Dwarf Cav...
 

Let's see what the 'experts' have to say about my pot-o-gold. I purchased a dwarf cavendish from a local nursury at the end of last April when it was about 6 inches tall and still in a 3-1/2" pot. Now, its in a 20" mouth x 18" deep pot. It is roughly 3-1/2 to 4 feet tall and steadily kicking out leaves. The only problem I can see is the 2 pups it has, one is about 2 inches and the other is about 1 inch and they both have been that way since about thanksgiving. The plant as a whole has not seen temps below 60 degrees, gets regular watering and feeding.

So, now tell me, you think i will be getting fruit this year? am i using a big enough pot? is the plant "hibernating" deeming that the pups arent growing but look well? I will post some pics in my profile later on today when I get home. Thank you in advance for your help and comments.

Re: Dwarf Cav...
 

I'm sure others will add some input but first off you should repot in to the largest container you can manage. What condition is your banana being kept in now(light,hi/lo temperature,outdoors, in greenhouse, indoors etc). Was it out for the summer and inside for winter ? A bit more info would help. I'm sure you'll be headed in the right direction shortly. Good luck.

Re: Dwarf Cav...
 

keep in mind that there are many triggers for plants, and combinations of triggers. Some respond to temp, while others respond to light changes, reduced water, etc. Then you get into combination of each factor. Last year my brugmansia that I keep in my grow room in the garage started blooming in March. The lighting conditions had not changed, nor had the water or fertilizers that they get during the winter. The only change was the temp, which was the trigger to change (bloom).

Michael

Re: Dwarf Cav...
 

I keep this plant in my house as soon as i see the news saying night temps below 45 degrees and daytime below 55 and outside when they get above 45 at night and above 55 daytime. my house is kept at 65 and i have a humidifier attached to my furnace and is set to 70% or higher. I water it every / every-other day as needed since it sits right in front of heat register. It is currently sitting in front of a west facing window and gets a lot of indirect light and a few hours of direct. When i repotted from original i used a 50/50 mix of Miracle Grow Organic Choice and plain Miracle Grow Potting Mix. I Sterilized the mix 24 hours before I potted up.

Re: Dwarf Cav...
 

If it is 'kicking out leaves', it is not 'hybernating'. My potted nanas are growing slowly & the pups are just now starting to grow after not doing anything since Oct. If you can get it away from the heat vent, that would help.
The pot size is good. I don't think you'll get nanas this year, esp w/ slower growing in winter.

Re: Dwarf Cav...
 

....staying away from the heat vent is actually impossible the way my house is setup (kinda strange if you ask me), due to the fact that every window that is west facing (I get next to no sunlight in from my eastern windows) has a vent directly under them and I have absolutely zero windows facing south which I plan on changing sometime in the next couple years. Thank you for the ideas so far!

Re: Dwarf Cav...
 

If you cannot move your plants away from a heat vent, place a tray of water with a mound of pebbles in the middle, between the vent and the plants, in order to increase the humidity in the immediate area. Better yet, place a humidifier near your plants. I have several Ultrasonic Humidifiers that I bought from Walgreen for $19.95 on sale. They are usually $29.95.

Re: Dwarf Cav...
 

some times i have found that large pots the banana plant just makes roots and not much plant i like small pots for my banana trees

Re: Dwarf Cav...
 

hammer, doesnt a large, strong root system encourage healthy and proper foliage and fruiting? I think I'm gonna pot up but I'm gonna wait till right before I do my hardening off that way all shock is done at one time and hopefully wont be too awful. And for the humidifier....I just might have to look into it. Even though I have a humidifier installed in my furnace, my house still seems a bit dry.

Re: Dwarf Cav...
 

I have the humidifier option attached to the furnace also, but find that for plants misting is also required.

Re: Dwarf Cav...
 

True, I noticed this fact too, but I should also say, that this effect is just temporary. After about half a year, the ro5 pups simultanously. One of my SDC even flowered in such a manner once... 5 pups and cirka 100 Litre pot.