Hello

CoryS · 05-16-2010, 11:05 AM

In brief, we moved into a new home and recieved a banana tree as a gift. We were told it's a dwarf cavendish if that makes any sense. Basically I would like to know more about banana trees in general.

Dalmatiansoap · 05-16-2010, 12:07 PM

Welcome to .org. Best place for learning bananas

Abnshrek · 05-16-2010, 12:16 PM

Hello Cory & Welcome from the Sportsman's Paradise :^) Dwarf Cavendish's aren't hard to grow, they pup (have lil nanner pop up) alot. How tall is yours? Do you have it in the ground or is it in a pot? You might want to look up soil mixes before you stick it in the ground if its potted still (does a world of good). Good Luck :^)

CoryS · 05-16-2010, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abnshrek

Hello Cory & Welcome from the Sportsman's Paradise :^) Dwarf Cavendish's aren't hard to grow, they pup (have lil nanner pop up) alot. How tall is yours? Do you have it in the ground or is it in a pot? You might want to look up soil mixes before you stick it in the ground if its potted still (does a world of good). Good Luck :^)

Thanks for the friendly welcomes. Mine is roughly 3 feet tall and in a plastic pot. I'm wanting to place it on the patio to get more sunlight but I don't know how warm it needs to be. Can banana trees grow in zone 7a in an outdoor garden? I posted in a fertilizer thread here and I'm waiting for a response.
Pup/lil nanner? What's that all about?
I know nothing about banana trees so I'll much appreciate any care information I can get.

sunfish · 05-16-2010, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryS

Thanks for the friendly welcomes. Mine is roughly 3 feet tall and in a plastic pot. I'm wanting to place it on the patio to get more sunlight but I don't know how warm it needs to be. Can banana trees grow in zone 7a in an outdoor garden? I posted in a fertilizer thread here and I'm waiting for a response.
Pup/lil nanner? What's that all about?
I know nothing about banana trees so I'll much appreciate any care information I can get.

Lots of info here.

All articles - Bananas Wiki

CoryS · 05-16-2010, 02:23 PM

Thanks much again Sunfish. That wiki is one incredible resource! And I must confess, that's the first time I've seen bananas on a tree.

LilRaverBoi · 05-16-2010, 02:31 PM

Welcome to the site. I recommend planting it in the ground this summer, if you have a nice sunny place. Otherwise, definitely put it outside in the pot. Summer sun really helps them grow faster/healthier. Be wary initially as the leaves might get sunburnt...try slowly acclimatizing it to full sun over a period of a week or two. As for growing DC in your area...should do fine in the ground spring-fall, but I don't think it'll survive winter. Pot it up and take it inside when it starts to get cold at night. They should be able to handle low 40's F but I wouldn't let it get much cooler than that. Definitely wouldn't do well with any amount of frost. Hope that helps!

CoryS · 05-16-2010, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilRaverBoi

Welcome to the site. I recommend planting it in the ground this summer, if you have a nice sunny place. Otherwise, definitely put it outside in the pot. Summer sun really helps them grow faster/healthier. Be wary initially as the leaves might get sunburnt...try slowly acclimatizing it to full sun over a period of a week or two. As for growing DC in your area...should do fine in the ground spring-fall, but I don't think it'll survive winter. Pot it up and take it inside when it starts to get cold at night. They should be able to handle low 40's F but I wouldn't let it get much cooler than that. Definitely wouldn't do well with any amount of frost. Hope that helps!

Much thanks LilRaverboi. I've been attempting to get care instructions for two days at other sites. I'm very impressed! The patio's fairly shady. Perhaps that will suffice for the first week. We get full sun around the pool. Hmmm.
How deep will the roots get?

LilRaverBoi · 05-16-2010, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryS

Much thanks LilRaverboi. I've been attempting to get care instructions for two days at other sites. I'm very impressed!

People here tend to be pretty helpful and the site is full of great information. If you haven't found it yet, be sure to check out the wiki for information on specific varieties.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryS

How deep will the roots get?

