Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I emailed Agri-Starts to see if they'd do a special run of Gros Michel for us, and it turned out that they had coincidentally just done a small run and will have an extremely small quantity available (3-5 trays, i.e. 216-360 plants) later this month.

Agri-Starts claims that they received the plant material directly from the USDA. The USDA provides pics of their material (pasted by harveyc into page 10 of the other thread where we've been discussing this) and which have been confirmed by Gabe (in that same thread) to indeed be Gros Michel. :03:

The purpose of this thread is to tally the demand, so if you're interested, post a reply saying how many you'd want. We can then have one of our commercial members take advantage of that known demand by buying the trays and reselling/distributing them to us (for enough of a markup to make it worth their time).

So I'll start: I'd like 2 :08::08:

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I would like 2-4 plants depending on the price???? :0519:

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I would also be interested dependant on price.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I would also like 5-10 plants,depending on the price :woohoonaner:

Is it the short growing variety of ''Gros Michel'' or the Tall one? I am only interested in the tall one.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Very interested.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

If you are getting them from agristarts expect about $2/plant from agristarts The plants are really sensitive and would likely need to be hardened off before any long shipment occurred. You are looking at 2-3 months to get them acclimated. If I were selling them at cost it would be in the $4-$5 range in a 6" pot.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Edit: I changed my mind and decided I shouldn't waste my garden space on something that will not do well here. Besides my cold winters, my summer evenings are just too cool for a variety that is one of the more heat-demanding varieties.

I'll gladly buy some fruit to sample from someone else, though. :)

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

ME! I'd like 2-4 plants.
Does anyone know how hardy Gros Michel is supposed to be? Seems like it only existed before us northern banana growers existed.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I am interested as well in a few plants, 3-4.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I would like at least 2, thank you very much!

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Depending on how much they are, maybe one or two. I'm sure I could find room for a potted banana...

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

My understanding is that it is one of the least cold hardy.

Someone (I think it was Richard) posted a list of bananas ranked by cold hardiness. GM was near the bottom and only rated to zone 11. Here's a copy of the list:

Texas Star 7.0
Amistad 7.5
Carolina King 7.5
Golden Rhinohorn 7.5
1000 Fingers 8.0
Dwarf Orinoco 8.0
Orinoco 8.0
California Gold 8.5
Cardaba 8.5
Double 8.5
Dwarf Brazilian 8.5
Dwarf Puerto Rican 8.5
Ebun Musak 8.5
French Horn 8.5
Giant Plantain 8.5
Goldfinger 8.5
Gran Nain 8.5
High Color Mini 8.5
Ice Cream 8.5
Kalela 8.5
Lady Finger 8.5
Mahoi 8.5
Mauritius 8.5
Mona Lisa 8.5
Monkey Fingers 8.5
Mysore 8.5
Pisang Ceylon 8.5
Pitogo 8.5
Rajapuri 8.5
Saba 8.5
1780 hybrid 9.0
African Rhino Horn 9.0
Argentino 9.0
Belle 9.0
Brazilian 9.0
Dwarf Cavendish 9.0
Dwarf Namwa 9.0
Dwarf Thai 9.0
FHIA-18 9.0
FHIA-20 9.0
FHIA-21 Plantain 9.0
FHIA-23 9.0
Green Red 9.0
Hua Moa 9.0
Iholena 9.0
Kandrian 9.0
Misi Luki of Samoa 9.0
Pace 9.0
Popoulu kaia 9.0
Red Iholene 9.0
Red Jewel 9.0
Sweetheart 9.0
Tuu Gia 9.0
White Iholena 9.0
Williams Hybrid 9.0
Zan Moreno 9.0
Ae Ae 9.5
Dwarf French 9.5
Ele Ele 9.5
Enano Nautia 9.5
FHIA-17 9.5
Golden Beauty 9.5
Manzano 9.5
Namwa 9.5
Pisang Buai 9.5
Praying Hands 9.5
Sumatrana X Gran Nain 9.5
Super Plantain 9.5
Tall Red 9.5
Valery 9.5
Kaulau 10.0
Kofi 10.0
Pisang Klutuk 10.0
Cavendish (banana) 10.5
Cocos 11.0
Dwarf Gros Michel 11.0
Dwarf Red 11.0
Gros Michel 11.0
Jamaican Red 11.0
Kappa Pazham 11.0
Pisang Tandok 11.0
Rose 11.0
Karat 12.0
Kru 12.0
Latundan 12.0
Nino 12.0
Utafun 12.0

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Quoting for emphasis:

It would really benefit from greenhouse conditions, but it's fairly tall (listed at 12'-14' in the webebananas directory) and could be tough to accommodate in one.

