badman62

Hi All
i got an Ice Cream about 2 years ago.
its been in-ground for over a year, last winter was mild and didnt seem to bother it a lot, though it lost some leaves.
I has not fruited yet.

I now have 3 pups.
i had 2 others in the last 6 months i gave away.
i was going to remove them thinking they were stealing nutrients
but someone tols me the extra leaf mass added to the nutes, and not subtracted ?

should i keep the 3 pups ? some or all ?

Chipb2

Not sure
But my main nanana is the same height as your pups
I still don't get how it gets that big

Juicy Bananas

I would remove them. She will make more. I just took 6 off of mine & it is still trying to make more. These plants are vigorous.

But this all depends on how you feel about your plants.

Kegas76

Why not take off two and leave one? Then when the fruit pops your next one is ready to go at a decent size. Its also a hedge on the whole add/subtract from the mother question.

Botanical_Bryce

If it's tall like that removing pups will be good for fruiting.

Jose263

Is that an 8 ft fence? My IC flowered late last season it was really tall - like 12+ ft but The bunch didn't make it through winter and was too high to cut down So what will you do with the pups you remove? start another mat?

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Growing: Orinoco, Rajapuri, Dwarf Cav, SDC, TT, Dwarf Red, Dwarf Namwah, Tall Namwah (aka Ice Cream), Dwarf Brazilian, Veinte Cohol, California Gold, Double Mohai, NOT-Goldfinger, Gran Nain, Velutina

JP

I'd keep them.
Isn't that a Namwah though...

Botanical_Bryce

Keep one mat for pups and another for fruit

Jose263

Both are quite tall. My T namwa (aka IC) has pink/red outlined leaves and the center stems also have reddish tinge. The other bought as IC (blue java) has no red/pink - all solid green. but I haven't had a mature bunch to verify it is an IC. Maybe this season

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Growing: Orinoco, Rajapuri, Dwarf Cav, SDC, TT, Dwarf Red, Dwarf Namwah, Tall Namwah (aka Ice Cream), Dwarf Brazilian, Veinte Cohol, California Gold, Double Mohai, NOT-Goldfinger, Gran Nain, Velutina

JP

To me:
1- stem looks too fat to be Ice cream
2- the green is too pale
3- the red markings on the stem don't fit with Ice cream...

I may be wrong but I don't think so. It looks really like a Namwah to me and to my 8 years old daughter... Let's see what an expert thinks... Still a nice plant though...

Good luck for this year. Maybe my DC is going to pop a flower too...

raygrogan

I would at least remove any pups that will be in the way of the bunch someday.

hydroid

Normally I would say to keep them but I notice how close they are to your fence and will eventually be a problem someday. I prefer the Namwah to the Ice Cream hands down for taste, just my 2 cents.

badman62

thanks
i will keep 2,, and the opne closer to the fence can go.
its the smallest anyway.

I got them online.
(georgia vines i think ?)
i remember reading it was a tissue culture.

the first year it barely grew.
after it was a foot or so, i put it in the ground and it took off
(last spring)

i hada gotten it becuase i read Ice Cream was the best tasting
that may be a bit hardier in zone 9.

if it ever gives me fruit
and it tastes better than a store bought
it will be worth it.

beam2050

guess I might have found what I have been looking for. my blue java tc's from wellspring gardens have started to put out leaves with a red outlines.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

sputinc7

If you want another banana plant after the big one fruits, you need to leave at least one pup for that purpose...

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If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.