HMelendez

What a nice size SH-3640 banana bunch!.....


Thanks Keith for sharing this beautiful, eye candy picture!.....


My SH-3640 still growing steady!....Very waxy and beautiful!......



.....Please, Keith did you check my thread/post "Updated of My Bananas & Plantains?"......

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Natureboy

Keith, on a previous thread, you stated that SH 3640 is "not up to the quality of a store bought Cavendish". What exactly do you mean by that? I'm assuming you are referring to typical characteristics desired from commercial varieties (holding up in shipping, etc.) because most people don't find the taste of Cavendish of a very high quality.

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Praying hands: a good way to thank God and a darn good banana, too!

Current varieties: Dwarf Namwah, FHIA-03 (Sweetheart), White Iholena, Maoli, Orinoco, Manzano (Apple), Praying Hands, Dwarf Brazilian, Pisang Raja, Rajapuri, Ice Cream (Blue Java), FHIA-01 (Goldfinger), Kandarian

PR-Giants

We are a small island and our "store bought" Cavendish are the same quality as "farm fresh". The opinions I write are a collection from thousands of folks, locals and tourists from around the world who have tasted and compared bananas grown in near perfect conditions.

We can grow any dessert banana here and Cavendish dominate almost 100% of the market and it's not "because most people don't find the taste of Cavendish of a very high quality".

By 7am this morning we had filled a truck with free bananas, most were FHIA, Pome, Huamoa, Awak and none were Cavendish, they saw some beautiful Guineo Blancos and asked for them several times but had no chance of leaving with them.

Seconds after this photo, this 134 lb. FHIA-3 bunch was rolled into the compost and if the FHIA-3 bunch below that does not appear substantially heavier than 134 lb. it will be fed to Tiny later this week.

Your concern should be with what cultivars that you're able to successfully grow and how they taste under your conditions.





Tiny

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15,000+ Varieties

Natureboy

That's interesting, Keith. So, you're saying most people in PR (whether locals or tourists) prefer the taste of Cavendish over other bananas and you actually give away the other banana varieties for free?

I gave my sister-in-law in Merritt Island, FL a number of banana varieties over the years (Namwa, Brazilian, etc.) and she has gradually eliminated them all in favor of growing exclusively D. Cavendish. It boggles my mind but she says she prefers the taste of Cavendish and they grow better in her yard.

I was always successful with Cavendish and would harvest huge bunches. They tasted better than those in the store, but still do not compare (personally) to many of the varieties that can be grown locally. Plus, Cavendish was the least cold-tolerant of all my cultivars. Thanks for the perspective from PR.

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Praying hands: a good way to thank God and a darn good banana, too!

Current varieties: Dwarf Namwah, FHIA-03 (Sweetheart), White Iholena, Maoli, Orinoco, Manzano (Apple), Praying Hands, Dwarf Brazilian, Pisang Raja, Rajapuri, Ice Cream (Blue Java), FHIA-01 (Goldfinger), Kandarian

PR-Giants

No, I said


Yes, I sell plantains and the other banana varieties are free but the first-class eating bananas are for family & friends.




"Brazilian. The fruit is subacid and of poor quality; it has little to recommend it as a dessert banana (to a West Indian trained taste, at least), and its acceptance in Hawaii seems to be a good example of the power of need and habit in influencing the demands of a market." - Norman Simmonds | Musa Hall of Fame

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merce3

Any more information on Guineo Blanco? Never heard of that one before.

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PR-Giants

It has many names but this is the most commonly used by farmers here.

Guineo Blanco - Bananas Wiki

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Kegas76

Aha! that explains why the Musa Verdin page in the wiki is bare.

This can be found on page 105 (120/226) of
Catalog of Musa Accessions Mantained by USDA-ARS TARS (PDF 232 MB)[thanks to Gabe for linking this]

PR-Giants

This is easier.

Verdin 17150

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PR-Giants

That is not at all surprising and I applaud her for learning it on her own.

Written in 1970.

"In the late 1950's, ': Dwarf Cavendish' is said
by Simmonds to have accounted for 26 per cent
of total exports, second in importance after
'Gros Michel' but declining in Australia at least,
in favour of 'Giant Cavendish'. Its merit is an
apparent tolerance of cool growing conditions,
its drawback shorter fruits which project from
the bunch to invite damage in transit, a lesser
problem nowadays when fruit tends to be carried
in boxes as hands, clusters or even single fruits.
'Giant Cavendish' has these faults to a lesser
degree."


Nobody needs to be told that the fruit are mushy, it's been known for decades and reinforced upon eating.

Written in 1970.

"It may still be some years, perhaps a decade
even, before a tetraploid cultivar will enter the
trade. We now have rather good cultivars, with
resistance to Panama disease and to Sigatoka
Leaf Spot, but problems remain. The tetraploids
take longer to mature a bunch than the Caven
dish sub-group and the ripe fruits may not be
as acceptable on a competitive consumer market,
because they are generally softer in texture and
less sweet."

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Nicolas Naranja

Dwarf Cavendish is what started my banana farming. There were a bunch in the yard of a house I was renting, and I did nothing and they yielded 30-50 lbs bunches regularly. They were really good too, they actually tasted like bananas. 8 years later I am still at it, although I don't have any dwarf cavendish. I have planted a lot of Williams over the past few months though.

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

edzone9

I Just tasted my 1st 3640, We very much like the taste, Similar to the Cavendish but a little Milder, Its much better than my Namwah And Tall Brazilian fruit, So this spring i will remove the remaining Namwah & Brazilian and Plant The French Red, Gold Finger & Manini I got from Keith , The 3640's will remain in my yard..

Thanks Ed

edzone9

I just enjoyed a few of the 3640 this morning, And i must say to the Members that this is one excellent tasting Banana !, Its a keeper !..

I did take longer to ripen, than the Namwah, Brazilian and Orionoco, But it has a Taste Similar To the cavendish but with a slight Citrus Overtone.

Im diggin This Banana!

PS these where harvested before the due date, Due to the Frost ..
Ed

HMelendez

Congrats Ed!


Thank you bro, for sharing on the SH-3640 taste report!...Hopefully I will have my SH-3640 Banana fruiting, blooming soon!.....

I did the same....I got rid of my Namwah Banana mat and gave them to my friends and family....

Namwah Banana mat (gone)....




I replaced the Namwah with the PR Morado Banana and PR Verdin Banana! (Guineo Blanco).....


From left to right: PR Cuerno De Alce (ARH) Plantain, PR Morado Banana and PR Verdin Banana (Guineo Blanco).....

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edzone9

Looking Good !, The 3640's will taste better at your location because of the weather, My Zone is not the prime location for Tropical s like your is.

Still they taste Yummy !...

All I need is to establish the French Red Plantains & i will be a happy Camper !..

Ed