Re: Banana Progress
 

I haven't posted any pics of this Saba yet as it was sitting still the pseudo looks rough it has a bit of green but half the stalk is mushy around the outside. However, today I noticed this pup! YAY! Any suggestions should I cut the main stalk since it seems to be struggling now that I have a pup coming up??


Same story here with the Bronze this is the only one I think that is alive. I thought it was dead the main stem looks pretty much rotten. Should I cut that now that I see two babies coming up? You can see one in front and one in back just popped up today.

Re: Banana Progress
 

From my experience so far,its normal for some pups to take 2-3weeks to start showing any growth at all as they must first root. Others start growing from day 1,as you experienced first hand. I would say cut back a little on watering the ones with mushy pseudostems and possibly remove the mushy tissue if it doesnt dry fast on its own.
Even the totally brown and dead looking one have good chances of showing growth or pupping eventually! I wouldnt cut anything yet till the pups or the main plant grow to be an established young plant with many leafs. That would give them the best chances and the fastest growth!

I hope even the slow ones show growth for you soon!!!

Re: Banana Progress
 

Kat I'm sorry that you lost some banana plants. I almost lost my Orinoco pups. The soil was staying too wet so I dug them up and the middle of the corm rotted so I had 2 separate clumps. I planted them in a flowerbed with amended soil and they are now starting to grow again.

Re: Banana Progress
 

These have been in the ground about 5 weeks now and the main stem is pretty rotten. They were pups but HUGE pups like 5" base stalks... the mother on this one had a tip of green which today turned brown. So, I was thinking if I cut off the main one more energy would go into the pup...

Re: Banana Progress
 

Bananas take back nutrients from dying pseudostems so it may be best to leave it as it is. I dont think it will get too much affected if you really want to cut it though.
Even if its all brown right now,the motherplant may still recover and grow. When their emerging leaf turns from green to brown,its from rot,usually of roots or corm. Otherwise,it would never do that. So you may want to ease back on watering a bit.

Btw,your bananas are getting awesome to look at!!!

Re: Banana Progress
 

Looking good!

Re: Banana Progress
 

Between work and bananas I’ve been extremely busy, but thought I’d take a few mins to post some new pics!
Bananas out front are getting big!


Side of the house is filling out nicely as well!!!

Re: Banana Progress
 

My dwarf red has a baby YAY!!!


African Rhino is looking AWESOME picture doesn’t do it justice!!

Re: Banana Progress
 

These are some new bananas in the back yard there are Dwarf Brazilian, Praying Hands, Lavender, FHIA – 21, Golden Aromatic and Mysor. Maybe they’ll grow and hide my messy back corner hahah (All my pots and supplies are kept back there!) There also is some bamboo behind the swing set :-) Thanks again Chris!



Two sabas and two dwarf reds on the right hand side

Awesome!
 

I am tempted to post the picture of you and Jackie in the back corner harvesting Saba pups (in the jungle) and the "Infamous Wheelbarrow Picture"
:nanadrink:

Re: Banana Progress
 

Lol feel free!

Re: Awesome!
 

sounds like a good one do it lets see ! :08:

Re: Banana Progress
 

Here is another update pic, this is the front of the house which is filling out nicely and will soon have some awesome color thanks to Greg sending me some cannas which are starting to grow and spread :D

Re: Banana Progress
 

Here's the famous wheelbarrow picture!

Re: Banana Progress
 

This was the easy part (lol...hours and hours sweating and digging on a hot humid day).....the real work begins when they get back home:-)

Re: Banana Progress
 

That is going to look AWESOME when everything is HUGE! 'Cause it looks really GOOD now! :goteam:

~JaNan

Re: Banana Progress
 

LOL minus the part where they might all have to get moved in October :D Butttt I will deal with that then! Thanks Chris for posting the other pics!

Re: Banana Progress
 

Well, between the yard , work, and the house/kids I haven’t had much time to update with photos, but here are a few new ones so you guys can see how big the bananas are!

The ones out front are getting quite big as well

These are the newest ones that have only been in the ground for a month

These aren’t bananas but wanted to show how big my lotus got! They’re almost 5 ft tall now

And these are the cannas by the pool! Notice the 6ft fence. There is a Bronze and also a Saba in there but they haven’t gotten higher than the cannas yet!

Re: Banana Progress
 

:woohoonaner: Looks GREAT!

