Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Chong, I can write Dr. Parmar if you want to ask him about this or you can, since you're working with him. Just let me know. I know Dr. Parmar only a little.

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Harvey,
Please do write Dr. Parmar and ask him about the whole story of this agenda,
and do tell us what he says.
Thanks in advance.
Stan

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Hello Stan,

I wrote Dr. Parmar late yesterday and he replied a short while later. He somewhat clarified some things but basically said that the suckers won't emerge until March and he asked us to wait until them to contact him again. Some of our members are working out the details to import plants and probably put it into tissue culture so that we have many more plants to spread the cost over to keep it reasonable for everybody. Until we get closer to the season to import them, we'll just have to be patient.

Thanks,

Harvey

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Ok we can speculate on this all day long but I just love to research and this a forum. Anyhow I found this document about a road project in Himachal Pradesh. It runs between two towns named Ghumarwin elevation 790 (spelled Gumarwin in some places in the document) and Saraghat elevation 950. ON page 46 it list plant species along the road. A Musa species is listed. Evidently 4 plants along the route. At the Hill Banana web site it list a market where these bananas were being sold named Rampur. Well Ramptur elevation 2500 is just a little west of this location.

http://himachal.nic.in/hpridc/bioeng...ng_phase-2.pdf

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

The TC company in India calling theirs 'Virupakshi' says it is AAB (Pome) variety.
It will develop its characteristic aroma, only when cultivated in higher elevations.

As he stated "Actually this Hill Banana is called as VIRUPAKSHI and it is native of Sirumalai Hills near Kodaikanal in TamilNadu. This is cultivated in an elevation of 2500 to 2700 feet MSL. The fruit is a small fruitis Yellow in colour with thick Rind and sweater taste.
If you have got such Elevation in your country then you can cultivate the Hill Banana."

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

word from India is that 'Pahari' means hill and 'Kela' means banana. they are checking but believe that this may be the same as M. Malbhog.

The plant mentioned and grown in Tamil Nadu may well be a hill banana, but, tamil nadu is really really hot so this is not likely to be cold hardy.

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Oh gross. If it tastes like a sweater, I'm out! :ha:

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

[quote=Chironex;61872]Yellow in colour with thick Rind and sweater taste.
QUOTE]

I'll skip the nana that tastes of sweaters LOL :waving:

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Me three! :) LOL

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

I'm sure they meant to spell socks.

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Las Vegas is pretty close, at 2028 feet above sea level! They should do well over there. Somehow, I was under the impression that LV is closer to 4000 ft.

Don't sweat the taste thing, Scot. I don't know about these other guys, but the inside of my wife's sweater tastes great when she's in it!

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

I think Vegas ranges from 2000 ASL down by Henderson where Pauly lives, up to 3,500 closer to the mountains.
In N Las Vegas, where I live, it's closer to 2,500 ASL.

Not too concerned about taste, just want to get something cold hardy that might do well here and try to cross it with something else or produce some sports.

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

This should make it clear:

Musa (AAB) group-Virupakshi Syn. Mala vazhai.
The hill banana is a speciality of Tamil Nadu. These are perennial bananas of high quality. There are two main types: Sirumalai and Virupakshi. Fruits of Sirumalai have better taste compared with Virupakshi. The average bunch weight is about 12 kg.

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

We should try to get both! Then we can decide which has a better taste and which one grows in colder areas vs hot areas.

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Agreed
Will hopefully get the Varu. version in March 20.

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

There is an article on pahari kela in the current issue of the California Rare Fruit Grower's Fruit Gardener by Dr. Parmar. There are also a couple of other articles on bananas unrelated to this thread.

Harvey

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Hi,

I'm in the moment in Brazil and could get Musa basjoo under difficulties to Brazil:waving:, it is a pup corm and could plant them in my new yard into the new group of the disease resistant new Brazilian cultivar Marivilha, so that my housekeeper will keep and wather it together the "Marvilha". I hope, it will regrow soon. I do plan cross it with hardier fruit bananas to get basjoo hardy fruit bananas. But it's impossible to import the Hill Banana from India to Brazil because of the import prohibition for bananas from 17th May 2005. But I will try to cross Musa basjoo with Musa "Prata", Helen's Hybrid", "Maravilha", "Jaipira" and sikkimensis. One friend from Vienna sent some basjoos and sikkimensis to me to Brazil, but not arrived yet. I hope, they will arrive here in the next days unharmed and without problems by the customs, here it is very hot and humid. To 34°C and overnight 23°C, tropical climate, rainforest climate. It often rains strong and often thunderstorms.

Best wishes
Basjoofriend

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Please put me on the list for suckers or whatever we can get, this would be an awesome addition to my yard and my belly!

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Very interesting read.. Great Job Harvey ~~~Chong and all.. I would be interested also..:goteam:
Kylie

Re: Hill Banana ("Pahari kela") from India
 

Just to tickle the palate of those reading this thread, here is an excerpt from this month's CRFG magazine article:
"The pahari kela banana plant can be seen growing all over the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh at elevations between 2,000 and 5,000 feet. It is a medium-sized tree, usually attaining about 15 feet in height. Many people plant one or two around their homes and then simply leave them to nature, after which they continue growing and increasing in number. Consequently they are often found growing in groups around homes.
This area has mild summers with mean temperatures not exceeding 30 to 32C (86 to 90F). Winter temperatures at the coldest places in the region can drop as low as –3 to –5C (23 to 27F). Many of these areas also receive light snowfalls. To better visualize the clime, consider that some of the other fruits commonly grown in this region are Santa Rosa plums, New Castle apricots and July Elberta peaches."

Is this plant interesting enough or what?!!!