Clare_CA

Thanks, everyone, for the nice comments.

Dar, I use Miracle Gro Continuous Feed slow release pellets on the ones on the hill, which is 10-10-10. I use that on just about everything, and it is supposed to be good for three months. On my bananas in the backyard, I use only chicken manure. My chickens are in that area, and I don't want to chance that they will eat the fertilizer pellets. I really haven't fertilizered as often or as well as I should be doing, but my understanding is that the Raja Puri is fairly forgiving of neglected conditions.

Thanks, Kevin. I'm in Camarillo, which is in Ventura County, in California. I've only been growing bananas for about a year and a half now.



Here's some updated photos:

Raja Puri Mat and flower:





Ice Cream Mat:



Red Iholene Mat and flower:





Goldfinger Mat:

ron_mcb

plenty people had plants that were supposed to be iholena type to flower. the rain and or cold weather made the plants rot/topple. your red iholena looks interesting..especially the bloom. could you keep us updated on your red iholena?? i would like to see the bunch as it grows.

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naw mek smaddi ditate fi yuh. naw wan gwan a pawty yuh naggo.

Tropicman

Hey Clare ,
I have 2 raja puris in fruit since August,and there growth is at a stand still at the moment,as temps are falling into the 30's at night,I have mine covered with straw bales around there trunks and Xmas lights wrapped around the fruit and leaves,and all covered with greenhouse plastic.
Don't know if I can keep them a hard freeze or not.
Your landscaping really looks great,gives me the feel of being in Bali!!!
Hopefully we can be eating bananas at the same time!!!!

Clare_CA

Thanks, Ron_mcb. I wonder at what temperature I should start to take measures for protection. I will get some support right away. We've been in a drought for years now so I don't think there will be much rain, and temps get down into the 40's at night here and high 30's briefly. I'll keep you posted.

Hi Don! It's good to talk to you again. That is so great that you have two Raja Puri's in fruit right now. My fingers are crossed for you that they continue to do well and survive your winter. I wonder if one of those propane heaters would work on the coldest nights? Keep in touch on this thread and let us know how it goes.

Jananas Bananas

Clare those are so beautiful and lush! I am so proud for you that you are having such great luck with flowering and fruit so quickly. Don't forget about updated pictures of your variegates!

~JaNan

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Jananas Bananas

nannerfunboi

wow clare.. its chilly here now..and i cant wait for spring..LOL
my bananas are all dug now..hope they winter well for me(inside)..
your puriraja.. wow!!! i dont have any..but i know i will be adding it to
my collection for next yr.. LOL
this is addictive isnt it.. LOL
how tall did yours get clare? how old are the biggest ones?
i use "banana fuel" for general fertilizer..and couple times a week
a dose of homemade rabbit manure tea.. they seem to like it..

thanks to all for your pics and insights!!!

Clare_CA

Here's an update on the Red Iholena pup. Also, one of my ones that I have lost the tag for is starting to flower. I hope someone will help me with identification of that one, maybe as the flower starts to develop more. This unknown one could be my Cardaba or Double Mahoi or a Cavendish, I think. I gave a pup of this one to Scott; so when I find out what it is, I'll let him know too.

Red Iholena flower bud:



New flower starting to form on unknown banana:



Unknown banana is on the right:



Closer pic of unknown banana:

venturabananas

Unless those chickens are a lot taller than any I've met, it can't be Cardaba -- too short. Could be dwarf Cavendish or Double Mahoi, based on height.

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Clare_CA

Thanks, Mark. That's good to know. That banana to the left of it is also a lost tag one. Maybe that one is the Cardaba since it is so much taller. I guess we'll wait and see what that one looks like when it flowers. Thanks for the identification help:-)

Clare_CA

Some more updated pictures on Raja Puri, Red Iholena, and now Ice Cream is sending up a bud. It's weird because this Ice Cream only has one or two pups whereas my other nonflowering Ice Cream is much more developed, taller, and has many more pups (see picture of the larger one above).

Raja Puri:





Red Iholena:




Ice Cream flag leaf:

Greenie

awesome!

Clare_CA

Does anyone recognize which banana this is?




Also, the flower bud is growing right through the banana next to it, and I was wondering if someone can tell me if I should cut off one of the main top three leaves of the banana next to it in order to make room for the flower bud and subsequent bananas. Thanks.

Caloosamusa

Hi Clare,

If you cut off leaves, plant food production is reduced. The fruit will be reduced probably in size.

The "Red Iholena" in your pictures looks like a White Iholena.

I hope they grow well and are productive.

Clare_CA

Thanks, Caloosamusa. Okay. I won't cut off the leaf on the other banana then. Hopefully the flower and bananas won't be impeded by the banana next to it. This must happen in nature all the time, I would think.

Please tell me why the Iholena looks like a white Iholena and not a red one. It's totally possible that it was mislabeled at the nursery. The leaves do have a bronze color on the back. Here are some more Iholena pictures. Thanks for your help with identification.

Iholena:





Here is my purple ornata blooming today:

Caloosamusa

I got my White Iholena from a labeling mishap. My Red Iholenas are much taller and have a much redder pseudostem and the undersides of the leaves are intensly Red, much more so than the White Iholena.

Clare_CA

Ah, okay. Good to know. I will change the name on mine. Thanks for the help.

Magilla Gorilla

Hello Clare.
Looks like you too have lots of fruiting/flowering bananas even with our cold summer. They all look great!

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Andrew

Clare_CA

Thanks, JaNan and Nannerfunboi. I'm sorry I missed your posts earlier and didn't see them until now.

JaNan, the variegates are doing really well, and I just took some pictures earlier this week and will post them very soon. I've been working so much lately (which is good since it comes in waves) that I haven't had time to post or read a lot, but there will be lulls again in my workload probably soon. I hope you, your variegates, and your chickens are doing really well;-)

Nannerfunboi, it is very chilly here today and will get colder. I imagine growth will soon slow way down and maybe even stop. I don't envy you having to dig yours up. I get severe shooting back pains just digging a pup up. If I had to dig them up every year, I probably just wouldn't grow them. So my hat is off to you. I'm sure your bananas will do just fine over the winter. My friend Don in Kansas has been digging them and storing them for years, and he has great success. I think the tallest banana is around ten feet to the top of the p-stem, but I don't think the Brazilians that Scott sent me have reached their full potential yet. I think my oldest ones were purchased somewhere around September, 2009. Your rabbit manure tea sounds awesome! Thanks for your comments:-)

Thanks, Andrew, and congrats on all your success. That is totally awesome. Why do you think we are having them all start to flower now though? Maybe they just got a slow start this season? My fingers are crossed for the both of us to get mature fruit in the spring!

Clare_CA

Here are a few more updated pictures on Ice Cream, Iholena, and my unknown banana. Scott in Florida, if you see this, the last one is the one that I sent you a pup of with the others.

Ice Cream:




Iholena:



Unknown banana:

kaczercat

great pics , those nannas are coming along nice, and the unknown , look at the bananas showing and the bud hasn't even dropped much !

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Matt