TommyMacLuckie

I'm thinking of expanding my banana base. I have experimented with some and in particular, two - Siam Ruby and Grand Nain - did not do well no matter what I did sans greenhouse.

There have to be others.

Southeast Louisiana, in particular where I am, 8B, where the average night time temps in the summer are in the mid to upper 70s F and sometimes mid 80s with daytime highs, in the sun, into the 120-140F range, 91-105 shade.

So far I have growing fantastically:
Saba (my fave)
Orinoco
Velutina
Bordelon
Sumatrana
1870
Williams
Dwarf Cavendish
Thai Gold (this grows too good - constantly ripping out pups)
Ornata (lavender)
Musella lasiocarpa
ensete maurelii

I had a few others - Goldfinger, Kru and...I can't remember (and there might be one or two I'm forgetting) but Hurricanes Gustav and Ike wiped them out ie destroyed/killed them outright at one place, another place, well, the Siam just didn't ever seem to get going even though I had one in shade and sun - neither one seemed to do anything worth a damn.

Any ideas? Suggestions? What am I missing that would/could be cool/great to have? I prefer desert bananas as far as having something to harvest but whatever.

I want to get Robusta, which I've so far understood is also known as Valery and Lacatan. Please correct me if I have that off or wrong or if it's somewhat right etc. Isn't that the same as Jamaican Red? I have ideas but have so far not been able to find any - but the common names where I've learned them might not mingle with what they might be known as elsewhere, like Honey banana.

Just looking to expand and am open to ideas.

ron_mcb

if you can grow dwarf cavendish you can grow gran nain.. my first year i accidentally grew gran nain to about 7feet. i wasnt a member but i was checking out a few things on this site off and on.. i never used Christmas lights like some people were advocating.. i wrapped it and left it outside... the next spring i cut it back following some bad advice.. had i left it alone..i believe i could have had it fruit the second year just fine.

we are in about the same zone.. now with all these hard freezes its probably almost impossible to do this with any banana in zone 8.. the cold freezes the stems. the gran nain will come back for me every year i just have to intervene to get fruit.

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

sunfish

Dwarf Namwah is a must have,

hydroid

+1 for Dwarf Namwah, also Raja Puri.

Richard

+1 for Dwarf Namwa, or regular Namwa if you can handle the height.

Pisang Ceylon.

__________________
Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

venturabananas

Tommy,

Dwarf Namwah, Tall Namwah, and Misi Luki are all in the same subgroup (Pisang Awak), all handle tough weather, and all are tasty.

Robusta, Valery, and Lacatan are all tall Cavendish cultivars and are NOT the same as any of the reds -- which are even more cold sensitive than the Cavendish varieties.

Dwarf Brazilian is very tasty and does very well here even when temps get into the low 30's, but I don't know how it does in places where it really freezes or gets blazing hot.

__________________

TommyMacLuckie

The Grand Nain I had did not handle the storm surge well and then it did not survive the freezes.

I'm willing to give it another shot.

Thanks for the suggestions! Yeah - the taller, bigger and sweeter the better!

I really really really wanted to dig up a Gros Michel pup when I was in Jamaica but a part of me resisted: the last thing I want to be responsible for is spreading something. If those diseases would even spread here.

venturabananas

Tommy,

If you are open to suggestions for any type that makes good fruit and grows well, there's all kinds that are supposed to be good. I say "supposed to" because I'm only one year into this banana obsession. I've got about 40 banana plants crammed into my small yard, but the biggest ones are only now getting to the size you might expect them to produce a bud.

Based on way too much time spent searching around this site, other internet sources, talking to people, etc., here are several varieties that are repeatedly mentioned as good ones and that you might realistically be able to purchase in the US:

Misi Luki
Dwarf Namwah
FHIA 18
Pisang Klotek / Pisang Ceylan / Mysore (closely related: all Mysore group bananas)
FHIA 1 (Goldfinger)
FHIA 2 (Mona Lisa)
SH 3640
Belle / Pisang Raja (closely related)
Monthan
Cardaba
Dwarf Brazilian
Manzano / Golden Pillow (closely related)
Ice Cream
Praying Hands
Rajapuri

There's probably literally hundreds more that could be good for you, too.

Good luck.

__________________

raygrogan

+1 for Brazilian, what we call "apple" bananas in HI, love 'em but don't know how they would do in LA.

To get disease-free pups some times you can find sources - like our UH has a tissue culture lab that makes tiny plantlets that don't have our local scourge, BBTV.