Some plantains
 

Apparently that strange Hua Moa sport I had either eventually turns normal or is a common somatic mutation


It actually has fruited we'll see what they look like mature


These next two are Giant Plantain





Some Hua Moa

Re: Some plantains
 

Hi Nicolas, I have few questions for you? Or any other member may be able to help.

I know you are growing different types of plantains like giant plantain, Dwarf Super plantain, Dwarf Puerto Rican Plantain, Etc. Which one is taste better? Are Burro and hua mua also plantains? Why do the giant plantains called giant plantain? What is giant? Fruits or the tree?

Does the fruits of Misi looki, Tall namwah, and dwarf namwah are the same? Any taste difference?

And one more question. What is the difference between FHIA1, FHIA17, and FHIA18 etc? Are they all (FHIAs) taste different or same?
:nanadrink:

Re: Some plantains
 

Rainforezt,

Here are the answers that I feel sure about, I've leave the other questions for someone who knows more.

FHIA 1, 17, and 18 are all genetically different plants. FHIA 1 and 18 are actually siblings, but not clones. They all taste different. FHIA 1 and 18 are similar, but 18 is more tart. FHIA 17 is very similar to a supermarket Cavendish, but gets pretty nasty when too ripe.

Burro (Orinoco) and Hua Moa and not technically plantains, though both are primarily cooking bananas. True Plantains are a specific subgroup and not that closely related to Burro or Hua Moa.

To me, tall Namwah and Dwarf Namwah taste pretty darn similar. Misi Luki could be the same as tall Namwah. The jury is still out.

Re: Some plantains
 

I'm not a very good judge of taste. I think the Giant, Dwarf and Super all taste the same. I actually think that the Dwarf is a dwarf sport of the giant and the super is a french sport of the dwarf. Technically speaking Hua Moa is not a plantain and neither is Burro. Here in South Florida, you commonly here "platano hawaiiano" for Hua Moa and "platano burro" for burro. To me, the only thing Hua Moa is good for is tostones and chips. I have trouble making tostones with Burro, they come out fluffy and don't stay together. However, once over-ripe they make a decent maduro.

As for the FHIA varieties, I personally only grow FHIA-17 and that was in order to have a regular banana that had some resistance to Sigatoka. It hasn't been a very good variety for me. I have tasted both FHIA-1 and FHIA-18 and wasn't really happy with the taste. They are very productive though.

Oh and the giant part of the giant plantain has to do with the height. It's not really that tall though. I believe it is really Maricongo from Puerto Rico.

Re: Some plantains
 

Thanks for the cool pix. Plantains are one of my favorites. The way I cook them is "45-45". I get the blackest ripest ones I can buy, then just toss in the oven whole, sitting on the rack. Turn the heat way up to 450F, set the cook time for 45 min and walk away. If I forget about them til next day, fine. (Altho the house smells great ...) The only problem with the method is the hot black juice that oozes out and makes ashes on the bottom of the oven. (If you care about that you can put an old cookie tray there to catch it.) And they look like a black mess. But serving is easy, I just put them on a big plate and people slice off bits as they want. You just have to peel into the burnt peels to find the good part and put that on a clean plate, and leave the mess until it is all gone. The flavor is killer, all by itself.

Re: Some plantains
 

My planting at the house is really starting to take off. Twin rows 6' apart 5' in row spacing. 18' from center to center.

Re: Some plantains
 

I love that picture. I told my wife that is what I want. We are saving for a piece of land, so someday it will happen.

Re: Some plantains
 

That is just my back yard. I live on an acre. I rent the other land that I farm. I figure that if I am going to maintain an acre it may as well make me some money.

Re: Some plantains
 

Nick ----- Will you plant bananas in front of the house. Or is this a no-no?

Re: Some plantains
 

My wife won't let me

Re: Some plantains
 

Dwarf Puerto Rican Plantain "enano común"

Re: Some plantains
 

My plant nursery about 250 plantains.


My backyard has 85 banana and plantain plants.

Re: Some plantains
 

Nick ---- How is the Pisang Klotek doing? Got a pic? Should be a monster by now growing in that muck soil.

And the Guanabana tree?

Re: Some plantains
 

The guanabana died from wind and 40 degree weather. The pisang klotek is the banana tree in the background on the far right.

Re: Some plantains
 

At the corner of the house? Looks good!

I just dug out another big PK sucker. Know anybody that wants it?

Re: Some plantains
 

It's the one at the far right corner of the picture. The one next to it is a FHIA-17

Re: Some plantains
 

For height reference the plants on the right are about 5-5.5' tall. I took the picture from the top of my truck which I had parked on top of a pile of spoil. So I'm about 15' in the air. Things are growing fast.

Re: Some plantains
 

As expected, two months of Summer in Florida and wow did things grow.

Re: Some plantains
 

How do you remove the pups from all those plants?

Re: Some plantains
 

Machete 1x per month.