Banana roots don't get particularly deep, but they do spread along the surface up to 15 feet from the plant. Not to say they require this amount of space to grow (cause clearly they can be grown in pots).

CoryS · 05-16-2010, 03:55 PM

Extreme helpful. Thanks much again LilRaverboi! Radical av. Poi? Gardens are scarce here but I will give it a shot by the pool next week.
Are sigs like automatic or does the user need to rack up points first?

saltydad · 05-16-2010, 06:06 PM

Hi Cory. I'm in Maryland, also zone 7a. I have a DC (Dwarf Cavendish). It is about 4 years old. I kept it potted, moving up to bigger pots as it grew. Pups by the way are offshots from the main banana corm, and are a benefit of growing bananas- you get more free! I used to take my DC outside in spring and back inside in fall, following the slow acclimation schedule as described above. This spring its so big that I decided to plant it near my pond, and then dig it up and repot it when it gets cold. I have 17 other varieties of bananas that I grow; all but one are moved inside for the winter. If you get a hold of a Musa basjoo banana, you can overwinter it outside in 7a. The first few years I cut the stem (technically called the pseudostem, or p-stem) to about 2 ft. in height and covered them with 2 ft. of straw mulch. This past year I didn't protect it at all; I didn't cut it and let the dead leaves and stem act as mulch and its doing fine. From one p-stem it now has over 25! Let us know where you are located so our advice can be tailored to your circumstances. Good luck. Take a look at my Photo Gallery to see the basjoo. The pic in my avatar is the basjoo.

CoryS · 05-16-2010, 06:33 PM

Thanks much Saltydad. That's just what I've been digging for. Then the corm must be like the base[?] of the tree and it sends up new ones like a tree-of-heaven. We're down from Wichita KS and near Tulsa. 17 varieties? Dude! That's like a small forest. That basjoo thing will grow if you cut it down?! I don't get that but sounds incredible.

cherokee_greg · 05-16-2010, 06:43 PM

welcome from California your in the right place

saltydad · 05-16-2010, 06:47 PM

Since a banana plant (not tree) is composed mostly of water, they freeze with the first hard frost or so. The basjoo corm (similar to a bulb or rhizome) however is underground and has regrown in the spring after 0 degrees Fahrenheit. And indeed, so many varieties does lead to the where-the-hell-am-I-going-to-plant-this-one syndrome that members get shortly after joining, along with the you-can't-grow-just-one disease. I also suffer from these maladies with hardy palms, cannas, elephant ears, etc. Post some pics when you get the chance. You'll love it here. Be sure to peruse the Cold Hardy Bananas section for much good information.

LilRaverBoi · 05-16-2010, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryS

Radical av. Poi?

Yup, that's a pic a friend took of me spinning fire poi. I'm glad to meet people who actually know what poi is! It's pretty obscure, I'll be honest.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryS

Are sigs like automatic or does the user need to rack up points first?

Anyone can have a signature. Just find the 'Quick Links' button on the blue toolbar (upper right). Click on 'Edit Signature.' Enter what you wish then click 'Save Signature.'

Edit....just added the directions to my 'Helpful Hints' thread. Be sure to check that thread out for instructions on how to work certain features of the site. And if you have any suggestions/questions, feel free to ask!

CoryS · 05-16-2010, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltydad

Since a banana plant (not tree) is composed mostly of water, they freeze with the first hard frost or so. The basjoo corm (similar to a bulb or rhizome) however is underground and has regrown in the spring after 0 degrees Fahrenheit. And indeed, so many varieties does lead to the where-the-hell-am-I-going-to-plant-this-one syndrome that members get shortly after joining, along with the you-can't-grow-just-one disease. I also suffer from these maladies with hardy palms, cannas, elephant ears, etc. Post some pics when you get the chance. You'll love it here. Be sure to peruse the Cold Hardy Bananas section for much good information.

