Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!?

mcollum83 · 03-11-2008, 02:34 PM

I'm sorry, I'm new, and I just have gotten my new banana babies as I like to call them...I carry them around the house and chase the sunlight...don't ask, I think I've gone bananas. But somebody told me today (and I don't think I trust them!) that banana plants get dusty looking leaves, and you are supposed to take a toothbrush and brush off that dusty looking stuff and put it in the soil, and this is pollinating it!?! Well, I don't want to be taken for an idiot, and I have lots of friends that ordered banana plants with me...so if this is true...I think I'll keel over and die. But please tell me! And if this is in fact a lie, please tell me how I should go about pollinating an indoor banana plant! Thankyou!

dablo93 · 03-11-2008, 03:17 PM

No I dont think that's true:P

Taylor · 03-11-2008, 04:35 PM

You can't pollinate a banana plant!

You can pollinate the flowers and then produce seeds of seed-bearing banana plants; however, some don't produce seeds (edible varieties...) and therefore pollination would be a waste of your time. You can pollinate by dusting the "stuff" on to the flowers when your banana plant blooms if it is one of the aforementioned seeding types, or even just take your finger and wipe it on the stigma(correct term?). Hope this helps...I will add more later if needed.

Oh, and welcome!

mcollum83 · 03-11-2008, 04:59 PM

Okay, so you are telling me that no pollination is needed to produce fruit because the fruit don't have seeds? Is that correct? I knew those idiots at burgess were full of FERTILIZER! LOL Thank you...please let me know if that's what you meant!

Taylor · 03-11-2008, 05:08 PM

Fruit of an edible variety needs no pollination. Fruit of a seeded species needs pollination. Depends on the plant you have...

Burgess is bologna...

turtile · 03-11-2008, 06:47 PM

The common banana that you buy at the store is triploid so it is sterile (will not fertilize). I'm not sure if they need any stimulation to produce fruit.

The stuff on the leaves is just dust. The pollen would come from a flower.

pitangadiego · 03-11-2008, 09:20 PM

Get a new "Someone". Put the old one on ignore.

Taylor · 03-11-2008, 09:22 PM

Oh, I must have missed that. Thanks, Turtile!

Pollen comes from the flowers, the "dusty stuff" is called wax and is more present on some banana plants than others. It serves no purpose in reproduction or seed production...along with putting in on the soil...

mcollum83 · 03-11-2008, 09:41 PM

Okay, thanks guys, that's what I thought. I think that the customer service rep was saying that just to be rude, well, because she was just plain rude! Thank you for all of your help. I didn't understand how that would work anyways, because flowers have the s*x org*n anyways...just like with anything else. I'm glad I didn't go telling people that then! LOL. Thanks again guys!

mskitty38583 · 03-11-2008, 10:32 PM

dont feel all alone about chasing the sun w/ your nanas in hand. i have done that on many occasions. lol.and your not nuts....your nanas. lol.

03-11-2008, 02:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
mcollum83 BananaNutYum Location: Hay Springs, NE Find me on the map! Zone: 4 Name: Goomba Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 7 BananaBucks : 362 Feedback: 0 / 0% Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts Welcomes: 0	Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!? I'm sorry, I'm new, and I just have gotten my new banana babies as I like to call them...I carry them around the house and chase the sunlight...don't ask, I think I've gone bananas. But somebody told me today (and I don't think I trust them!) that banana plants get dusty looking leaves, and you are supposed to take a toothbrush and brush off that dusty looking stuff and put it in the soil, and this is pollinating it!?! Well, I don't want to be taken for an idiot, and I have lots of friends that ordered banana plants with me...so if this is true...I think I'll keel over and die. But please tell me! And if this is in fact a lie, please tell me how I should go about pollinating an indoor banana plant! Thankyou! __________________ Help me, I've gone bananas!

03-11-2008, 03:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
dablo93 dablo93 's Photo Gallery Location: Randstad North Find me on the map! Zone: Z8b-Z9a, wet cold winters and mild summers Name: daen Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 844 BananaBucks : 5,635 Feedback: 0 / 0% Thanks: 107 Thanked 186 Times in 128 Posts Welcomes: 135	Re: Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!? No I dont think that's true:P __________________ -=

03-11-2008, 04:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
Taylor KING OF KORM. Taylor 's Photo Gallery Location: VA Find me on the map! Zone: 8a Name: Taylor Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 1,415 BananaBucks : 11,310 Feedback: 13 / 100% Thanks: 192 Thanked 153 Times in 100 Posts Welcomes: 194	Re: Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!? You can't pollinate a banana plant! You can pollinate the flowers and then produce seeds of seed-bearing banana plants; however, some don't produce seeds (edible varieties...) and therefore pollination would be a waste of your time. You can pollinate by dusting the "stuff" on to the flowers when your banana plant blooms if it is one of the aforementioned seeding types, or even just take your finger and wipe it on the stigma(correct term?). Hope this helps...I will add more later if needed. Oh, and welcome! __________________ Taylor Update: 23 California Gold fruit expected by Thanksgiving! Harvested!

