Quote:
Originally Posted by Lawler
Well, I've looked at the Sweetheart... lovely large Pstems.... is taller than I'm looking for. I have space and lay in bed thinking about all these types I want to put in. BUT, the space I'm looking to fill that has border and bubble ready is smaller and I'm looking for a short yummy dessert banana to fill it.
Again, have a Raja Puri and Dw. Namwah...
So, a yummy short dessert banana... more cold tolerant would be a bonus
I am looking at Dw. Bazilian and saw these below on the Going Bananas site.
How would you rate the below 3 with regards to: - taste
- time to fruit
- time to ripen
- cold tolerance
Thanks for any help!
DOUBLE (Double "Mahoi")- This beautiful Cavendish type has very wide, dark green leaves and produces a full sized fruit. Also called the Mahoi, the second generation produces multiple bunches of fruit, usually 2 but sometimes more. Height 5-6 ft.
GRAND NAIN - The commercial variety that you can buy in the grocery store. The purchased ones are good but when you grow it yourself and see how delicious this banana can taste you wonder what took you so long to try. These full sized fruit ripen rapidly, so be ready. They can give 40-60 pounds of fruit with ease. Height 6-8 ft.
VEINTE COHOL - A dessert variety originating in the Philippine area and having green pseudostem with some brown patches. The small plump fruit (3-4") are soft and sweet. Height about 8-10 ft. Current research shows it to be rapid to fruit, a real plus in the short summers. This is what you have been asking for, one that fruits fast before the warmth is gone for those short growing seasons!
And would a Dw. Brazilian beat them out on taste, height & cold tolerance? |
I've yet to try a Veinte Cohol, but am growing it now. Double and Grand Nain taste similar, with Double or regular dwarf cavendish a bit better to my tastes. I've tasted a few dozen types at this point. DB, Gros Michel, and Mysore are my top 3 favorites. Raja Puri I don't care for (and I'm in the minority thinking it's not that similar to DB--something about the texture makes it unappealing). DB would beat those cavendish types in taste and cold tolerance, is similar to GN in height, and is taller than Double.
I think Mysore is more interesting tasting than DB, but mostly because DB is my default banana that I eat most days. I love DBs in Hawaii. Oddly, the ones I had all over Brazil were nowhere near as good. In my very limited experience selling at my farmers market, DBs sell very well and most people pass on cavendish types when I have them. Statewide though, most of our food, including bananas are imported. So that means cavendish types sell far more overall.