~JaNan

Re: Banana Progress
 

looking really super dreamoftropics!!!
you can keep them in the ground there right?
wish i could.. sigh.. every yr.. i "get" to dig them up and
store for winter.. not going to think how my back is going to
feel in oct.. LOL
again man.. super looking plants!!!:goteam:

Re: Banana Progress
 

LOL I hope I can. I think most will be fine. I'm going to get some frost cloth when the time gets closer and I will probably also dig pups of each kind to bring inside to be safe!!! I don't want to think about my pocket after frost cloth LOL!

Re: Banana Progress
 

I believe that I am getting a flag leaf?!?!? I've never had one so I'm not sure! It's on my Bronze Ornata! I'm excited to see as it unfolds!!! :goteam::goteam::goteam::goteam::goteam::goteam::goteam:

Re: Banana Progress
 

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaa great :woohoonaner::woohoonaner::goteam::goteam::08::08::0517::0519:

Flag Leaf
 

Yep..you are getting a bloom...awesome!

I have a 1,000 fingers for you (when you come down to pick up some bamboo poles:-)

:woohoonaner::woohoonaner::woohoonaner::0519:

Re: Flag Leaf
 

yay! Can't wait for it to open! How long does it normally take? When is a good time for us to come visit again ? I have my bigger vehicle now wooohoooo! :goteam:

Re: Banana Progress
 

The buds getting big!!!:woohoonaner:

Re: Banana Progress
 

Ok, so today I went and did a photo spree around the whole yard. I uploaded to my FB. I don't have time to upload all the photos to bananas but check the album out its amazing how much everything has grown!!!


https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...fce1428&type=1


I've never done this before so I'm hoping this works! If you guys could let me know I'd appreciate it!:nanadrink:

Re: Banana Progress
 

Ok, so I wanted to show side by side progress of everything! Take note that the May/June Pictures were LATE in the month and the October ones early this month so the difference in time is really about 3 months!!! I used a trial version of software I found online to make these !







:D Now have to get to figuring out what I’m going to do once we start getting frosts!!!

Re: Banana Progress
 

Wow Kat, I'm so jealous! You did a great job. I'm going to try bananas again next year since I lost all of mine to the drought. I can at least admire yours until then

Re: Banana Progress
 

Thanks I appreciate it :D Let me know when you're ready for some more bananas! I had some outrageous water bills these past few months (over $100) to keep them all watered! I also hand water everything which takes forever LOL! Next year mulch them good, I did compost, manure, and mulch then top it off with manure... I'm getting ready to start raking since the leaves are falling.... Oh the joys LOL !

Re: Banana Progress
 

I'm under a Stage 3 water restriction I hand water my garden which probably wasn't enough. I hope next year will be wetter. I'm trying to save what I have left now but even with the cooler temperatures alot of my plants still haven't recovered. I'll need to invest in more mulch next year. I mulched a few areas but that still didn't make a difference lol

Re: Banana Progress
 

This year everything is just getting settled in. I believe your climate is very similiar to mine. If we have a reasonable winter next year this time you will not be able to see the side of house anymore. Be careful with the Sabas. Huge is not an appropriate size description. After a bad winter that P-stem has to come down. What wakes you up and shakes your house in the middle of the night? Ask Bo AKA Hydroid?

Re: Banana Progress
 

Cameron, It might be good for you to use drip irrigation as it uses less water and can be easier controlled. Mulch is a must and thicker is better but not too close to the stem. We grow in containers and they require more water if not set up correctly. If plants are in the ground then it might be good for you to replant and add a large amount of compost to the whole before planting. Sometimes a lot of work but it will of benefit to the plant and to the harvest. Adding perlitie to the soil will also add some moisture holding capacity. Good luck.

Re: Banana Progress
 

LOL @ Darkman about the Sabas (those are one variety that isn't beside the house :D) I've seen Chris's (Rmplmnz) and they're HUGE... I can not imagine one coming down suddenly! I'm hoping they all fair well through the winter and yeah I imagine I'm pretty much like your climate. Do you have any p-stems make it through the winter without protection? I know I'm going to dig my Dwarf Reds, but are there any other really tempermental ones I should dig???

@Willow - I hand water everything that I have. I followed Chris's example when I planted I tilled in compost and then after planting I piled on more compost and topped off with mulch. Now I'm beginning to rake as the leaves are starting to fall and piling those on top as well. Chris piles TONS of leaves / compost / mulch every year. It begins piled so high and then by the end of the season its flatted out (mine that is lol! I had mounds and now its almost flat so time to add more leaves and compost!) I also added some of the water crystals to two of the beds and EVERY banana in there died except for one saba I think having that in there with newly dug bananas I rotted them out :( I think if I had planted one that had been potted they might have been ok.

