officerbill

Hi all and thanks in advance for any advice.
I'm looking to start growing bananas in order to add some tropical variety to my plants.

I'm in upstate NY so these would be dwarfs grown in containers; outside during the summer and inside during the winter.

I've checked at over 1/2 dozen sites, read comments on bananas.org, davesgarden.com, and other places. What I've found have prices, sizes, and shipping costs all over the place and, of course, each one has the "ideal plant".

I'm looking for some suggestions on reliable vendors and appreciate any suggestions.

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edwmax

I suggest the Little Prince (18 " tall; ornamental) and/or the Truly Tiny (3 to 4 ft tall; eatable fruit) for your needs. Both can be grown in pots and be moved inside during the winter if a sunny location is provided. ... These are the shortest banana plants available (that I know of); other dwarf plants are 8 ft to 10 ft tall (over all). Most references to height of banana plants is the height of the pstem and does not include the height of the leaves above.

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edwmax

You could grow larger Dwarf plants. Just repot the pups, moving those inside to grow during the winter; cut back & store the big plant dry root or in its pot in a cool/dark location (garage; store room) like a potato until spring.

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Tytaylor77

Buy from a member here so you will get the correct plant you want. You will also get a big softball sized corm instead of a tiny 3 inch tall plantlet that has a higher chance of dieing before it hardens off. if you buy a TC you will have about a 50:50 odds of getting the correct variety. Just search on here and read people's experiences.

Honestly it will be very hard fruiting a banana where you live. I'm not saying it can't be done just that it will take some work. I would suggest a dwarf Orinoco. They are the most cold hardy seedless banana. Great starter banana.

I wouldn't get a truly tiny/little prince/super dwarf cavendish. Research shows they are the same and nothing can prove they are not all super dwarf cavendish. I have never successfully fruited mine in 4 years.

I'm not a commercial seller I'm just a banana lover and collector. Before you buy a TC private message me and I will send you whatever you decide. I sell most of my pups for $10 plus shipping ($10 for 1. $20 for upto 4) via priority mail flat rate boxes. I already have extra pups and whithin a month I will be throwing away pups lol.

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officerbill

Thank you, everyone, for your help & advice.

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edwmax

I believe there are several ornamental bananas that could meet your requirements. Since you stated you wanted to add 'some tropical variety to my plants", being able to fruit eatable bananas was not a consideration. It's not likely you will be able to do so anyway in upstate New York. ... However, the plant being small, short and easy to move is.

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Abnshrek

If I were u I'd grow something that isnt going to take a crap on u when & if it fruits Cavendish don't like cold, so I'd grow a D. Namwah in a pot.. they tough as nails after they get established, and u don't freeze them.. Or if u going for color get blood banana since u not really growing for fruit..

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pukpukz

Hi Bill and welcome and you came to the right place for help and plants I have a few Dwarf that will do very well in large pots and fruit for you PM me and welcome again

beam2050

yes buy some corms from pukpukz. you will not find a better price for banana plants anywhere. but beware corms do not like a lot of water. there are some recent threads on corms. and if you have questions I know there will be someone to help. I just made another order from pukpukz. here are the dwarf reds I bought a few months ago.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

pukpukz

I need to step in here Taylor truly tiny/little prince/super dwarf cavendish are not the SAME !!! The Super Dwarf is a heavy Producer of Bananas and only get 3 to 4 foot tall, the Truly tiny has not produce for me and I have some in ground even . So I don't what research you have read But I grow them . When growing Banana in containers you need to deal with Mature height so it has time to fruit it takes 120 days most of the time after the bloom

Tytaylor77

All the wine stain variagated super dwarfs came from a radiation experiment close to the time the Soviet Union fell. This radiation test on musa Dwarf Cavendish was done by a Russian seincetist. He died not long after the test due to the tests radiatation poison from what I've read/remember.

They called this variety that came from the radiation test Musa Novak. This Musa Novak is Super Dwarf Cavendish. It CAN fruit but is not a reliable fruiter (does everyone of yours fruit every year?) I have had both varieties and neither have fruited. One in a pot for a year then in ground. Afterwards they have been in ground since. I was stating my observations.

Both "Truly Tiny" which is not patented I believe. And "Little Prince" which is patented. Both are mutations from the Musa Novak or SDC. They may have other charistics like being smaller. Leaves acting different ways, etc but all are Mutated SDC/Novak.

Over the years I've seen other gimmick names to sell them as different types. Like poquito, bananarama, Tropicana, chela, etc. But all are Cavendish. No matter what they say on the description like I've read truly tiny will fruit in zone 7. These are ways to sell this bannaa.

If all you want is a cute looking plant that is hard to fruit then go far it. I like they way they look. Very unusual bananas. But to fruit or have a chance fruit, there is so many other varieties. And living in NY having a AAA most cold sensitive subgroup I grow (since there is mutations) I didn't think it was a good idea. To survive or ever have a chance to fruit.

Pukpukz, you really recommend this for fruit in NY? You have a winter like me although not near as severe as mine. All my Cavendish types go dormant at about 50-55F. A potted dwarf Orinoco would have a way better chance. Even if it's a slim chance for him. I know lots of northern growers who have at least flowered dwarf Orinoco. Some even harvested fruit.

And you claim a "heavy" bunch. How many lbs? I'm really curious. Out of 4 years I finally got my in ground gran nain to fruit last year. It weighed 55lbs. So I could see an extremely heavy bunch "for its size" from another cavendish type.

