Zone 8 Homegrown Bananas

austinl01 · 07-20-2008, 08:03 PM

If you could grow just one edible banana in Zone 8a, what would it be? Please consider the mature size since the plant will need to be dug each fall, how well the plant stores bare root, the fruiting cycle of the banana, the number of days it takes the fruit to ripen, etc. Zone 7/8 gardeners, what banana have you had the most success with? Have you gotten edible fruit? I'd like to hear your stories!

Just trying to find the perfect banana for my zone. Maybe it could turn out to be V. cohol? Time will tell.

Taylor · 07-20-2008, 09:45 PM

California Gold.... 5 feet, cold hardy...we'll see how the fruit turns out.

Dean W. · 07-20-2008, 11:09 PM

I'm in 8b so I would be intrested in the answers.

Richard · 07-20-2008, 11:43 PM

Why dig it up when you can grow it in a 40 gallon tub or 28" box?

mskitty38583 · 07-21-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard

Why dig it up when you can grow it in a 40 gallon tub or 28" box?

....and then move it into the house or the gh....

PAJ53 · 07-21-2008, 06:16 PM

I live in zone 7b of north Texas. Last year dug up a big Orinoco; put it in the green house bare root. It was too tall to fit vertically and I had to lay it on its side. I have deemed the experiment to be a failure because the normal high winds we get here every year it snapped off when it started to bloom in June. It was not worth the effort in to dig up a heavy big one even though I was able to get an early bloom. See the pictures in my galleries I now have one a July bloomer from one that did not freeze all the way through the but it lost about 8 feet off the top and the four foot tall stump that did not die from the freezing is kind of ugly. I am going to try the digging up a Grand Nain, putting it in a 100-gallon pot, and keeping it under grow lights in a heated greenhouse this year and see if I can get an early bloom out of one of those here.

Bananaman88 · 07-22-2008, 06:46 AM

Philip,

You might try one of the dwarf varieties to make it easier for you to dig and store. I wouldn't want to try to dig and store a normal Orinoco either!

07-20-2008, 08:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
austinl01 Got pink bananas? austinl01's Photo Gallery Location: Little Rock, AR Find me on the map! Zone: 7b/8a Line Name: Austin Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,288 BananaBucks : 162,165 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,590 Times Was Thanked 907 Times in 397 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 507 Times	Zone 8 Homegrown Bananas If you could grow just one edible banana in Zone 8a, what would it be? Please consider the mature size since the plant will need to be dug each fall, how well the plant stores bare root, the fruiting cycle of the banana, the number of days it takes the fruit to ripen, etc. Zone 7/8 gardeners, what banana have you had the most success with? Have you gotten edible fruit? I'd like to hear your stories! Just trying to find the perfect banana for my zone. Maybe it could turn out to be V. cohol? Time will tell. __________________ Austin Arkansas River Valley Average January Low: 31°F, Average August High: 92°F Extreme Winter Lows: 5-15°F, Extreme Summer Highs: 100-112°F, Annual Precipitation: 52 inches

07-20-2008, 09:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
Taylor Taylor 's Photo Gallery Location: VA Find me on the map! Zone: 8a Name: Taylor Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,084 BananaBucks : 210,903 Feedback: 15 / 100% Said "Thanks" 355 Times Was Thanked 662 Times in 334 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 283 Times	Re: Zone 8 Homegrown Bananas California Gold.... 5 feet, cold hardy...we'll see how the fruit turns out.

07-20-2008, 11:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
Dean W. Dean W.'s Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Park, TX Zone: 8b Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4,279 BananaBucks : 234,425 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 6,325 Times Was Thanked 2,130 Times in 972 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 300 Times	Re: Zone 8 Homegrown Bananas I'm in 8b so I would be intrested in the answers. __________________

07-20-2008, 11:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
Richard un-Retired Richard's Photo Gallery Location: Vista, CA Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 10b Name: Richard Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 9,674 BananaBucks : 507,405 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,636 Times Was Thanked 12,543 Times in 4,721 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,685 Times	Re: Zone 8 Homegrown Bananas Why dig it up when you can grow it in a 40 gallon tub or 28" box? __________________ Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

07-21-2008, 06:16 PM	#6 (permalink)
PAJ53 PAJ53's Photo Gallery Location: Wise County Texas Between Azle and Boyd North West of Fort Worth Zone: USDA Zone 7b Name: Philip Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 188 BananaBucks : 14,926 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 8 Times Was Thanked 15 Times in 9 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 11 Times	Re: Zone 8 Homegrown Bananas I live in zone 7b of north Texas. Last year dug up a big Orinoco; put it in the green house bare root. It was too tall to fit vertically and I had to lay it on its side. I have deemed the experiment to be a failure because the normal high winds we get here every year it snapped off when it started to bloom in June. It was not worth the effort in to dig up a heavy big one even though I was able to get an early bloom. See the pictures in my galleries I now have one a July bloomer from one that did not freeze all the way through the but it lost about 8 feet off the top and the four foot tall stump that did not die from the freezing is kind of ugly. I am going to try the digging up a Grand Nain, putting it in a 100-gallon pot, and keeping it under grow lights in a heated greenhouse this year and see if I can get an early bloom out of one of those here.

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07-22-2008, 06:46 AM	#7 (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 : 216,783 Feedback: 22 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,339 Times Was Thanked 2,263 Times in 1,178 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 191 Times	Re: Zone 8 Homegrown Bananas Philip, You might try one of the dwarf varieties to make it easier for you to dig and store. I wouldn't want to try to dig and store a normal Orinoco either!

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