Akula

I'm starting this thread to collect data and post progress on my Raja Puri. If you are growing an RP post up in the thread so we get a better understanding of this plant in different zones and environments.

I obtained the original RP corm from Mark Dragt in early summer and planted it out in my new patch in early July. After winter 2019-2020 I cut into the original plant to clear what I thought was a choke and accidently cut into a flower so original plant is done in early Spring 2020 however it had a pup in September 2019.

The RP pup can be seen to the left of the original plant as of September 13, 2019 in the first photo. Its about a foot tall. In the May 4, 2020 photo the pup is now approximately 5' tall with a good amount of leaves. It has grown 18" since approximately mid March. So from September 2019 to May 4, 2020 the RP has grown 5' which includes the winter months of November-February.

My understanding is that the plant should fruit anywhere between 5' and 8' which based on its current growth rate would put a flower in July. I understand RP takes five months for the fruit to develop.

My question to those who have experience with RP in warm climates Zone 9 and higher is how long does it take for your RP to go from emerging pup to flowering? I'm trying to pick which month to select the pup which will be the follower with the goal to get it across the winter and then fruit in July 2021 after about four months of new growth. I've figured out that between May 15 - June 15th is the ideal time for my tall namwas but this thing seems to grow faster relative to the height at which it flowers. Thanks!!

September 13, 2019


May 4, 2020

twotallgirls

Your RP’s look great. I’m in Zone 10a in FL. I planted my first Raja Puri late last February… pup was about 24” in a 2 gallon pot. It took off immediately. It flowered late September (7 months) when p-stem was about 6 feet; harvest was 5 months later in February. It threw off about 6 pups over this time period; 2 of 3 remaining pups are already about at 5’ p-stem. It’s a great little banana; first bunch was smaller than expected at about 5-6 hands but I didn’t fertilize as much as I should have. I really liked the sweet/tangy flavor. The hard part is the waiting for fruit!

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Blue Java, Raja Puri, Goldfinger FHIA-01, Mona Lisa FHIA-02, Sweetheart FHIA-03, Pitogo, Saba, Dwarf Cavendish, Super Dwarf Cav., Namwa, Brazilian, Mysore, Dwarf Red, and a mystery or two

Akula

Excellent Two Tall Girls! Just the kind of information I need. So RP is about seven to nine months to flower and five months to fruit maturity. So I should probably target a July pup in my Zone to get a flower by the following July taking into account three months of winter dormancy for the winter carryover.

Got some pups to prune!

Thanks!

Akula

Below is a pic of my Raja Puri (No. 2) I received from a member in neighboring Baldwin County. I planted the small pup into the field in early July 2019. Its flowering at a height of 4' of pstem and has six leaves including the flag leaf and about four pups. This guy is a super shorty! Flower has taken forever and a day to emerge.

smeash

Wow that's awesome! I knew they flowered relatively fast, but that is a shorty to set fruit! Should have plenty of time to mature that bunch! Congrats!

Sundra

Your plant is beautiful, and awesome about the fruit at that height!

Raja Puri is one I had strongly considered, but chose others instead. (I got limited space.) This is making me regret passing it, hah.

edwmax

Great looking plant. .... I appears to have been cut back, which is why it is shorter than normal. ... I have a RP flower now and will post some info later.

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Akula

Yeah, I noticed that growth of my dwarves was stalled after winter in comparison to my tall namwas. All my dwarfs required some cutting/peeling (about 6-8") after the winter to help release the emerging leaves. Since RP are notorious for choking especially so after winter dormancy, I was watching for this problem after I uncovered them.

Akula

Update

First off the so called RP #2 in Comment 4 above is actually a Dwarf Orinoco...but RP #1 in my original post doing well and will probably take the Gold Medal for Performance for the 2020 Season! My RP is just shy of 8' clocking in at 94" of pstem. This boy is growing fast but is showing signs of excess fertilizer i.e. the prior leaf started to get the bends and the newest cigar leaf shown is hooked. I'll dial back the N on my next application but continue with K.

I'm expecting a big bunch from this plant. He looks really strong with a thick pstem and lots of leaves. Definitely a contender!

RP June 25th:

Valor_X

OOOOOHH Nice thread!

I got a Raja Puri sword pup in a pot that I'm going to plant on the ground soon.
It's already taking off, can't wait to watch it grow!
Keep us updated

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Varieties I'm Growing

From Corm/Pup
Dwarf Cavendish ○ Super Dwarf Cavendish ○ Grand Nain ○ Niño ○ Manzano ○ Raja Puri ○ Tall Namwah ○ Blue Java ○ 1000 Fingers ○ Praying Hands ○ Orinoco ○ Variegated Florida ○ PR Red ○ California Gold ○ FHIA-03 Sweetheart

Plantains
Puerto Rican Dwarf Plantain ○ African Rhino Horn

From TC
Truly Tiny ○ Manzano ○ "Blue Java" ○ Dwarf Namwah ○ Thai Black ○ Veinte Cohol

Backyard Banana Joe

I noticed my Raja puri has a red lined midrib

smeash

The Pstem on that thing is amazing! Ive got a pup from that one I think.. hoping its half as vigorous as that one! Congrats on an awesome plant!

cincinnana

Insane.....

Great pic....

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nexmp76

I have one in a pot that is my fastest growing banana so far. Went from about a foot tall to about 3 ft since beginning of May. Yours is a beast for sure!

Tytaylor77

This look correct to be raja puri. There is a lot of “fake” raja puris! It took me 4 trys to get my real one!

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Backyard Banana Joe

Well it better be because I got it from you

Tytaylor77

Hahahahahahahha I was seriously thinking that as I wrote it! Lol. It’s a good one. You will love it. My summer bunches fill in about 3.5-4 months. Pruning the lower 2 hands is a MUST! Most all India varieties I grow require pruning.

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Akula

Yea! Running up the flag! Can't wait to see the size of the flower on this thing.

July 13, 2020


July 13, 2020 Flag


Estimate it took 11 months to get the flower including the winter months.

Backyard Banana Joe

Congratulations!!!!!! Can't wait either!

Do you have pisang klotek? If so how is it doing? Thanks Thanks!!!!!

Akula

Thanks!

I have a Pisang Klotek. The original plant is about 13 months old and is about 7'-8' tall. Very, very slow growing. Its pupping though and one of its Spring pups at four months old is 6'. Big difference between the growth rate of the parent and the pup. I only allow (with exceptions) one pup per plant in my zone. The exception being when what I term next year's fruiting pup is growing too fast or started to early in year 1. I use an additional pup to slow it down.