Here is the patent for Little Prince stating it's a dwarf cavendish type. Not Brazilian or anything people make up for sales.
United States Patent: PP15255

Next the is a page by several legendary banana experts. Note at the bottom he talks about the very dwarf variation in Cavendish. They also explain the radiation accident in detail. And the quote at the bottom of the page stating as they should not designate all these variations. And that this "Musa Nana" is not a good species.
Musa cavendishii

Next even our own bananas.org wiki page specifies the SDC in the above paper:
Musa Super Dwarf Cavendish - Bananas Wiki

In case the experts don't count even Florida Hills Nursery knows truly tiny is a mutated dwarf cavendish:
http://www.floridahillnursery.com/ba...ve-plant-p-254

If anyone needs more proof or to read all the posts on how hard they are to fruit and grow in colder areas just search our forums. It seems the only people recommending this banana is people who sell it. I grow it and I do not even sell it due to the performance issues. You can call me a professional seller but I am not. All my common bananas are $10 plus actual shipping. That hardly covers the effort to dig, wrap, and ship them. Plus the countless hours helping everyone I send them to. I do this because I am passionate about bananas and to try and help new growers get the correct plants they want. Even if I wanted to sell Little Prince I don't have a license and it would be illegal since it's patented by its owner Randolph Salter and his nursery.

From the pics it looks like you have huge rows of plants. Man that's a lot of pups to dig and sell. I can hardly dig 1-2 and my back is about to give out haha. Good for you though.

More comments on it:
Little Prince and Truly Tiny

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pukpukz

I am drinking morning coffee had time for a short reply. Yes I have 100% fruiting rate with the super dwarf and in a 8 x 6 foot block produce 200 lbs of them in this little space. And maybe I misunderstood this I thought he was growing in containers so the Super dwarft and Double Mahoi would be ideal for Him .Lots of people grow in cold States in pots, Green Houses and indoors with Great success That I know about just like Fig trees. I grow in a Green house in the winter and have Bananas all year if anyone would like to see photos PM me it takes to much time on this site

Tytaylor77

Wow 200lbs 8'x6' that blows away a commercial banana farm.

I'm not the best at math but here goes.
A commercial banana farm in South America produces 3-5 tons of bananas per acre.
1 Acre = 43,560 square feet
3 tons = 6,000lbs

Your SDC:
8'x6'= 48 square feet.
200lbs per 48 square feet.
4.16 lbs per 1 square foot.

4.16x43,560=
181,500lbs per acre. Or
90.75 tons per acre.

Anyone if my maths not right correct me. I'm a farmer not a mathematician.

Wow I don't think anyone in history has produced as many bananas per acre as you.

A tropical banana plantation makes 3 tons and your SDC makes 90 tons. I can see why so many people on here recommend them now. It's ashamed the professionals and banana farms don't catch on. A cavendish is a cavendish after all.

Also where did you get your SDC originally from? A TC I'm sure but what source? I also notice you sell California gold and blue java. What are your sources on these? There are two of the most mislabeled bananas. It took me forever to get the correct varieties.

Think i may buy one from you and try it. How much are they?

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pukpukz

Maybe you can google square foot garden system and some of this will make scene. Here is the Math as you put it . I plant in plots so the mats of plants are 4 plants long and 2 plants wide. I only allow 1 pup to take the mother plants place the rest are cut to the ground . They get Fish tea every week from shrimpers that bring me 5 gal pals of them. They are ground and put into 55 gal drums . All fish bones and by-products are used as bone meal and given every 3rd week plus we use Sea Kelp in with our compose and used as mulch. A very High Octane feeding program. The male flowers are cut off the stem as soon as seen. Now each stem will weight is 25 to 36 to 38 lbs on Avg. at low end 25 x 8= 200 lbs. I also have plants that have started fruiting as of two weeks ago. If you or anyone would like to see pic's send me your email. I sorry you have never got fruit from the SDC if that is what you have ?? But This is a awesome producing plant and will do great in a container. and this is all I see in Wiki The Dwarf Cavendish banana is a cultivar descended from the banana cultivar group of commercial produce, the Cavendish. They are often grown as houseplants and produce slightly smaller edible bananas than other Cavendish cultivars. The name 'Dwarf Cavendish' is in reference to the height of the pseudostem, not the fruit (which are medium sized). Young plants have maroon or purple blotches on their leaves but quickly lose them as they mature. It is one of the most commonly planted banana varieties from the Cavendish group, and the main source of commercial Cavendish bananas along with Grand Nain. Musa 'tropicana' and 'novak' are similar.

Dwarf Cavendish plants grow up to a height of only 6 – 8 ft (1.8 - 2.4 m). The leaves are broad with short petioles. Its shortness makes it stable, wind-resistant, and easier to manage. This, in addition to its fast growth rate, makes it ideal for plantation cultivation. An easily recognizable characteristic of this cultivar is that the male bracts and flowers are not shed.

The fruits of the Cavendish bananas range from about 15 to 25 cm in length, and are thin skinned. Each plant can bear up to 90 fingers

aruzinsky

The M. 'Truly Tiny' and M. 'Little Prince" that I bought from Florida Hill Nursery are not the same. 'Little Prince' has a bluer cast to the leaves and less maroon mottling than 'Truly Tiny."

Regarding Florida Hill Nursery, I had one very good experience with them and one very bad. Since they don't care about consistent quality and service, I do not recommend them.

About 30 years ago, I often ordered from a mail order company, The Banana Tree, and I always received large trunks with the leaves cut off. I was always satisfied with their plants. They seem to have an online store but I haven't ordered from them in many years:

http://banana-tree.com/index.php/cat...na-plants.html

cincinnana

This plant will not perform well ( fruit ) in the short grow season in zone 6.....But it will look good in a container on the patio and compliment the other tropicals .

With 120- days frost to frost in New York minus the cool days of spring and fall that leaves not too much time for a tropical cool sensitive plant to mature in that zone.


If I am wrong, someone will Shirly let us know.

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