banana_fever

Hi Everybody,

I am a new entrant to this wonderful website and would like to share and learn all the frustrations, successes and green thumbs of growing bananas, from all of you.

I am a 70+ pensioner from Pretoria, capital of South Africa, and recently contacted a fever of growing bananas and mangoes.

Being an organic amateur grower of all sorts of fruits and veggies, and in order to be more health-conscious, I shun buying them from all outlets here as they are contaminated with heavy pesticides, fungicide and chemical fertilizers.

I welcome any messages from friends and growers in this site to contact me and give me some hints to grow bananas to perfection, in organic ways.

My wish is to grow my own organic bananas in my remaining years before I lie down on the ground.

Thanks and regard to everyone in this site.

Happy growing!

banana_fever
20 April 2017
Lynnwood Ridge, Pretoria, South Africa.

Narnia

Welcome! You are suitated in a fairly hot climate Right? Do you know what cold hardy zone you are in? Some bananas are better growers in warmer climates while others are are more cold tollerant.

banana_fever

Hi,

Thanks for the welcome message.

However you might not know that Pretoria, South Africa is NOT a warm place. In winter here, we have down to minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degree Fahrenheit) but most of the time it is about 1 to minus 1 Celsius (34 to 30 degree Fahrenheit). In summer it is dead hot sometimes to 37 degree Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) but I hardly use the fan most of the summer inside the house.

The bananas growing here is mainly the Cavendish, viz. dwarf Cavendish and giant Cavendish 'Williams' and the 'Williams' is the only cultivar available from most nurseries selling very cheap (US$5) for a 3 to 4 feet high plant.

We have here some red bananas but is not welcome here, so the farmers use them to rot for compost or feeding the pigs.

I am desperately looking for some banana pups but still find no one in US that willing to help or sell.

Anyway, thanks for the message. Good Growing and have fun!

banana_fever
21 April 2017

cincinnana

Welcome to the Jungle..

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HMelendez

Welcome to the banana gang!.....

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edwmax

Welcome to the forum.

... Many topics have been discussed and questions answered in the past, use the 'search' function at the top of the forum to find these older treads. They have wealth of info and may answer some of your questions. ... The forum WIKI at the top has info on many type of bananas and fertilizers.

This reference indicates your growing zone is similar to the US zone 10a.
South Africa Interactive Plant Hardiness Zone Map

As far as shipping live plants to South Africa, what are your country's importation rules? I would think, there would be plenty of local sources for banana plants since Africa is a major producer of bananas.

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CraigSS

Welcome to the group. Enjoy growing the banana's. If that cold in winter they will need to be protected from the cold.

CraigSS / Virginia,USA

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edwmax

May be a forum member can help with contact info for banana nurseries or TC grower/lab that can furnish phytosanitary certificates with their shipment. I believe there are a couple of companies in Africa.

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tshoffie

howdy from central florida, im also new to this and have a huge love of bananas

Snarkie

Welcome aboard the Banana Express!

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Doug (D.A. Hänks) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2955582/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1


The Only Eastern Redwood Forest in America




"Nuke my 'nanners, will you?!"