Steve in France

I found this pic at http://www.logees.com/prodinfo.asp?number=r1973-4 is this a trick pic or can one grow a Banana like that in a small pot , or was it field dug and put in the pot for the pic , or was the fruit stuck on with Crazyglue, or does it belong to a member here who I have just insulted :-)

Also , sorry I do not have much to contribute to the cultivation of Musa/Ensete/Musella in the US , But since this is my first season and I don't know my Butt from a Bagel when it comes to none European conditions please forgive me for a year or so .

Thanks
Later
Steve

Attached Images

R1973-musa-ladyfinger.jpg (31.5 KB, 34 views)

__________________
Always looking for a lost pup

Gabe15

this pic is everywhere, the "dwarf ladyfinger" everyone is looking for.....it is entirely possible for a banana to fruit just like that, the only thing ive ever wondered about this picture is why all the fruit are yellow at that stage? only thing i can think is maybe they did a little color editing to make it more appealing to people who do not know anything about bananas.

__________________
Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

Steve in France

Thanks Gabe,So the dwarf ladyfinger does not exist , or is just impossible to find ? Also it is entirely possible for a banana to fruit just like that ,if you get all the conditions just right , or it's easyish to do it with a little knowledge and care ? I guess I'm going to move into the asking dumb questions about a new to me subject pretty soon , please be kind :-)

Thanks again
Later
Steve

__________________
Always looking for a lost pup

tlturbo

My opinion is that you can get a lot of varieties to fruit at that size. I have only been in this house for 2 years and planted lots of pups when we moved in and later that year. The first stalk to fruit from a mat is always smaller and has fewer hands of fruit. It seems each trunk is successively bigger and has more fruit. I noticed this with the first trunk to fruit on Dwarf Cav, Misi Luki, Raja Puri, Dwarf Orinoco and all of those pseudostems were the size of that picture. BUT I think it would take close attention to water and fertilizer and removal of pups to keep the corm small. I also think you would have to cut back the corm at some point if you wanted to do it again in the pot. The climate would have a lot to do with it too.

JUST my .02 worth.

Terry

bencelest

Terry:
Is Misi Luki dwarf and can be planted in a half whisky barrel? How hardy are they?
The bananas you sent me are doing OK. I hoppe that the change in weather will give them boost to grow.

__________________
Banana Nut

tlturbo

Actually the Misi Luki is a fairly good size plant but my mats are still young. Each new pseudostem is bigger than the last. Someone on here posted some awsome pics a few weeks back and they were quite tall.

I was wondering about you the other day - glad things are growing good. Did both Ele Ele grow?

Terry

bencelest

Yes, the spears are coming up about an inch or so. I expect them to burst anytime now. How hardy are they. At first I was taking them inside but when I found out that the dwarf cav is more sensitive I switched. Now since the night tempt is on the lower 50's I left them outside.

__________________
Banana Nut

tlturbo

Beats me - I'm in FL remember HA

I do know that that strain is extremely vigorous but since they are Hawaiian, probably not real cold hardy.

Terry

bigdog

Steve, I know that it is possible to get a banana like that to fruit in a pot, but there's a catch! It needs ideal environmental conditions for one (I'm sure that one was greenhouse-grown its whole life). Another thing is that you would have to water AND fertilize (lightly) almost every day. These greenhouse nurseries fertilize at just about every watering anyway, that's why their plants look so nice and green and healthy all the time! We fruited a Dwarf Cavendish in a pot last year here at UT, but the roots were allowed to grow out of the bottom of the pot and into the greenhouse floor (soil).

Steve in France

Thanks guys , Bigdog that's more or less what I suspected. My Uncle in the UK is very good at flowering plants in pots and using just the right amount of fert, he wins Championships all the time and has done for the past 40years ,they even made him a Judge so he would not win all the time. :-)
Anyway I guess I better start learning the tricks since I want to get some Bananas here in D.C. before we move on in four years time.At the moment I have no Greenhouse but perhaps I can sort one out. I do have a space I could do MH lamps and I also have a cool dry crawl space for dormant plants.
I guess I'll try the long slow fert approach with flushing the compost every few months to get rid of fert salts and other toxins that build up with constant fertilizer application.
Later
Steve

__________________
Always looking for a lost pup

tlturbo

How about building a type of hydroponic setup? Put a drain fitting in the bottom of pots filled with small gravel, attach tubing, connect individual tubes to larger tube and drain into a collection barrel. Recycle the liquid from barrel to pots with a small pump on a timer, etc, etc.

Terry

Gabe15

In my experience, and seeing what other have done, its really not that difficult. The most important thing is choosing the right variety. I always use soilless mixes because soil tends to very heavy, and especially when its we its hard to move the pots around if you ever need to. I use about 1/3 peat moss/ coco fiber potting mix, 1/3 perlite and 1/3 bark or mulch chips. I also mix in generous amounts of compost or manure (might want to ease up on those if you are growing it as a house plant...smelly). My 'Rose' flowered after 2 years in a 2ft wide x 2ft deep container. I know a grower who has had 'Dwarf Cavendish' flower in his apartment every 3 years for the last 30 years. After a few years though, it is wise to replant a pup to avoid crowding and keep the plant healthy.

__________________
Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

Steve in France

Thanks for the potting mix I'll give it a go Gabe .Do you grow your plants outdoors for the Summer then bring them into the Greenhouse for the Winter ?
As to a full Hydroponic setup , I've never tried one . I want to pot grow outdoors and manage the Winter as best I can , I like having Banana , Ensete and Musella out to look there best. My goal is to grow great plants outside if I ever get fruit that's a bonus. I'll try the dormancy under the house plus the MH lamps for some plants and see how I go . I'll have a MH lamp setup for Water Lily propagation anyway so the Bananas will get in on the act too.
Later
Steve

__________________
Always looking for a lost pup