Fruiting a GM will be quite a challenge for most of us.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Given this (tenderness) I am not so interested anymore...

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Sarasota FL is in USDA Hardiness Zone 9b. I imagine several of the varieties I grow here in coastal San Diego (10a) would be a problem there.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Thank you much for your efforts. I will have to reconsider also.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Four if they are not teeny tiny.
Thanks!

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

It's the regular Gros Michel, not the Dwarf.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Since we haven't had a volunteer yet, I'll step up to the plate here. If we get enough interest I'll order the GM's from AG (AgriStarts) and distribute them to everyone who orders. Just as long as I can get a commitment because I don't want to get stuck with a whole tray of GM'.

I understand that AG will have them ready late this month. I have an order coming in late Feb. and another order coming in early April so if we want to piggy-back the GM's on one of my orders we need to decide which one. Early April would probably be a good time for shipments to colder areas. If you decide on the April shipment we would need to see is AG will hold them until then.

I can't imagine having to hold them for months to harden off. My intention is to ship them immediately when I receive them.

My experience with AG is that the plants would be 4-5" tall. So those who voiced that you didn't want teeny weeny plants need to understand that these are tissue cultured and will be small plants compared to something that has has a year or two to grow.

I don't know the price yet because AG doesn't even have them listed yet. I would expect them to be $2.00 max. I also don't know the price of postage on plants that small. I'd have to ask at the post office and get some idea.

I have "Rose" growing here (I'm in South Alabama, probably zone 8). It was listed as zone 11 on the list in this thread. So you decide. I would imagine that if we had a 100 year freeze that they would bite the dust, but on average it does fine for me.

You decide and let me know. I'll help out but I just want you to make sure you know what you want.

Terry

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Thanks for the great offer, Terry! It's nice of you to be willing to volunteer your time and effort. :bananas_b

It sounded like you were offering to do it for cost, but personally I'd be happy to pay $10 for a tc Gros Michel starter plant.

Hopefully we'll pile up enough interest :drum:

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

My plants from ag are never 4-5" when I get them, more like 1 1/2. You must live someplace cheaper to ship to.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

If you could get it to about 5' before a frost you could probably fruit it the following year.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I can only tell you what I know from my personal experience. The last shipment I got from AG: Siam Ruby: 3-5", Thai colocasia: 4-6", Thai caladiums: 2-3".

Is there anybody else here that will be willing to order and distribute these GM's?

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I would like 6 to try.
Thx! :) Cheryl

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

They are listed as available $1.50 per plant.

hmmm...A nearly 5 m tall plant with a 20 kilo bunch that takes nearly 6 months to fill out in Puerto Rico. It'd be nice to have one just for show, but certainly not for selling fruit.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

If this goes through, Agri-Starts is going to ship a box of them to someone on here? then they ship to us? is that how it's gonna work? If The members are willing to ship to canada Id love 2 please and thankyou! :) this year I am really tryin to buy more to add to my collection.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Yes.

:2738:
:0519:
:2722:
:drum:
:parachutenanner:
:bebe:
:woohoonaner:

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

They used to give a discount to Florida growers, I don't know if they still do.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

As I mentioned, on the first page of the other old Gros Michel thread, these were my first bananas.

Quote:

"There seems to be a new-found interest in Gros Michel. I find this very interesting, as these were my first bananas, many years ago.

Background: I had a business, importing aquarium fish. I kept them in little concrete pools, in a greenhouse. Sometimes, when I was in a warm place, I would catch my own. Once, while sitting on a stream bank, in Panama, waiting to get some fish in my trap, I noticed many little palm seedlings, and thought it would be nice to grow some of them between the pools, in the greenhouse, so I brought some back. I then started planting other tropical plants, also. After a while, some customers asked me if the plants were for sale.

