Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

I have a stand of Tall Orinocos. One produced a flower since the last frost but no leaves.
Is there any chance of the fuits making it or should I cut it down now.

Re: Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

unless you have some good reason to cut it down, Id leave it alone. it may not develop properly but it might produce something usable, you never know.

Re: Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

This would be my 3rd attempt with fruit and no leaves. The ice cream that fruited in March failed last week.

Re: Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

You really have nothing to lose by letting it be and see what you get. If you cut it down, you are guaranteed to get nothing.

Re: Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

10-4 on that. Just wondered if redirecting the energy needed to keep the fruit alive would be a better use of the energy.

Re: Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

Porkpi,

Please post your location, change your profile. It would help to understand your overall problem. My dwarf orinoco has thrived and reproduced for over 35 years - first in NJ, then NC and now in S Fla. Not alot of fruit though. The orinoco was first suggested to me as having the shortest fruiting season by The Banana Tree in Easton, Pa.

Except now, I expect to see real fruit here in zone 9b. Fruited in NC once having been planted in the garden. Spotted the flower in mid October, dug it up, put it in a 15 gal pot and hauled it up to the 2nd floor. Stuck it in the garden tub under the sky light and got 72 fruit. My experience has shown that only cold will stop this thing. It is the most robust of ban's that I grow.

The current decendant of that first corm is now over 7 feet tall and it's leaves are very green and thick. It loves this place. Will fruit soon.

Dan, a.k.a. bananimal

Re: Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

I have 20 plants or so in the stand. Some leafed up in april/may, this particular orinoco just fruited with no leaves. No big deal, as I got 4 trees with fruit(edible) and 6 which fruited too late, last fall and I expect the same this year.

Re: Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

IHAVE A California Gold that I bought last November from someone moving out and this banana had some flowers.
I tried to save the main corm but broke off while digging but I immediately planted it when I got home. It was thriving nicely until we had that arctic blast come January.
I tried to save my banana by wrapping them with burlap, clear plastics and Christmas lights but after the frost was over when I opened it all the leaves were fried except about 2 square feet of green leaves.
I wanted to cut it down thinking that there's not enough energy to supply the fruits but Joe Real advice me not to.
He said that if I trim all the brown p-stem and expose the green of the p-stem that would be enough to sustain the fruit but I have to be very patient with it.
Right now, I can see that the fruit are getting bigger and very green looking but they are so slow growing.....
The middle of the bunch are growing bigger than the others though.
I am assuming that currently it is growing more roots for a new pup.
The main corm has produced a very healthy pup that is growing wild at this time. Growing very fast. I'll put a pic in my photo gallery.

Re: Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

Hey Benny,

I would love to trade for that Cal Gold pup. I currently have large corms of Dwf Orinoco. Pups that are ready, or will be soon, are Dwf Brazilian, Saba, Pitogo, Goldfinger, Gran Nain x Sumatrana. See my newly posted Photo Gallery. Please note the pic of my buddy, the real bananimal. She loves chunks of banana at breakfast or fried plantains at dinner.

Besides, you owe me! You stole my Ae Ae joke before I had a chance to post it under the Tiki Hut -- "You might be a banana fiend if you....'take my Ae Ae to bed with me at night with dog and wife'."

You should know that we have a serious problem here in south Fla with Banana Bandits. They roam the streets in search of rare and exotic nanners to nab.

Oh yeah, I just found a source for the very very very rare Musa Isetayo -- interested? They produce 6 foot -- 7 foot -- 8 foot bunches and you can pick 'em all night on a drink of rum.

Dan

Re: Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

Dan:
Sorry, no deal.
That California Gold I have only gave one pup and I intend to keep it no matter what so I can have that nana for next year. The mother did not give any pup yet.
And there's one waiting already for a pup even if I don't have one yet.
And he said he's been waiting for 2 years now. His name is Laaz, he's the founder of a citrus forum.
Your joke about taking your banana to sleep with you and your wife takes the cake.
I've been laughing for hours every time I think about it.
My experience is almost true to that joke.
Just yesterday I heard my wife's snide remark while inspecting my bananas 'Why don't you go and sleep with them?"
But I love my wife. At least she does not stop me from buying as many bananas I want at least she does not know that.
Joe Real's wife has a RULE : No more additional citrus in the yard! So he resort to grafting. He has one plant that he grafted over 60 different cultivars in one plant.
I think it was listed last year in Guiness World record.
We just let them think they are the boss. Success for a long marriage. I learned my lesson the hard way. Been divorced 3 times.

Re: Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

Hey Benny,

I love to read these responses to my wife. She has started to roll her "eyes to heaven" as they say. Only the "real" bananimal listens to every word with complete attention. Great -- now I'm talking to the dog now. And the bananas , of course.

When I say "roll eyes to heaven" does any one remember the scene in one of the Cheech and Chong movies when Ceech is sticking his toungh out at these two women, and the older one does a double roll of the eyes? That's what I'm talking about.

Here's the "real" bananimal, I think her eyes are starting to glaze over too ---

Re: Orinoco Fruiting Question
 

Oh, Bless her! She SOOOOOOOOOOOO makes me smile!
Please pet her for me! :)