Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

I don't have a SH-3640 (yet), but do have the other 3. And, thanks to TY, I have added a 3 VC's to my collection.

Thanks for the compliment!

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Thank you walkinbeam!....I appreciated your kindly words!......As I mentioned, 'Nanas recovered very well!....I might have even some of them flowering/blooming soon!....

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Edmax,


Your welcome!.....Just a good advice, make sure you get the SH-3640 High Noon from a reputable, verified source!....

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Update, this morning I cut the 1st hand off, 54 days after bud showing. I know the hand could get little fatter & ripen on the stalk, but I believe it was plump enough to ripen in the kitchen. This would help the lower hands to fill quicker before a freeze. The 2nd hand is near the same size as the 1st; and I may cut it next week.

Orinoco bunch 1 & 2 are covered with plastic bags for the past week. This was to warm the bunches during the low 70° days. ... A freeze is not in the forecast for the 14 days. But, this coming Monday night the low is expected to be about 36° ; then temp will be back to low 50° at night until the end of the month.

Pictures:

Orinoco Bunch 1:


Orinoco Bunch 2:


Orinoco Bunch 1:


Orinoco 1st Hand: The 7 finger hand weighs 2lb 6oz. The fingers measure 1 3/4" to 2" across the flats (not the ridges). They are as big as I've ever seen or eaten Orinoco nana.

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

kind a sorta look like the bananas I had at the old place. I can taste em already.

we'll keep our fingers crossed for ya.

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

AGAIN !!! ...

This evening I found my Blue Java has pushed a bud out. Now in the Large Banana patch, there is 5 bunches hanging and 2 buds showing.

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Wow. A lot of activity in the banana patch!

Edmax, can you provide some stats and background on your Blue Java? How much time from pup emergence to flowering? If planted as a pup how tall was the pup at time of planting? Pstem height and circumference at time of flowering?

Thank you!

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

I planted 5 large Blue Java pups the first week of November last year. They froze to the ground during the winter and only 3 came back breaking ground in May. So I lost 2 corms (???). But I now have a number of this years pups some 4 ft to 6 ft tall. ... i don't remember how tall the 5 were when they were dug, but they may have been cut to about 4 ft for transport. ... I moved & planted 42 plants of 8 different varieties last November from South Florida.

The re-grow time of the Blue Java for this year is about 6 or 6 1/2 months to Bud. ... I think the plants being slow to breaking this spring was due to the corms need to establish/grow more roots. The plants didn't have a lot of time after being transplanted to establish a new root system before freezing to the ground.

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Congrats Max! You are an example of the success that can be had with correct fertilizing. Hope we have a mild winter. I predict lots of fruit for you next year!!

For me blue java wasn’t that fast. It took mine around 380 days for my 2’ pup to flower! That’s including winter! Then it filled for right at 80 days. It could have filled for another 2-3 weeks. Mine was exactly 13’ feet. It leaned very very bad! Propping is highly recommended. Taste was amazing! Way sweeter than namwa with an excellent flavor. I didn’t taste any vanilla flavor but it was excellent. Very very creamy banana! In my top 5 for sure. They are MORE cold hardy than namwa for me. Must have for Zone 8b-9a.

I am talking about the Real Blue Java! Not Tall Namwa!

Click below and you can dig through my pictures of it. I plan to organize my pictures by variety one day!

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Thanks Ed and Ty.

I ordered three ice cream from Just Fruit and Exotics in Wakulla County, Florida. At that time I didn't know there were multiple cultivars and just wanted a banana that was tall and cold tolerant for my area. Later I find out there are two cultivars using this brand/marketing name. JFE confirmed to me that they are Blue Java by email but I have my doubts and consider them Namwa until proven otherwise based on the prevalence of Namwa on this site. One is very different than the other two based on the colors of the ribs so don't know what's going on there. I posted photos in my gallery of the midribs. Maybe I have two Blue Java and one Namwa. Who knows.

All three of the main plants are 12'+ of pstem and no flower so far after growing from about 2' pup planted in late March of this year. I guess best case is that if they throw a flower over the next month I will be able to identify them even if I don't get any bananas. I have a ton of pups with some around 7' so should be in good position to get bananas next year. First year to establish and second year to get fruit was what I planned but one does get their hopes up as the year progresses and the plants get bigger! Haha.

Amazing how much EdwMax's plants grew during the year. Really incredible. I guess even though they died back they were able to establish a pretty good corn and roots mass and with proper fertilization took off big time. There was a ton of rain this year in our area probably a lot in Georgia also which helped a lot too.

Thanks for the info!

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Grrrrrr .... Don't do that to me. ... I wont get to taste these for another year. I hope.

