RRedBBeard

Late this past winter I was fortunate to obtain 2 established, dwarf banana plants, 'Truly Tiny' and 'Double Mahoi'. Both plants were ~2' high, and I maintained them in a basement growing area that was probably a little cooler and darker than they would have liked, but they survived in 1 gallon pots.

DM went into a 20" pot several weeks ago, TT into a 18" pot, and the new medium was commercial raised bed material which I augmented with extra peat moss, and each pot got about 4 pounds of cow manure, and a half cup of bone meal. Being outdoors for the past 3 weeks. the old leaves burned off, and each plant has a couple of new leaves, with more coming.

I was amazed to see swelling at the base of the DM, which a friend in FL confirmed looked like a flower bud starting it's growth up the pseudostem, and here's my question: with the leaves and roots just getting established, and considering it's small size, would flowering/fruiting be too much for this little guy right now, if in fact this is a flower bud? I'm ecstatic that this could be an inflo, but there's not much I can do if it's way premature. Is this headed for disaster? The picture is from yesterday morning.

The DM pot is ~18 gallons, which I would have thought was way too small for this plant to flower, much less fruit. Also, how much fertilizer is needed for these? Up here, no one has 'banana fertilizer' per se. I'm hoping to use composted cow manure, bone meal, and maybe ironite and miracle-grow, but the proportions and frequency of application are unuclear to me. Are these ok to use? Should I ditch them and get something else as fertilizer? If necessary, I can probably get the DM into a 22"W pot, ~25 gallons.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Truly Tiny in foreground, Double Mahoi behind it:


DM ps base showing swelling:
]

Mudturkle

I have no experience with Mahoi and I've only had a few plants fruit, but based on the picture with your hand in it I would think that it would need to be much bigger for it to be about to fruit. Could it just be that the corm is growing? Now, let's see with the people here with more experience say. I could be wrong of course.

__________________
Central Texas Zone 8B and Gulf Coast zone 9B: Raja Puri, Dw. Brazilian, Dw. Orinoco, Dw. NamWah, Dw. Cavendish, Dw. Green?, Dw. Red? Iholena Tigua, Veinte Cohol, Misi Luki, Pisang Raja.

RRedBBeard

It's all new to me! The 'lump' is nearly impossible to show in a picture, but time will tell....

Tytaylor77

When did the last new leaf come out?

To me it looks more like a choke. If so you need to cut it out. It happens after winter sometimes. Make sure there is no active growth before you cut. You will know when the last leaf have emerged or mark the new leaf with a sharpie and see if it moves over a few days.

If you have to cut its no big deal. It will all regrow fast! I don't know any better way other than cutting it out.

Good luck!

__________________

150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com

RRedBBeard

Hi TyTaylor--the new leaves are unfurling on a steady basis, and the ones you see in the picture are new since I put all the musa outdoors--the old ones burned off right away. How often do these 'choke'?
thanks.

Tytaylor77

That is very good that it is still pushing out new leaves. If it is choked that means it is "stuck" inside the pstem. It happened on dwarfs and super dwarfs to me a couple times. A friend in OH has some amazing picture of chokes and the banana surgery he preforms to fix them. Flowers can choke also! Raja Puri is known for it!

__________________

150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com

RRedBBeard

Can you get your friend to post those pictures here? Any description by your friend would be great! What happens if a choke is left untreated, as in the wild? 'Pstem salad'?

Tytaylor77

The 2nd link is my favorite!

They can really build up some pressure too! Talk about a growth explosion! Haha

I can't Thank Cincinnana enough for these amazing pictures and information. He is truly a great person and friend. He is also one of the most highly respected experts on this forum. Anything you need to know about bananas and especially northern growing and growing in pots he's your man! He will go out of his way to help! You can see how much time and how many pictures he took just for the links below! He doesn't benefit at all! And does it all to help and educate! Guys like him should be thanked more often!

__________________

150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com

HMelendez

Ty,


You are talking about Mike "The 'Nana surgeon!"..........just joking Mike!....don't get serious!....


I totally agree with you!.....He is one of the experts 'Nana growers in the forum, specially growing 'Nanas on pots!.....A very good fellow/member that will help you in any way he can!....Kudos for Mike (Cincinnana)!......

__________________

RRedBBeard

I held off on cutting into the ps, but it may have been a false alarm. The base of the ps is just bulking up differently than I expected, and the plant continues to push out new leaves, in spite of 48° at night recently. Rain is almost non-stop here lately seems like the last 3 weeks have had substantial rainfall 90% of days, so I'm constantly tipping pots so the bananas aren't standing in water all the time. Ranculus are rotting...oh well....
I'll fertilize a little, since a lot of goodies have probably leached out...a dose of 'miracle grow'--no one up north knows anything about 'nanner fertilizer--lol....

sputinc7

I read on here that the tomato fertilizer is very similar in amounts to banana fertilizer

As long as it keeps growing, it is not choking. If it does stop growing, don't immediately start cutting unless there is an odd bulge. Mine always stop growing for a few days to a few weeks after feeding with anything containing potassium sulfate and I don't know why, but they take off again.

__________________

If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.