waiting to ripen, shall i cut off the bottom below the bananas
 

waiting for bananas to ripen, shall i cut off the bottom below the bananas??

Banana Gallery - small2-bananas

Re: waiting to ripen, shall i cut off the bottom below the bananas
 

Nice bunch! Are you talking about the heart, or the dried up male flowers right beneath the bananas? What variety? Looks like tall namwa

Re: waiting to ripen, shall i cut off the bottom below the bananas
 

Hi Thanks. I am new to growing bananas, this is our first plant, and first bunch that has appeared. They are ice-cream. I don't know what the "heart" is. I am referring to anything and everything below the bananas. There is the long stalk, and then the flowers down at the bottom. My apologies that i don't yet have a good grasp of the proper terms of each part. We realize that we need to let it fully rippen. As days/weeks go by, it continues to open and more flowers fall off. I didn't know if it might help to cut off the stalk and flowers (would that put more energy into the banansas)? Also, I don't understand why only so many flowers created actual bananas, and then below that - they were only little bitty things that just fall off. Must be normal, but i don't fully understand.

Re: waiting to ripen, shall i cut off the bottom below the bananas
 

"Heart" is purple KINDA heart shaped thingamajig :ha: at the end of the stall beneath the bananas. That's fine! I don't know everything either!

An experiment has not (I think)? Been done to test that. I always cut it off 6_8 inches below the bananas. The only proven plus in to reduce weight to help from the plant toppling.

Re: waiting to ripen, shall i cut off the bottom below the bananas
 

anyone else have any answers or suggestions? I appreciate the answer so far, but one person's answer might not be enough to confirm that i should or should not, cut off the lower portion (below the bananas).

Re: waiting to ripen, shall i cut off the bottom below the bananas
 

I always cut it off about six-eight inches below the last banana leaving a little tail in case it rots up a bit. That's with winter approaching. You are exiting winter with all of summer ahead so you could cut it our leave it.