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

I didn't know Just Fruits had Blue Java. I didn't see any when I visited them last spring. I've bought several bananas plants and lemon trees from them last Oct (2016) and last spring. ... I might be able to supply them with some pups next year ... may be.

Rain? where? ... All that rain either when North or East of me, even the rain from Irma. Last weeks 'big' rain didn't even settle the dust on our roads. Neighboring pond levels are down more than 2 ft since spring. I'm watering the small nana patch every day.

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Ok, additional Info on the Budding nana plants:

Blue Java: Ht= 9'-5"; cir= 28"; # Pups= 5 (9 for the mat)

Dwf Brazillian:
Plant 1: ht= 7'4"; cir=33"; Pups =4
Plant 2: ht= 7'-3"; cir= 24"; Pups=4

FHIA-18:
Plant 1: ht= 8'-3"; cir=29"
Plant 2: ht= 8'-3"; cir=29"
Plant 3: ht= 8'-5"; cir =28 1/2"

FHIA-1: ht= 7'-8"; cir 30"; # of Pups= 4

** Differences between the Dwf Namwah and my Blue Java noted this morning:

Blue Java has a reddish mid rib on back of the leaf most more green on top. And the petoile canal is closed. ... The pstem, at the base, is primarily green with some slight reddish coloring, if any.

Dwf Namwah has green mid ribs. Some of the sword leave may show some red but this disappears after opening. The petoile canal is closed. ... The pstem at the base has much reddish coloring.

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Awesome info! Thanks

Interesting the fhia 18 and fhia 1 size difference! Do you find one grows better than the other?

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

good info edwmax. you had me looking at my blue java/namwa plants I got from wellspring gardens. I was thinking they are really namwa and now I am confused to this. I bought a namwa corm from pukpukz for coparison its got near a 7 ft. pstem heighth. and now, with your info, I see differences.

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Hummm ... that's a little bit hard to say. Both froze to the ground, so both grew back in the same amount of time this year. I don't remember which broke ground first last May. ... One thing is for sure, the FHIA-18 bloomed 30 days or more sooner than the FHIA-1. I have to go back though the above post to get the exact days.

I planted 3 corms of the FHIA-1 and only one came back in May. Could be this plant is a little less cold tolerant than the 18; or I may have planted the corms a little too deep (???).

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Interesting! I’m not sure either. I never acquired an 18 since it’s pretty much the same as the 1. I love my goldfingers! I was able to prune my first bloomer this year and get 1 hand of fruit haha. Hey it’s better than nothing! Pruning a bunch can do amazing things for us Zone pushers. Research shows cutting off the bottom 3 hands (not counting a mixed hand) is the magic number! In India they even use the underdeveloped fruit as a vegetable. Not sure if the details but i know they pickle some also!

Keep an eye on the 18 for me. I may just end up getting one to compare also. 3 way comparison! Agristarts TC FHIA-1 vs USDA Tars FHIA-1 vs FHIA-18. Lmao

My Agristarts clone blows away the real goldfinger! So you never know what kinda difference there are between the 1 and 18. Off types, etc.

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

That's what I need to do with my late fruit. I was wondering if the immature fruit could be eaten & how. Do you have any links? I'll be looking myself.

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

I think I found the info. The finger still under the brac can be cleaned and eaten. Search for 'cooking banana Bud or Blossom'. ... If the finger has gained any size it can be cooked like plantations. Very young finger probably needs to be soaked in salt water to remove most of the astringent taste. ... Fry like french frys ...

Re: Surprise, Surprise Bud!
 

Tonight's low is predicted at 30° as the snow moves from Texas up the Eastern coast. The snow went north of me, no white Christmas here. Anyway, there is no warmer growing temperatures in the forecast for the next 2 weeks. Day time highs of high 40s & low 50s with night time temps mid 30s.

So I cut ALL my Nana bunches today and put them in the greenhouse.

Orinoco Bunches:

Note the 1st bunch is a light green (little bit of yellow) I think these and some of the 2nd bunch will ripen.


Orinoco Bunch 1 & 2: These had the plastic bags for frost protection & extra heat during the day.


Orinoco Bunch 3: The top 2 hands are almost as big as the 2nd bunch fingers. This bunch is 2 1/2 weeks behind the 1st bunch.


FHIA 18 Bunches:


Dw Brazzilan 7 FHIA 1 (far right):



Before anyone ask why I saved the bunches with the small fingers????

Answer: .... Nana Fries!!!



Why waste 'em. I could get to like these. The bigger fries tasted more like french fries (potatoes). The smaller one are easy to peel with veggy/tater peeler.

End of Story .... THE END ... or is it? Just wait until next year!