Re: Banana Progress
 

I really do need to start doing drip irrigation. Is it an expensive set up? I have a flowerbed that I need to amend so I can plant bananas there next year. I found some 40lb bags of a compost/green sand/ lava sand mixture, and perlite is definitely a must because I have clay soil. I need to come up with a better plan so I don't have a repeat of this year

Re: Banana Progress
 

Darkman is right, we had a dying Saba come down in some wind one night and we thought a big pine tree fell in the yard, with all that water weight they are really heavy also. It shook the whole house.
I started out with 3 Saba about 4 or 5 yrs. ago that I got from Chris and I now have a yard full of them. They are my favorite of all the Banana family that I presently have. You will be surprised.

Re: Banana Progress
 

I have one by my pool/pond about 6 ft away I wonder if I should worry about it?!?!? Did it come down only in wind or was it frosts too? I can't wait for mine to get that big :D Very excited about it! Chris's are amazing, his whole yard is amazing!

Re: Banana Progress
 

The Saba that fell was because of the hard winter and it just could'nt bounce back during the spring, I kept thinking it would pull through but when they are that big, they loose the elasticity of being fully green. It looked pretty brown and too brittle.
Bo

Re: Banana Progress
 

Some rain coming your way, hope it is enough and not too late. Good luck.

Re: Banana Progress
 

Thank you it rained quite a bit this morning and I think there is more on the way hopefully

Drip irrigation
 

No, not expensive (in my opinion).

In Florida the county extension office offers free classes and provides each participant with a very nice complimentary starter drip irrigation kit.

Good luck!

Re: Banana Progress
 

Kudos to you Bo for doing such a great job with the Saba's, EE's and other Tropicals!!

Thanks Kat!

You have done and amazing job (in a very short period of time) as well!!

Re: Drip irrigation
 

Thank you! I'll try to look into drip irrigation.

Re: Banana Progress
 

Chris your spreading of the banana love rolls on. Bo gave me a Saba and I anticipate next year I can start passing them on.

Saba
 

Awesome!

I have made many friends on this board.

Those Sabas (acquired from Going Bananas in 1992 from Bill Lessard's original stock that he got in the Philippines) have traveled far and wide:-)

:woohoonaner:

Re: Saba
 

Wow!!! That is awesome that I can trace my Saba back to the Philippines. No wondering on the correctness of that one!

Thanks again Chris!

Re: Saba
 

Thank you!!

I still have a copy (somewhere) of Bill Lessard's Going Bananas catalog....with Fehi in it..imagine buying a Fehi domestically these days:-)

Following is another link within the board discussing Bill:

http://www.bananas.org/f2/scanned-pi...html#post76782

Unfortunately I had to remove the pictures for personal reasons; an interesting read all the same.

Lessard had traveled the globe accumulating over 100 different species planted on 5 acres in Homestead, Fl.

This article references the sale; but only mentions 35 banana varieties:
Miami Food and Drink Examiner: Going Bananas grows bananas.
Going Bananas grows bananas - Miami Food and Drink | Examiner.com

Article excerpt:

Learning from Lessard

The Chafins bought their property in 1994. Also that year they purchased most of the banana stock – some 35 varieties – from William O. Lessard, a nearby grower who was retiring. Lessard had been growing bananas in a converted squash field he purchased in 1968.

Lessard and his wife, Suzie, were among the first vendors to participate in the Coral Gables Farmers Market, which began in 1991. That’s where I met them. My yard still has banana trees I bought from them.

In 1992, Lessard wrote and self-published a 119-page book, The Complete Book of Bananas, that is still one of the best available books on bananas. It’s now out of print, but Amazon.com and bookfinder.com sometimes offer it. The supply always was limited, and today it is very expensive. Lessard says that he intends to update and reprint it.

Re: Banana Progress
 

Chris that is awesome! I want to go down to going bananas sometime! I always have to stop at a few nurseries everytime I come back from the keys! I'll have to keep an eye out for the book for sure. It's really neat that you have it signed!

Re: Drip irrigation
 

You won't be sorry. Here is where we get a lot of supplies and they are inexpensive. Most everything we got from them did as described, only one or two of the hundreds didn't work properly exactly. Good luck

Drip Irrigation System Supplies Irrigation Direct

Re: Banana Progress
 

Thank you Oakshadows for the link I bookmarked it. I've never done drip irrigation before but it would be an interesting thing to learn