growth and I have no doubt it will flower this year. Don't take my word for it:

Research done in southern FL. Tigua is first. Sweetheart is 3rd only a few days behind Brazilian (doesn't grow fast for me).


Here is one of your sweethearts flowering in 6 months! Faster than mine.
You seem to prefer it and say it's faster than a few other varities (6" a week seems fast for a short plant):

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gnappi

I know some frown on taking plants from friends and acquaintances but when I started I got two small pups from a friend and have a few more since then.

I think even a nursery bought plant is a crapshoot too so I will take any interesting specimen I can when I can, but only plants not TC's.

Just Joan 2

This is my question too!

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I am also looking for a variety that can be grown in a container also, that I can grow inside in the winter or go dormant...and outside in the spring and until the fall, any suggestions must be on the shorter side also...thank you

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I should have realized from your April 12 email that you were unsure of what a short cycle is, but the good thing is we are all here to help each other.

3 leaves in 15 days isn't bad but it would have performed much better had you not wanted it shipped earlier than what was written in the listing but what's important is that they are doing great and you are very happy.



Here's a thread about a Tigua grown and harvested in Louisiana.

Unknown Quick Fruiting Louisiana Banana

Here's a thread about a FHIA-3 grown and flowered in Louisiana.

Monster FHIA03

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