What are the Best Dwarf Varieties for Containers for the Midwest? Dwarf Gros Michel?
Hi, yep, we are in Ohio, looking to be able to grow bananas that we can take inside to overwinter.
Or possibly be able to time it right to grow up to 5-6 feet indoors over winter, then take out over summer, but not sure if that timing works since think the flowering and fruiting season is longer than the entire summer, which doesn't even start until plant is full height, but I could be wrong? I've always been interested in trying Gros Michel.. I have heard about some dwarf cultivars called Cocos, Highgate, and even shorter, Lowgate.. but never find anyone who has them or even has heard of them. The main variety available is the Dwarf Cavendish, which I believe is just the same as you buy at the store. Any thoughts on this? Are Gros Michel's actually much better? If so, is it possible to grow a dwarf cultivar in containers and overwinter indoors? |
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Re: What are the Best Dwarf Varieties for Containers for the Midwest? Dwarf Gros Mich
First post:08:...Welcome to the Jungle!!!! :woohoonaner:
Our average grow season is 170+- frost to frost. Our season is not long enough to complete the full fruit cycle......But you might be able to pull it off over the winter in a hot house. Cost to upkeep usually is a factor to keep this plant viable over the season to produce fruit . Just a guess for cost local: Kroger/Publix: .40 a pound Me/You in containers: 15.00+- pound Do try a cavendish as the plant is easy to get........as the saying goes.. Homegrown tomatoes always taste better....There is no comparison, same way with this plant. |
Re: What are the Best Dwarf Varieties for Containers for the Midwest? Dwarf Gros Mich
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Cavendish is extremely available, it seems, but not sure of the quality compared to others. I've always been interested to try the Gros Michel or similar, since it was "the" banana sold up until the 60's or 70's. I never had a chance to try it before it was wiped out commercially. I hear was much better tasting than Cavendish, which apparently is what all supermarkets carry now. But maybe Cavendish is in fact, the closest there is to Gros Michel.. I have no way of knowing, but I'm sure lots of you guys might. Dwarf Cavendish would be easy to bring in the house overwinter. I guess I'm looking for the closest practical dwarf variety that is the closest to Gros Michel. Maybe that would be the common Dwarf Cavendish? |
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Another very short cycle plant will be Musa Viente Cohol.....I have one that might give me a flower this year, but who knows ......our grow window is very short. |
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We (the bananas) need another 8 months of hot summer to fill out those plants . You might get a flower or even some fruit but having it mature over the winter to quality tasting fruit is another task even with short cycle plants. But it can be done in a greenhouse or under grow lights. Some of our other forum members in the tropical zones can go from pup to edible fruit very quickly. Many forum members cut the banana stem in half to make it fit in their homes and start over the next spring. And some pop them out of the ground and store them barefoot in their basements while others just keep them in a container all year. All ways are acceptable, just do what you can afford and is easiest. |
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Do bananas set fruit and mature based on daylength (i.e. certain specific times of the year), or just based on temperature? Or a certain time after the pup starts? So from flowering to fruiting is more than 4 months, even in short cycle cultivars, correct? If GM didn't flower until it is well over 6 feet, then it would not be possible to try it the way I mentioned, even if it were daylength neutral. It is always possible to use heat and grow lights indoors, the only limiting factor is height. Has to be under 6 feet to have indoors for us. |
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The dwarf GMs I have are still 8-12' tall when flowering. Not huge but taller than most Dwarfs like Double Mahoi.
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I was offered a Patupi by someone here, is that a cultivar of GM or something totally different? It's supposed to be very short cycle. |
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Cycle length is affect by genetics and the environment, in a complicated way. For example, a cultivar that is "normal" cycle in the tropics, like Cavendish, is long cycle in my climate, whereas Namwah, which is on the long side in the tropics isn't much longer in my climate. The result is that they have about the same cycle length in my climate. |
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Closer to Gros Michel than Cavendish? Or is Cavendish closer? I am trying to figure out my best cultivars to be able to plan timing so that I can grow indoors over winter while plant is under 5 feet or so, and take outdoors in June and have flowering/fruiting in June-August, when temps are usually 80-90 and humid. I would love to try some sort of Gros Michel, but need to know what options are most realistic for me. |
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A little reading can saves years of "trial and error". |
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