03-11-2008, 04:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
mcollum83 BananaNutYum Location: Hay Springs, NE Find me on the map! Zone: 4 Name: Goomba Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 7 BananaBucks : 362 Feedback: 0 / 0% Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts Welcomes: 0	Re: Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!? Okay, so you are telling me that no pollination is needed to produce fruit because the fruit don't have seeds? Is that correct? I knew those idiots at burgess were full of FERTILIZER! LOL Thank you...please let me know if that's what you meant! __________________ Help me, I've gone bananas!

03-11-2008, 05:08 PM	#5 (permalink)
Taylor KING OF KORM. Taylor 's Photo Gallery Location: VA Find me on the map! Zone: 8a Name: Taylor Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 1,415 BananaBucks : 11,310 Feedback: 13 / 100% Thanks: 192 Thanked 153 Times in 100 Posts Welcomes: 194	Re: Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!? Fruit of an edible variety needs no pollination. Fruit of a seeded species needs pollination. Depends on the plant you have... Burgess is bologna... __________________ Taylor Update: 23 California Gold fruit expected by Thanksgiving! Harvested!

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03-11-2008, 06:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
turtile Junior Member Location: Delaware Find me on the map! Zone: 7a/b Name: John Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 62 BananaBucks : 1,086 Feedback: 0 / 0% Thanks: 8 Thanked 19 Times in 16 Posts Welcomes: 0	Re: Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!? The common banana that you buy at the store is triploid so it is sterile (will not fertilize). I'm not sure if they need any stimulation to produce fruit. The stuff on the leaves is just dust. The pollen would come from a flower. __________________

03-11-2008, 09:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
pitangadiego Senior Member Location: San Diego, CA Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 488 BananaBucks : 4,432 Feedback: 5 / 100% Thanks: 0 Thanked 177 Times in 70 Posts Welcomes: 0	Re: Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!? Get a new "Someone". Put the old one on ignore. __________________ Encanto Farms Nursery http://encantofarms.com We Be Bananas http://webebananas.com

03-11-2008, 09:22 PM	#8 (permalink)
Taylor KING OF KORM. Taylor 's Photo Gallery Location: VA Find me on the map! Zone: 8a Name: Taylor Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 1,415 BananaBucks : 11,310 Feedback: 13 / 100% Thanks: 192 Thanked 153 Times in 100 Posts Welcomes: 194	Re: Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!? Oh, I must have missed that. Thanks, Turtile! Pollen comes from the flowers, the "dusty stuff" is called wax and is more present on some banana plants than others. It serves no purpose in reproduction or seed production...along with putting in on the soil... __________________ Taylor Update: 23 California Gold fruit expected by Thanksgiving! Harvested!

03-11-2008, 09:41 PM	#9 (permalink)
mcollum83 BananaNutYum Location: Hay Springs, NE Find me on the map! Zone: 4 Name: Goomba Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 7 BananaBucks : 362 Feedback: 0 / 0% Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts Welcomes: 0	Re: Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!? Okay, thanks guys, that's what I thought. I think that the customer service rep was saying that just to be rude, well, because she was just plain rude! Thank you for all of your help. I didn't understand how that would work anyways, because flowers have the sx orgn anyways...just like with anything else. I'm glad I didn't go telling people that then! LOL. Thanks again guys! __________________ Help me, I've gone bananas!

03-11-2008, 10:32 PM	#10 (permalink)
mskitty38583 banana junkie mskitty38583 's Photo Gallery Location: sparta, tn. Find me on the map! Zone: 6-7 Name: mskitty Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 3,598 BananaBucks : 16,949 Feedback: 24 / 100% Thanks: 23 Thanked 466 Times in 396 Posts Welcomes: 59	Re: Pollinating banana plants?!?! Is this true!? dont feel all alone about chasing the sun w/ your nanas in hand. i have done that on many occasions. lol.and your not nuts....your nanas. lol. __________________ WELCOME TO THE GATOR NATION "kokomo" beach boys:

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