Akula

June 19, 2021

Blue Java with bunch snapped in half mid pstem! This is the third time I've been denied by a storm. Second time by a storm in June!




Patupi is way ahead of last year's pace with a high probability of a September flower but did a face plant! Looks like it was just pulled out of the ground so that is correctable but will set it back a bit. Probability of a flower decreased to 50/50 at this point.

scottu

why don't you brace them up?

northern grower asking a northern question?
Can't say i ever had that problem but have seen them braced up

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Viva La Banana

wstrickland1

No man tell me this is a joke. That is incredibly heartbreaking.

Akula

The Blue Java had a prevailing lean towards the souththeast and I had 2" PVC support under the bunch on that side but the wind gusted out of the east and snapped the plant in a westerly direction over my fence. I pulled it off the fence and layed it in the yard. I then took the pic.

I can support four bunches at a time with PVC and I do it regularly with big bunches and with plants that are weak or tend to lean (Blue Java) but it doesn't always work.

The best ones for hurricane and tropical storm conditions are the dwarves. My stud Raja Puri is hurricane proof proven with a big bunch hanging. Dwarf Orninoco and Dwarf Namwa are good too.

That side of my yard is in a wind tunnel or something. When I moved into the house the fence had a hard lean from earlier hurricans/storms which my neighbor and I fixed. I am converting that patch to all dwarves but was waiting to harvest the Blue Java before removing and putting in its place a dwarf namwa.

Akula

I had a pretty good size bunch, eight leaves, and lots of time to mature the fruit. It sucks! Always next year.

sirdoofus

Oh man, that is so frustrating!!! So sorry to see that!

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Who keeps calling me nuts??

smeash

Sorry about the loss Donald! Seems the blue Java quest for ripe fruit continues for us both. I cut my fruiting stem down this past week and am gonna pour the fertilizer to the followers in hopes of a july flower. One of us will get a ripe bunch one day! My namwah all made it with ease.. Im impressed with their storm performance to say the least.

Akula

Thanks Seth! There's got to be a wind tunnel going throught that area. Its the exact same plants and area that got taken out during Hurricane Sally in fall 2020 and that heavy storm we had in June 2020.

smeash

Yea it definitely seems vulnerable! I think the dwarfs will be a good fit!

twotallgirls

Bummer. Living in FL you have to give offerings to the wind gods now and then. I was in PNS all this week and that 80 mph gust Sat. morning took out a few. I was looking at the thread on shade cloth this morning and wondered how in the world they survive a month. 25mph+ winds are normal summer occurrence in my neck of the woods, not including these pesky tropical storms. Blue Java's are all braced but sometimes the storms come from different directions. My RP's, Mona Lisa, Namwah are real troopers. You learn to live with shredded leaves.

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Blue Java, Raja Puri, Goldfinger FHIA-01, Mona Lisa FHIA-02, Sweetheart FHIA-03, Pitogo, Saba, Dwarf Cavendish, Super Dwarf Cav., Namwa, Brazilian, Mysore, Dwarf Red, and a mystery or two

Akula

I think next time this happens with my hurricane weaklings I will pre-emptively topple them in a controlled manner before the storm hits especially the ones with fruit hanging or near fruiting. I've had excellent success in standing them back up after being toppled as long as the pstem has not snapped.

Robbertico18

Aw man that’s terrible!
We have the Claudette winds blowing through Savannah right now and I’ve brought all the plumeria inside so they don’t tip over. Not much I can do about the nanners tho

JaredZone9a

I think Pensacola is 9a like me. Do you winterize your plants there? They look big and healthy!

Akula

I responded to your PM.

Valor_X

You said this was the second time in June... what else did you lose?
I'm really sorry for the loss I'd be very upset

Have you ever been able to salvage one that was not fully mature yet? As in not flowered yet

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Varieties I'm Growing

From Corm/Pup
Dwarf Cavendish ○ Super Dwarf Cavendish ○ Grand Nain ○ Niño ○ Manzano ○ Raja Puri ○ Tall Namwah ○ Blue Java ○ 1000 Fingers ○ Praying Hands ○ Orinoco ○ Variegated Florida ○ PR Red ○ California Gold ○ FHIA-03 Sweetheart

Plantains
Puerto Rican Dwarf Plantain ○ African Rhino Horn

From TC
Truly Tiny ○ Manzano ○ "Blue Java" ○ Dwarf Namwah ○ Thai Black ○ Veinte Cohol

Akula

There was a similiar storm in June of 2020. Lost a Blue Java, snapped a Namwa, and toppled an Unknown, Patupi, and my Pisang Klotek. Plus hurricane Sally in September of 2020.

If they just get pulled out of the ground I stand them back up and they rock on after a week or so of shock. If they snap but haven't flowered then its possible for them to flower (last year a Nawma that snapped flowered) but they need to develop enough leaves to support ripening of the fruit. If they snap after a flower has formed then they are done.

JaredZone9a

Dang, Hurricanes and TS’s really kill us in Texas and Florida.

babywantsbling

So sorry. I’m in Pensacola and lost mine to Sally last year. It was braced too. I was worried about my blue Java this year too but she made it through. This is one hardy plant. I have yet to winterize any of them either and they make it through freezes just fine except for the top and the leaves. I have several blue Java around the yard now. All survived freezes. Storm winds are another story.