Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

Namwah

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

They turn dark red in response to light. There is likely a threshold. I imagine that if you put a bunch in a black or reflective bag you might get the greener red coloration.

The last ones that I had looked like this

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

Banana plants do respond to light and that threshold can be quite low. The absence of light and shade are different, but it is easy to observe a banana bloom opening between dusk and dawn. The last photo was dawn on October 25, 2012 and I'll look for the October 24, 2012 dusk photo.

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

My first "not Goldfinger #2". This is what a local TCer sells as Goldfinger. Different than the Agristarts Goldfinger, which is a much less hardy plant that has problems with the fruit filling out properly (for me at least). Have had the fruit from elsewhere on island, and it's one of my favorites. No idea what it really is, but like DB, fingers come off the hand way too easily before ripe. Even more easily than DB. This is true for my Agristarts GF too. Bunch was only 30 lbs. 4 months exactly flower to harvest, while DB is 5.5-6 for me normally.

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

Dwarf Namwah, 35 lbs, 9 hands. So-so sized bunch. 4 months flower to harvest, which is 2-4 weeks quicker than usual for my Namwahs. These didn't get as fat as others I've harvested.

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

I had to harvest sooner than I wanted but they still look pretty good. This is the second harvest I have done by myself. This method seems to work pretty well as it allows me to control the bunch as it comes down. I also include some of the clean up and how I break down the plant so it can decompose quicker.

Video

Saba, Hua Moa, Ele Ele & Ae Ae
 

Busy morning today, harvested Hua Moa, Ele Ele, Saba (last week) and Ae Ae.

Follow the progress on The Garden Thread
http://www.bananas.org/f2/rmplmnz-ga...our-14729.html


Pics of today’s harvest:
Left to right, Hua Moa, Ae Ae, Ele Ele, Chiquita, Ele Ele, Ae Ae, Hua Moa


Videos:

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

Thousand Fingers next to an 8 foot ladder. About 5.5 months flower to harvest over the summer. Biggest one so far with a good amount of them worth eating.

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

3 Piece Bunch

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

Nick --- what's the weight and length of the largest finger?

ARH right?

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

My first Plantains. Dwarf Puerto Rican, started as a small, weevil eaten corm. Flowered at about 6 feet. Not quite 3.5 months flower to harvest. 9 hands, 30 lbs, 40 fingers.

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

134 lb., not too bad for just adding some mulch & compost tea.

No fertilizer was used, didn't even remove the pups, plus the leaves were shredded before it bloomed. The next bunch is going to make this one seem small. :ha:

http://www.bananas.org/f2/fhia-03-sw...tml#post248577

http://www.bananas.org/f2/fhia-03-fi...tml#post263110

Plant Crop - 91 lb. - 146 Fruit 18+20+18+18+18+18+18+18

Ratoon Crop - 134 lb. - 238 Fruit 22+23+22+22+20+20+19+20+20+19+20+11

Average - 112.5 lb. - 192 Fruit - 10.0 Hands

USDA-TARS - 49.4 lb. - 132.4 Fruit - 7.7 Hands

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

Awesome...luv it! Another exemplary example of organic gardening and the forest floor!

Nice job!



"It's just a banana"
~ Unnamed

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

My very first time growing and harvesting banana. With the help of this forum, I came to realize that my banana plant is not a Blue Java. But I am not totally sure if it is a Namwah either. The fruit are still small, almost 5 months after flowering now. So I pulled a few that are showing yellow tint to see if I can ripen them indoors. Rest are still on the plant.

We are having 40-70 degree temps in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area right now, so ripening process is probably slowed greatly. But I have high hopes for the bananas to ripen on the plant and protect it from freeze damage when our temps dip down.

One thing I see and can't find information on is the light tan lines on my banana fruit, maybe caused by the dry air here in the low desert, but wanted to show them to you.

My very first banana bunch!


Harvested a few individual ones to ripen indoors.

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

Congratulations on your first bunch!

Your plant isn't Namwah. That "stitching" (the tan cracks/lines on the fruit peel) is very typical of Orinoco and close relatives, but this bunch doesn't perfectly fit Orinoco to my eye. I'm not sure what you have.

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

Thank you Mark! Any help identifying is greatly appreciated! I check the bananas today, both the ones indoors and the ones on the tree are yellowing fast!

The ones harvested green to ripen indoors turned yellow overnight!


The bunch on the tree taken this morning!

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

Ventura,

You are amazing, you nail it every time.

You should write a book!

Chris

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

Official taste test, compare homegrown banana that is tree ripen and indoor ripen. Both have excellent flavor! Creamy yet firmer than the store bought variety! Love it!!!!

Skin was very thin, flesh is dense, creamy, not super sweet but flavorful with a hint of tanginess at the finish. Could it be a Hawaiian Apple banana?

Still unsure of the actual variety, but I am happy with the fruit it has produced. A keeper in my garden for sure.

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

12-13 hand, 50lb Mysore bunch. First Mysore bunch from my new lot. Some of them are quite fat after 17" of rain last month, but they aren't as tangy and flavorful as some I've had.

Re: What did you harvest today (bananas)
 

My first Putalinga Kula, a Tongan cooking banana. A bit over 40 lbs, 14 weeks to ripen. First one started ripening a few weeks ago and I've been removing them one by one, but they were starting to split so time to come down. Surprisingly good out of hand. Though a popoulu type, tastes different than Hua Moa. The plant itself is beautiful with a red p-stem.