Thanks much Cherokee_Greg. I'm absolutely in the right place. A particular music site I joined could learn a tad about manners and courtesy from this forum.
A plant? That's one massive plant! I read my dwarf cavendish can reach 8' in the wiki. We do have quite a bit of space around the pool though and no shade. hmmm. And btw, I'm already loving it here! I've never joined a forum with friendlier people and this informative. Just for the record, nice plants in your avatar. For a man with 17 varieties and all else, nice work! I'm loving the wiki here too. I had no idea there were that many varieties.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilRaverBoi

Yup, that's a pic a friend took of me spinning fire poi. I'm glad to meet people who actually know what poi is! It's pretty obscure, I'll be honest.

Anyone can have a signature. Just find the 'Quick Links' button on the blue toolbar (upper right). Click on 'Edit Signature.' Enter what you wish then click 'Save Signature.'

Edit....just added the directions to my 'Helpful Hints' thread. Be sure to check that thread out for instructions on how to work certain features of the site. And if you have any suggestions/questions, feel free to ask!

Thanks much LilRaverboi. Obscure stateside perhaps but not in Hawaii or the islands. I've seen it before and it always astounds me! The coordination involved is amazing. Btw, I will attempt to make a sig a tad more creative than my username, lol.
I found a thread in the site help and feedback section and learned to build a gallery and post photos. Still one small mystery. When I joined I was told I would be recieving a free subscription to something called the Banana Quarterly[?]. Any insights into that? As for the poi, I'm very impressed. Are you Hawaiian? Just asking.
Edit - I just found a thread concerning the apparently ill-fated magazine. Was that to be electronic or paper?

Something I almost forgot. I keep seeing weather panels in members sigs. How is that done?

Sorry about the multiple posts. I just read your helpful hints post but I'm uncertain how to correct it now.

saltydad · 05-16-2010, 11:39 PM

The magazine was on-line only; we had plans to publish in a true magazine format (even using 40% banana paper!). We still have hopes to rekindle the Bananas Quarterly; those of us involved found it to be stimulating and rewarding. It's indeed a real shame that its publication was forced into hiatus. We have high hopes for the future.

CoryS · 05-17-2010, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltydad

The magazine was on-line only; we had plans to publish in a true magazine format (even using 40% banana paper!). We still have hopes to rekindle the Bananas Quarterly; those of us involved found it to be stimulating and rewarding. It's indeed a real shame that its publication was forced into hiatus. We have high hopes for the future.

Brain's switching on ("magazine contributor"). Check dude and no sweats. Banana paper? Intrigued but late for skool. I'll check that out tonight.

LilRaverBoi · 05-17-2010, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryS

Obscure stateside perhaps but not in Hawaii or the islands.

Well, I guess it probably isn't so esoteric in HI...are you from there?

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryS

As for the poi, I'm very impressed. Are you Hawaiian? Just asking.

LOL...no, not by a long-shot. I'm from Iowa and I currently live/go to school in St. Louis, MO. It's just a talent I picked up about 7 years ago. It's a ton of fun (and is like meditating when you really get into the flow of it). If you have any interest in learning, I am a moderator on a different site where I do a lot of teaching/discussion of poi (not to mention all my tutorials on YouTube).

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryS

Sorry about the multiple posts. I just read your helpful hints post but I'm uncertain how to correct it now.

No worries, I gotcha taken care of.

natej740 · 05-17-2010, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryS

Thanks much Saltydad. That's just what I've been digging for. Then the corm must be like the base[?] of the tree and it sends up new ones like a tree-of-heaven. We're down from Wichita KS and near Tulsa. 17 varieties? Dude! That's like a small forest. That basjoo thing will grow if you cut it down?! I don't get that but sounds incredible.

Welcome to the site. Yes the Musa Basjoo is an incredible plant it can grow up to 18 feet and handle up to -20*F with protection. You just cut it down when freezing temps come and cover it with mulch or bags of leaves and uncover it in the spring and it will continue to grow from where you cut it down. I posted a thread about the progress of mine in Zone 6 Ohio here it is:

Fist Year Musa Basjoo Success!!

