Stupid or Wise?

asacomm · 04-20-2009, 04:12 AM

The first job this Basjoo did this spring was to start the flower bud without
preparing leaves or whatever. I have never seen this phenomenon for other
bananas.
Was it stupid or wise? What do you evaluate?

Gabe15 · 04-20-2009, 04:29 AM

That flower bud was made months ago, well before it got defoliated. Once it starts making the bud, it cannot undo it, so if all of the leaves were killed, and this is what it made next, it means the plant had made it over the summer and it was sitting in the pseudostem all winter waiting to come out.

Bananaman88 · 04-20-2009, 11:48 AM

After losing all its leaves due to the cold, I had a plant produce one leaf, then the flag, then the bud last spring. Fruit developed and ripened normally. I say normally, I'm sure they were smaller than they would have been otherwise, but they were still about 5" long and tasted fine.

LilRaverBoi · 04-20-2009, 02:32 PM

Seems like a pretty dumb thing to do, honestly. Without leaves, it will be hard to develop fruit. But since it's a basjoo, it's not going to have edible fruit, anyway...so it really doesn't matter in the long run.

Gabe15 · 04-20-2009, 05:50 PM

This isn't a matter of whether or not the plant knows what its doing or is "stupid" or "wise", it already made the flower bud during a time of warmth and active growth, its not the plants fault that its leaves got frozen off right before it planned to flower. It can't just retract the bud and make leaves instead, everything that comes out of the top of a banana plant is initiated months in advance, they are not like other plants that can react quickly to flowering signals. The flower bud has to grow from just a few cells and travel the distance from the ground to the top of the pseudostem to emerge, that kind of process takes awhile, up to 6 months for some varieties in certain growing conditions. The point is the flower bud was not created right before it started growing this spring, it has been there a long time and would still be there regardless of whether or not the plant has leaves or not.

LilRaverBoi · 04-20-2009, 07:28 PM

You do raise a valid point, Gabe! Never really thought of it like that, but that totally makes sense. Thanks!

04-20-2009, 04:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
asacomm asacomm's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 786 BananaBucks : 544,422 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 225 Times Was Thanked 598 Times in 209 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Stupid or Wise? The first job this Basjoo did this spring was to start the flower bud without preparing leaves or whatever. I have never seen this phenomenon for other bananas. Was it stupid or wise? What do you evaluate?

04-20-2009, 04:29 AM	#2 (permalink)
Gabe15 Moderator Gabe15's Photo Gallery Location: Oahu, Hawaii Find me on the map! Zone: 12 Name: Gabe Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,892 BananaBucks : 13,440,749 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 8,244 Times in 2,201 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 8 Times	Re: Stupid or Wise? That flower bud was made months ago, well before it got defoliated. Once it starts making the bud, it cannot undo it, so if all of the leaves were killed, and this is what it made next, it means the plant had made it over the summer and it was sitting in the pseudostem all winter waiting to come out. __________________ Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

04-20-2009, 11:48 AM	#3 (permalink)
Bananaman88 Bananaculturist Bananaman88's Photo Gallery Location: Houston, TX area Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Brent Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 3,019 BananaBucks : 285,254 Feedback: 22 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,339 Times Was Thanked 2,263 Times in 1,178 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 191 Times	Re: Stupid or Wise? After losing all its leaves due to the cold, I had a plant produce one leaf, then the flag, then the bud last spring. Fruit developed and ripened normally. I say normally, I'm sure they were smaller than they would have been otherwise, but they were still about 5" long and tasted fine.

04-20-2009, 02:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
LilRaverBoi Nanner Time! LilRaverBoi's Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Rapids, IA Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Bryan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,937 BananaBucks : 142,592 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 534 Times Was Thanked 2,243 Times in 1,245 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 855 Times	Re: Stupid or Wise? Seems like a pretty dumb thing to do, honestly. Without leaves, it will be hard to develop fruit. But since it's a basjoo, it's not going to have edible fruit, anyway...so it really doesn't matter in the long run. __________________ 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!

04-20-2009, 05:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
Gabe15 Moderator Gabe15's Photo Gallery Location: Oahu, Hawaii Find me on the map! Zone: 12 Name: Gabe Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,892 BananaBucks : 13,440,749 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 8,244 Times in 2,201 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 8 Times	Re: Stupid or Wise? This isn't a matter of whether or not the plant knows what its doing or is "stupid" or "wise", it already made the flower bud during a time of warmth and active growth, its not the plants fault that its leaves got frozen off right before it planned to flower. It can't just retract the bud and make leaves instead, everything that comes out of the top of a banana plant is initiated months in advance, they are not like other plants that can react quickly to flowering signals. The flower bud has to grow from just a few cells and travel the distance from the ground to the top of the pseudostem to emerge, that kind of process takes awhile, up to 6 months for some varieties in certain growing conditions. The point is the flower bud was not created right before it started growing this spring, it has been there a long time and would still be there regardless of whether or not the plant has leaves or not. __________________ Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

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04-20-2009, 07:28 PM	#6 (permalink)
LilRaverBoi Nanner Time! LilRaverBoi's Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Rapids, IA Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Bryan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,937 BananaBucks : 142,592 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 534 Times Was Thanked 2,243 Times in 1,245 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 855 Times	Re: Stupid or Wise? You do raise a valid point, Gabe! Never really thought of it like that, but that totally makes sense. Thanks! __________________ 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!

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