proletariatcsp

Does anyone know where I can find Red Tall?

Caloosamusa

Don at GoingBananas. He is located in Homestead, check him out at his website!

momoese

Too bad you don't live here! I'm removing my whole stand of them and giving them away.

proletariatcsp

Caloosamusa thanks for the heads-up.

Mitchel, your not kidding. I hear they take 2 years from pup to fruit, that's a looooong wait.

momoese

You heard right, painfully slow to flower and very slow to ripen as well. The finish product is really awesome though! Nothing like it!

harveyc

Mitchel,what's going in their place?

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momoese

Dwarf Red!

harveyc

Look forward to seeing photos. I tried and it died!

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momoese

I have been keeping this pup in the garage with lights on all winter and it still got some rot when I brought outside. It is currently growing well and waiting for it's new home in the ground. I figure that being so small and being planted against a wall and the shed I can make a makeshift greenhouse for it during winter just to keep the frost off should we get any. Pictures to follow when planted!

proletariatcsp

I thought about 'Dwarf', they are often in stock. I'm just concerned about the wind. Every once in a while the grocery store gets some dwarf reds. They usually go fast and don't have great shelf life so it's not worth buying more than a hand or two. But they are really good and creamy like butter!

My 'Ice Cream' has held up well in the wind. Last year I used straps and it survived 60 mph gusts, and this year so far it has easily stood against 50 without support at 10ft tall. The leaves were ripped from the midribs, however. The wind, unfortunately, is all that's keeping me from planting a 'saba.' And I kid you not, the wind fell a few georgia pines already this year.

Maybe I should be considering a Mysore, or similar wind tolerant banana? I really like the taller herbs.

Caloosamusa

Good afternoon Proletariatcsp,

I once though more highly of the taller cultivars, but after growing them and seeing the freeze damage high up, I now prefer the shorter cultivars. They seem to be less damaged when uncovered in a freeze and are much easier to protect from freezing.

But everyone must work through the thought and applications process.

I have purchased dwarf reds, but I do have Red Iholenas, and Sabas, and a whole bunch of other cultivars that stay outside in the ground year 'round.

I hope this helps.

momoese

Yeah, I really like the talls too, but I'm tired of the wind thrashing them or snapping them in half or even at the base. I've lost way too much fruit! That's the reason I'm going with Dwarf Reds. I can shelter them from the wind and cold and still get great fruit. My Hawaiian Apples seem to stand up to the winds pretty well so I'll let them stay. All my others are mid sized and not a problem. The other reason I want to grow Dwarf Reds is for resale. Every year I pot up a bunch o pups and sell them on Craigslist. It never fails that people fall in love the Reds until they see how tall they are in my garden and get scared. Even with that I still sell all the Reds long before the others. Funny thing, I've never seen any Reds for sale locally, Dwarf or Tall, and the only stand I know of growing locally completely died in 07 from the arctic blast we got.

Rmplmnz

Where within FL are you located?

Caloosamusa

Looks like on the map either Brooksville or maybe Pasco county, just north of your location Rmplmnz.