05-16-2010, 11:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
CoryS Novice Gardener CoryS's Photo Gallery Location: OK Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 727 BananaBucks : 90,223 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,362 Times Was Thanked 709 Times in 302 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 46 Times	Hello In brief, we moved into a new home and recieved a banana tree as a gift. We were told it's a dwarf cavendish if that makes any sense. Basically I would like to know more about banana trees in general. __________________ Sunlight makes plants grow and people live. -Me

05-16-2010, 12:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
Dalmatiansoap Let there be light Dalmatiansoap's Photo Gallery Location: Makarska, Croatia Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Ante Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 9,161 BananaBucks : 740,279 Feedback: 10 / 100% Said "Thanks" 6,508 Times Was Thanked 8,384 Times in 3,032 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 720 Times	Re: Hello Welcome to .org. Best place for learning bananas __________________ https://abnb.me/AXJty518xib

05-16-2010, 12:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
Abnshrek Happy Growing Abnshrek's Photo Gallery Location: Beaumont Texas Find me on the map! Zone: 8b, but 9b weather.. Name: Migael / Michael Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 9,493 BananaBucks : 349,039 Feedback: 45 / 100% Said "Thanks" 10,447 Times Was Thanked 16,443 Times in 5,238 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,318 Times	Re: Hello Hello Cory & Welcome from the Sportsman's Paradise :^) Dwarf Cavendish's aren't hard to grow, they pup (have lil nanner pop up) alot. How tall is yours? Do you have it in the ground or is it in a pot? You might want to look up soil mixes before you stick it in the ground if its potted still (does a world of good). Good Luck :^) __________________ I'm a Nannerhead :^)

05-16-2010, 02:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
CoryS Novice Gardener CoryS's Photo Gallery Location: OK Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 727 BananaBucks : 90,223 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,362 Times Was Thanked 709 Times in 302 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 46 Times	Re: Hello Thanks much again Sunfish. That wiki is one incredible resource! And I must confess, that's the first time I've seen bananas on a tree. __________________ Sunlight makes plants grow and people live. -Me

05-16-2010, 02:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
LilRaverBoi Nanner Time! LilRaverBoi's Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Rapids, IA Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Bryan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,937 BananaBucks : 160,225 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 534 Times Was Thanked 2,243 Times in 1,245 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 855 Times	Re: Hello Welcome to the site. I recommend planting it in the ground this summer, if you have a nice sunny place. Otherwise, definitely put it outside in the pot. Summer sun really helps them grow faster/healthier. Be wary initially as the leaves might get sunburnt...try slowly acclimatizing it to full sun over a period of a week or two. As for growing DC in your area...should do fine in the ground spring-fall, but I don't think it'll survive winter. Pot it up and take it inside when it starts to get cold at night. They should be able to handle low 40's F but I wouldn't let it get much cooler than that. Definitely wouldn't do well with any amount of frost. Hope that helps! __________________ BANANA RAVE! Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top! lilraverboi@genxglow.com RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you! I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

Members currently in the chatroom: 0
	The most chatters online in one day was 17, 09-06-2009. No one is currently using the chat.

05-16-2010, 03:55 PM	#10 (permalink)
CoryS Novice Gardener CoryS's Photo Gallery Location: OK Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 727 BananaBucks : 90,223 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,362 Times Was Thanked 709 Times in 302 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 46 Times	Re: Hello Extreme helpful. Thanks much again LilRaverboi! Radical av. Poi? Gardens are scarce here but I will give it a shot by the pool next week. Are sigs like automatic or does the user need to rack up points first? __________________ Sunlight makes plants grow and people live. -Me