My wife is an RN, Operating Room Supervisor. The then Chief of Surgery, at her hospital, and his wife, had a vacation home in Saint Lucia, and invited us down there. I knew that this would be a good place to get tropical plant cuttings, and seeds. I knew nothing about bananas, but thought it would be interesting to bring some back. At that time the island was very closely tied to the U.K. Almost everything they used came from there, (a bottle of catsup, on a restaurant table, had a label that read, "H. J. Heinz & Co., London") and most everything produced on the island, was shipped to the U. K. When I inquired, of the locals, about the bananas, one said he could get me some, and I started to get my education. I was informed that these bananas were Gros Michel, not what we got, in the States. I was told that the British preferred a slightly smaller banana than Americans. I really couldn't notice any difference in taste or appearance. I brought a couple of corms, about the size of bowling balls, back with me.

They grew well, and I learned some more things.
1. They get big. I had brought a couple of them home, and had them in front of a glass patio door, in a finished basement. In short order, they were pushing the tiles out of the suspended ceiling.
2. They get sunburned. I took some to a charity fund raiser flea market, held in a shopping center parking lot. Full sun, with no protection. In a few hours the leaves turned white."

Keep in mind that this was circa 1972. I didn't know how big they got, or how cold sensitive they were. I have, since, had many different bananas, but no more GMs.

A couple of years ago, I had taken the basjoos that I had overwintered, dry, inside, and uncovered the outside ones on April 5. A few weeks later, I brought other plants (Mandevilla, Allamanda, Gingers, Anthuriums, etc.) outside, At the end of Apil/beginning of May, I got some more plants from Florida. Included among these, were some cold-sensitive nanners, like Siam Ruby, and Margarita. Then we got a night, about May 10-15 where we got into the upper 40s F. Everything was all right, except for the Siam Rubies and Margaritas. They were quite heavily damaged.

My thoughts, now, are that I probably would not want a very cold-sensitive banana, that I could only leave out for 3 or 4 months, and then might be too big to get inside. (I could only get about 10 feet total, even in the greenhouse.) I can keep my potted basjoos outside for 7+ months.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

John, sounds like you could spin some tales about your travels. I'l like to spend an evening in front of the fireplace, a nice cup of coffee, listening to you talking about everywhere you've been.

Anyway, if you change your mind about the Gros Michel I'll have a full tray of them soon.

Happy Mardi Gras
Terry

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

When I talked to Will at AgriStarts (AG) today he asked me if it was Gros Michael or Gros Michel. He said he's heard them called Big Mack.

Anyway, here's the deal. I have a confirmation from AG for an order of one tray of Gros Michel. That's 72 plants. Delivery to me is scheduled for the week of March 5th. My experience is that no matter what I do I always end up losing a couple. With that in mind, I intend to pot them up and acclimate them before shipping to you to make sure they are nice and healthy. Also, taking the weather into consideration late March or early April seems like a good time to ship them to you. Are we in agreement there?

I'll post them on my web site or here on Banana's so you can see them.

The price will be $7.00 + postage. This price is only for our group. Send me a PM or post here if you have any comments or questions. I'll keep you posted as things progress.

Terry

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I think that sounds great.

That's a great deal for such a difficult to obtain plant. Thanks again for doing this for us. I'm looking forward to getting a couple from you.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I went on the net to see what other vendors were saying about Gros Michel. As far as I could see there aren't any other vendors. Didn't realize just how rare and hard to find this banana is. Reading the history certainly gave me a greater appreciation of it. "Yes, We Have No Bananas".

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I thought about getting the short growing variety instead of the tall one. Is n't that the short one is better than the tall one?

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Well, Gabe would have to verify this, but the short variety 'Cocos' is supposed to be less resistant to nematodes than the other ones. I read that a while back in an article written by folks that know much more than I on the subject.

Of course, if nematodes are NOT a problem in your area....

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Its great to hear this is the Tall Gros Michel! I would like 4! :)

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I'm in for 2.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

It's a French name, so the proper pronunciation in English would sound like "grow Michelle". I've also seen it referred to as Big Mike, which is essentially what it means if you translate from French.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Thanks again for the tip. My tray of starts arrived today!

I will not ship any of these -- I'm going to pot them up and when they are of size I'll sell them at the Leucadia Farmers market, minus of course the one going in the ground here. It will be interesting to see how they perform in my zone 10a and on the coast in the Cardiff-Leucadia zone 11a.

:08:

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

Always exciting when the banana stork arrives :)

Hopefully the lucky one in there that you plant will do well in your environment. Seems like your climate should be just warm enough to appease it.

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

My 2 came today Perfect condition! Thanks Terry!

Re: Roll call for Gros Michel tc's -- who wants some?
 

I've got some of these for sale if anyone wnats some:
http://www.bananas.org/f3/gros-miche...tml#post203143