Tropicallvr

Here's Musa thompsonii. Not the fastest grower, but doesn't mind cool nights like in the Northern California coastal hills. And it also likes alot of day time heat. It came back form the stalk just fine as did just afew other cold hardy types. These 2 are from TC.

bigdog

Good to hear about its potential cold-hardiness! I've heard mixed reviews so far. I had one in the ground this year, but planted it on a dry slope, so it didn't grow hardly any this year. That and it burned up for some reason. I think it likes some shade. I dug mine up and moved it to the greenhouse, and will find a better spot for it next year. Hayes has one in Anniston that is pretty good-sized. We'll see how hardy it is in a southern zone 8a. I assume those were from Agri-Starts? They look great! It is very slow here, but again I think that's because of the siting and the drought.

Tropicallvr

Yeah they do seem to need some filtered sun, and alot of water. If they hadn't come back from the stem, I wouldn't have been nearly as happy overall with this plant, cause they are kinda slow. I'm pretty sure some smaller tissue culture company is doing them. I got these two off ebay, and I noticed that Brian Williams also has them occassionally. Maybe someone with "Plant Delights" is the one TCing them?
Here's the same two a year earlier in the same 15 gallon pot. Maybe they were stunted?


Here's how the leaf meets petiole. That's one way Musa balbisiana is identified, but M.thompsoni and, M.initerans both have the same leaf thing going on.

Chironex

Just got my first two seeds of thomsonii to sprout! Hope to show it off this spring!

Well, one damped off, despite my best efforts to control it. The other started to damp off, but then a new leaf came through!!! I would post pics, but it is only about 1-2" tall. But hey, it's alive!

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Scot

Bob

Scott try looking up "Gardens alive" It's an organic fertilizer etc. company. They used to sell a powder that prevented damping off. It worked for me in the past when I was prone to overwatering and not being able to supply enough light. Might be worth a shot.

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griphuz

I got one once, but it died during the winter in the unheated greenhouse at 5 deg C!
So coldhardiness in zone 7 or 8 would sound very unlikely to me.
I'll try it again though, just to rule out the 'bad luck' factor.
Kind regards,
Remko.

Caloosamusa

Musa thompsonii is a species of banana that shows some promise. It may be nematode resistant. I plan on finding out.

cherokee_greg

I have mine is filtered shade its doing great

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Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

Caloosamusa

Thank you Greg,

The Thompsonii seems to like a little more direct light than Musa itinerans, but it also seems to like shade in Florida when the Spring and Summer temperatures start going above 85 as daytime highs. Your information is good confirmation and is appreciated!

Good weather and good growing to you!!

jmoore

So then, is Thomsonii a variant of Itinerans? It has the asymetrical leaf thing and it also seems to produce pups that don't come directly from the corm.

What do we think?

Gabe15

It is a totally different species from M. itinerans.

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.