05-16-2010, 06:06 PM	#11 (permalink)
saltydad saltydad's Photo Gallery Location: Silver Spring, Maryland USA Find me on the map! Zone: 7a Name: Howard Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4,552 BananaBucks : 306,802 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 14,712 Times Was Thanked 4,662 Times in 1,778 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 824 Times	Re: Hello Hi Cory. I'm in Maryland, also zone 7a. I have a DC (Dwarf Cavendish). It is about 4 years old. I kept it potted, moving up to bigger pots as it grew. Pups by the way are offshots from the main banana corm, and are a benefit of growing bananas- you get more free! I used to take my DC outside in spring and back inside in fall, following the slow acclimation schedule as described above. This spring its so big that I decided to plant it near my pond, and then dig it up and repot it when it gets cold. I have 17 other varieties of bananas that I grow; all but one are moved inside for the winter. If you get a hold of a Musa basjoo banana, you can overwinter it outside in 7a. The first few years I cut the stem (technically called the pseudostem, or p-stem) to about 2 ft. in height and covered them with 2 ft. of straw mulch. This past year I didn't protect it at all; I didn't cut it and let the dead leaves and stem act as mulch and its doing fine. From one p-stem it now has over 25! Let us know where you are located so our advice can be tailored to your circumstances. Good luck. Take a look at my Photo Gallery to see the basjoo. The pic in my avatar is the basjoo. __________________ Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men" "Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon "If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal." John F. Kennedy, September, 1960 http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/ Last edited by saltydad : 05-16-2010 at 06:51 PM. Reason: misspelling

05-16-2010, 06:33 PM	#12 (permalink)
CoryS Novice Gardener CoryS's Photo Gallery Location: OK Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 727 BananaBucks : 90,223 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,362 Times Was Thanked 709 Times in 302 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 46 Times	Re: Hello Thanks much Saltydad. That's just what I've been digging for. Then the corm must be like the base[?] of the tree and it sends up new ones like a tree-of-heaven. We're down from Wichita KS and near Tulsa. 17 varieties? Dude! That's like a small forest. That basjoo thing will grow if you cut it down?! I don't get that but sounds incredible. __________________ Sunlight makes plants grow and people live. -Me

05-16-2010, 06:43 PM	#13 (permalink)
cherokee_greg Love those bananas cherokee_greg's Photo Gallery Location: Fresno,CA Find me on the map! Zone: zone 9 Name: Greg Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 4,357 BananaBucks : 382,610 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 8,066 Times Was Thanked 3,946 Times in 1,665 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 335 Times	Re: Hello welcome from California your in the right place __________________ Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

05-16-2010, 06:47 PM	#14 (permalink)
saltydad saltydad's Photo Gallery Location: Silver Spring, Maryland USA Find me on the map! Zone: 7a Name: Howard Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4,552 BananaBucks : 306,802 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 14,712 Times Was Thanked 4,662 Times in 1,778 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 824 Times	Re: Hello Since a banana plant (not tree) is composed mostly of water, they freeze with the first hard frost or so. The basjoo corm (similar to a bulb or rhizome) however is underground and has regrown in the spring after 0 degrees Fahrenheit. And indeed, so many varieties does lead to the where-the-hell-am-I-going-to-plant-this-one syndrome that members get shortly after joining, along with the you-can't-grow-just-one disease. I also suffer from these maladies with hardy palms, cannas, elephant ears, etc. Post some pics when you get the chance. You'll love it here. Be sure to peruse the Cold Hardy Bananas section for much good information. __________________ Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men" "Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon "If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal." John F. Kennedy, September, 1960 http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/ Last edited by saltydad : 05-16-2010 at 06:56 PM.

05-16-2010, 11:39 PM	#17 (permalink)
saltydad saltydad's Photo Gallery Location: Silver Spring, Maryland USA Find me on the map! Zone: 7a Name: Howard Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4,552 BananaBucks : 306,802 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 14,712 Times Was Thanked 4,662 Times in 1,778 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 824 Times	Re: Hello The magazine was on-line only; we had plans to publish in a true magazine format (even using 40% banana paper!). We still have hopes to rekindle the Bananas Quarterly; those of us involved found it to be stimulating and rewarding. It's indeed a real shame that its publication was forced into hiatus. We have high hopes for the future. __________________ Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men" "Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon "If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal." John F. Kennedy, September, 1960 http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)