Clare_CA

I am new to growing bananas and new to this forum so forgive me for asking what is probably a stupid question. I just planted this garden within the last six months, and I bought the bananas mostly from Logee's, Home Depot, and Green Thumb, but I failed to record which bananas went where so they are unidentified right now. I think I know where 'Double Mahoi' is up top, and I obviously know 'Siam Ruby.' The rest, I'll have to ask you to help me figure out which is which when they bloom or fruit, I guess.

My question is whether the bananas are planted too close to each other, considering their eventual size, which we don't know right now.

Thanks for your help.

LilRaverBoi

Well, I can tell you with 99% certainty that the naner in front of the retaining wall is an Ensete Ventricosum. I can't really help with other identifications right now.

As for spacing, it doesn't look too bad. You might be pretty crowded with the few behind the yellow canna in the picture. Also the SR and the one in front of it might be a little close. Other than that it looks pretty good. To prevent things from spreading/overcrowding later, try to keep your mat size small by removing all but the largest pup or two.

__________________
BANANA RAVE!
Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top!
lilraverboi@genxglow.com
RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you!
I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

bencelest

You are doing great for spacing in my opinion. and nice lookin yard.

__________________
Banana Nut

Simply Bananas

Everything looks great! One thing to watch...the banana plants next to the fence... depending on drainage... may be eventually suffer from lack of water. If the soid is too porous, the water may drain too fast. You may have already compensated for that with your irrigation line.

__________________
Afterall...doesn't everyone want a bigger Banana?

Our Banana Videos On YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCii..._p_tJVXZOHAdRA

Clare_CA

Thanks very much for your replies, advice, and insights. I appreciate them! Thanks too for the compliments!

Patty in Wisc

Oh, I hope you have nice neighbors! Someone posted that their nanas fruited & the bunch was hanging in middle of property line above the fence so the neighbor cut the whole bunch off & kept it! She waited 2-3 yrs for it to fruit. How sad

__________________
Got a lite?
Patty




____
Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.

Clare_CA

Hi Patty! How sad and inconsiderate of those neighbors. This is my front yard, and those bananas in front will be visible from the street if they grow higher than that six-foot fence. I guess, unless they are dwaves, they will grow that high or higher.

I do have really nice neighbors so I'm hoping that won't happen to me. I think up there is a Musa Dwarf Cavendish, a Musa 'Dwarf Lady Finger,' a Musa cavendish 'Super Dwarf,' and Musa 'Double Mahoi.' Musa 'Raja Puri' is further down but also against the fence. Here's the other side of that fence:

cherokee_greg

Looks good

__________________




Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

monsaco

can banana plants push retaining wall?

Magilla Gorilla

Welcome to the forum! Your plants and garden look great! Spacing in some ways is a matter of opinion. I am from the jungle opinion and more is better! Keep up the great work!

__________________
Andrew

Clare_CA

Thanks so much, Greg and Andrew, for the compliments.

Monsaco, that's actually a vinyl fence, which is pretty sturdy, but I don't think the bananas will lean on it hopefully.

Andrew, I like the jungle look too. Soon my plumerias will be growing into each other as I've planted them too closely together as well. I have six more bananas coming in the mail, and so I've got to fit them in somewhere! LOL!

Ueberwinden

Clare,

The nice thing about plumeria is that once they start to grow close together it gives you a reason to take cuttings!! Do you also grow Brugs? I know a clare in Ca that has quite a few very nice Brugs on another forum.

Michael

__________________
White Horticulture
Rare, Tropical, Unique

cherokee_greg

I bought a plumeria the other day. Will they grow in the ground ok. Im in zone 9 we do get frost here in the winter. I have it in a pot and I gave it some food its already growing more leaves.

__________________




Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

Clare_CA

Hi Michael and Greg,

That's true about plumerias! They are spaced around 6-8 feet apart but should probably be spaced about 10 feet apart.

I'm still in the process of landscaping the area and will plant some criums between them and some bananas too.

I used to have about 30 different brugmansias, but I've reduced that collection down to three. I do love them, but they are messy and high maintenance. Right now, I have only 'Joli,' 'Maya,' and my seedling 'Duchess.' I used to post on the Dave's Garden and GardenWeb brugmansia forums a while ago, but I think there is another Clare there also.

