Backyard Banana Joe

If I have a six foot tall banana tree (pstem), and I cut it down to a foot, and let's say we know the mature height is ten feet, will it have to grow to ten feet to fruit, or will it only grow to five feet? (I think my math I right lol) I have heard people say both. Thanks!

cincinnana

Occasionally forum members will have storm damage or cut their plant in half or less to bring indoors only to have it flower a month or two later.
The flower will just pop out the Pstem like nothing happened.

There are multiple pics in the members photo gallery ....here is one I recall.

.Banana Gallery - Member Profile.

__________________

Valor_X

I can answer this question because I have first hand experience.

My mother has several mats of Orinoco and she cuts down the pstems every winter because she doesn't like the look of the leaves/stem dying.
They always grow back in the spring and they all fruit 8-10ft tall.

HOWEVER.... here's the deal

Her neighbor grows the exact same Orinoco bananas she got hers from 2 decades ago but they don't cut theirs down in the Winter.

The neighbors Orinoco's grow to at least 16ft tall and put out huge bunches.
The neighbors don't even take care of their bananas, they're really 'wild backyard bananas'
The bunches on my moms bananas come out much smaller.

As a matter of fact, one of the Orinoco's she cut the Pstem on was ready to flower apparently. The pstem grew back this year and all it did was put out a flower - it had no leaves... and only ONE hand of bananas. It didn't make it of course.

So will they fruit at a smaller height? Yes, but the bunches will be smaller

__________________
Varieties I'm Growing

From Corm/Pup
Dwarf Cavendish ○ Super Dwarf Cavendish ○ Grand Nain ○ Niño ○ Manzano ○ Raja Puri ○ Tall Namwah ○ Blue Java ○ 1000 Fingers ○ Praying Hands ○ Orinoco ○ Variegated Florida ○ PR Red ○ California Gold ○ FHIA-03 Sweetheart

Plantains
Puerto Rican Dwarf Plantain ○ African Rhino Horn

From TC
Truly Tiny ○ Manzano ○ "Blue Java" ○ Dwarf Namwah ○ Thai Black ○ Veinte Cohol

Backyard Banana Joe

What if there IS NO FLOWER DEVELOPING? Then what? I am talking a young sucker. I think that it won't regrow to it's full height but wanted to make sure. Thanks

Valor_X

Well back to my mothers case, she cuts down mature Orinoco every year between 6-10ft tall and most re-grow that tall by the end of the year.

However since she cuts them down every winter they eventually fruit at that height.

And we know from the neighbors bananas they would grow to 16ft tall if left alone. So that's really the input I can give

__________________
Varieties I'm Growing

From Corm/Pup
Dwarf Cavendish ○ Super Dwarf Cavendish ○ Grand Nain ○ Niño ○ Manzano ○ Raja Puri ○ Tall Namwah ○ Blue Java ○ 1000 Fingers ○ Praying Hands ○ Orinoco ○ Variegated Florida ○ PR Red ○ California Gold ○ FHIA-03 Sweetheart

Plantains
Puerto Rican Dwarf Plantain ○ African Rhino Horn

From TC
Truly Tiny ○ Manzano ○ "Blue Java" ○ Dwarf Namwah ○ Thai Black ○ Veinte Cohol

Backyard Banana Joe

Really interesting! Thanks! Your first post hadn't popped up when I responded to cincinanna.