Greg, you will need to grow your plumeria in a pot in your zone because it will be killed by frost and freezing temps. Damage starts around 34 and death occurs around 29 degrees F. You can plant it in the ground in the spring and then dig it up in the fall, if you wish, like many people do around the country. If you can keep it growing in the winter in a greenhouse or sunroom with lights, it will be very happy and bloom sooner for you rather than letting it go dormant for the winter.

Ueberwinden

Clare,

You have quite a undertaking don't you. I operate a small commercial nursery here in Florence, KY. I specialize in Plumeria, Bananas, and bamboo. Which varieties of plumeria are gracing you landscape?

Michael

__________________
White Horticulture
Rare, Tropical, Unique

Clare_CA

Hi Michael! Your nursery sounds wonderful! I have about 150 different cultivars, including many from Thailand and many unique seedlings from a friend of mine in Thailand. You can see some of my plumeria pictures by clicking on the albums which are separated by year: Pictures by Clare_CA - Photobucket I haven't loaded any into 2009 just because I haven't had the time. It's taken quite a lot of time just putting in the landscape here since we moved here.

planetrj

Hi Clare,

I think you are doing a terrific job and thought out for the citrus, plumeria and musa.

You can look at the spacing subjectively. If you want to create a 'wall' effect with your bananas in the next couple years, then you're going to have just that. Most all of the musa you've planted will fairly quickly create clusters of trunks around the circumference of what you've planted. I can tell you that the Rajapuri will probably be the most 'THICK' of all, and I've seen it crack concrete! LOL It can get a base (single) trunk that's about 40 inches around and will cluster trunks very quickly. It's a nice heavy bearer and will usually fruit within 18-24 months in SoCal. However, I'd give that one about a 6 foot diameter space away from everything including the fences. Keep in mind that sun exposure is crucial, and if one hangs over the other all day long, then it will retard the growth of the shorter. It looks like you have a Maurelli?? in that one left corner (maybe), and those REALLY get fat and take up enormous spaces, yet don't get very tall trunked. You need at least 6 feet of space for that one.

Good luck and keep posting the progress!
RJ

__________________
you will never have enough bananas ^_^

Clare_CA

Thanks so much, Rj! I really appreciate you taking the time to write that info for me. I'm going to be moving my Rajapuri today! LOL! It's planted right next to a new and expensive vinyl fence so I think I'll put it somewhere else where it has more room to grow.

Yeah, I knew the Maurelli's get big, and you're right that it will shade what's behind it for part of the day. I think it's probably too late to move that one, but I think it will be okay there because it is in the ground below all the others. It could conceivably get so wide that it presses up against the stone there.

Again, thank you for your help.

planetrj

Great! You're making the right choice for the Rajapuri. I've found that it's just so very stout and very strong, but it's one of my very favorites, because of it's wind, weather and cold resistance. I had it winter over fruit and they ripened in February. Imagine my neighbors watching as they see me plucking bananas while they're bundled up on their porches awaiting days of warm weather. LOL

As for the Maurelli, I'm not sure it's too late for moving it. That's one rugged cookie! LOL But -you're absolutely right about it crowding and surely pushing back the cinderblock a ways, but you're prepared for it, because you've just placed them in garden style without concrete fill, so you'll bes fine. However, I hope you didn't plant Plumeria too close behind it, and you wouldn't want to jeopardize the sunlight. I had a Plumie that was occluded from the sun from a fast growing Cestrum, and it stopped blooming for 2 years, and I had to move the Plumeria. That wasn't fun.

I really admire your garden and it looks like you're going to have one tropical oasis when everything fills in nicely.

Congrats and have fun!!

__________________
you will never have enough bananas ^_^

planetrj

Clare! I forgot to ask....

Do I see a Singapore behind the Maurelli???

Congrats on that! I LOVE my Singapore. Now, you must get a Dwarf Singapore Pink for an urn by your back door! That one never stops blooming, and is perfect to put in a big pot.

__________________
you will never have enough bananas ^_^