mini sdc choking?

sandy0225 · 11-16-2009, 09:05 AM

I went out to the greenhouse this morning, noticed there were some fallen leaves inside my mini sdc from the tulip tree. I took them out and there was a bloom! I dont know how long it's been blooming.
But here's my question, I thought from other sdc pictures I'd seen, and other bananas that I'd bloomed ...that the bloom should be coming out on a short stalk and then opening up. I think this one might be choking up inside the stem. It's just peeking out and already colored up. There are also a couple of leaves including the flag leaf that look like they didn't come all the way out.
How would you fix this? Cut it carefully with a knife to release it? It has two large pups in the pot that can feed this pstem if I need to slice those leaves off and do a little careful surgery.

chong · 11-16-2009, 08:07 PM

I don't think that it's choking. It's coming out up top. Crank up the heat a little in your greenhouse, or place it in a warmer area, and see what happens. Congratulations!

r3tic · 11-16-2009, 08:50 PM

well done with the bloom....can we see the whole plant?

Gabe15 · 11-16-2009, 10:02 PM

This variety often chokes like that. If you are going to operate, I would recommend carefully making a slice in the pseudostem instead of cutting leaves off.

sandy0225 · 11-17-2009, 06:56 AM

r3tic, here's a picture of the plant a couple of months ago. It's in the greenhouse now and let me tell you that one is too crowded to even think about getting a picture from a distance. I'm lucky to be able to thread myself through there to water! I did crank up the heat a few more degrees. I'm keeping it at 60 at night in there now, instead of 50. That's my smallest and cheapest to heat greenhouse, (10x20 glass with plastic and polycarb layer inside that) so far I'm just using one electric radiant heater in there, but prety soon I have to kick the gas one on when it starts getting in the 10's at night regularly.

I took my hands yesterday and kind of pulled apart the leaves and loosened up the top of the plant a little bit yesterday. I'll see if that makes it come out. If not, I'll do a little slice down the side of the pstem up at the top as Gabe suggested. It's easy to work on anyway since the whole thing is only about 3.5 feet tall, pot and all!

CValentine · 11-17-2009, 07:08 AM

So excited to see a bloom on this Sandy!!
Your SDC mini is beautiful!!
Gives me(blooming) hope for the minis that I got from you!!!

~Cheryl

r3tic · 11-17-2009, 10:37 AM

You must be feeding it like mad to get it to fruit in such a small pot! How old is that plant?

sirmoebly · 11-19-2009, 08:14 PM

Just let it do it's coarse, mabe keep it warmer.... awesome!!!!!!! Job!!!!!!

mushtaq86 · 11-22-2009, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r3tic

You must be feeding it like mad to get it to fruit in such a small pot! How old is that plant?

I would like to 2ND that sandy,i wouldn't have thought you would have got fruit by looking at that pot size.How many times a week have you been feeding it and how much.Forgot to mention, congratulations.

sandy0225 · 11-29-2009, 07:35 PM

Hey it was choking big time. I first tried to loosen the bloom by pulling slightly down and outward on the leaves. In a few days I checked it and eek...the bloom was still stuck and it had a little bit of whitish fuzzy mold on it! So I gave it a quick cut down the side of the pseudostem with a pocketknife, and started pulling the pstem open (kind of like butterflying it open)so I could see what I was doing. I pulled the bloom sideways and it popped out of the side of the stem where I'd made the cut. I could see that the bloom stalk was still even further inside the stem, so I made the cut longer and pulled on it again. The bloom actually had a few hands of small bananas forming inside the pstem! But it looked like it was still further down in there. So I one more time lengthened the cut and pulled sideways gently on the bloom stem again and I was able to pull it to where all the fingers were sticking out of the side of the stem on a stalk about 3 inches long. I altogether had to cut the pstem open about 5 inches and pull the flower out. I think it might make fruit now though. The mold was on petals that hadn't been able to fall off as the bloom opened because it was stuck and now the little hands of bananas are out of the pstem so they might just make it, I hope.
I'll take a picture of it tomorrow, it's dark out there now.

sandy0225 · 12-01-2009, 10:25 AM

picture as promised, see how far I had to cut and pull it out? The bananas were already forming in the stem and it's to the point of producing male flowers now. There's no pollen at all, so much for trying to cross it with my ice cream!

mushtaq86 · 12-02-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandy0225

picture as promised, see how far I had to cut and pull it out? The bananas were already forming in the stem and it's to the point of producing male flowers now. There's no pollen at all, so much for trying to cross it with my ice cream!

Wow amazing sandy0225.

sandy0225 · 12-24-2009, 07:57 AM

My chop and pull method seems to be working! the little bananas are plumping up slowly.

Caloosamusa · 12-24-2009, 08:52 AM

While Ice Cream is a female fertile plant, the Cavendish are AAA (triploids) and do not produce a viable pollen. Try a Rose, Monkey fingers, or PJB, as the male and your results will be better.

I hope this helps.

LilRaverBoi · 12-24-2009, 03:47 PM

I was just wondering how this was coming along the other day! My SDC has just stopped growing for some reason...not sure why. It's warm enough (next to a heater and a south-facing window) but hasn't done much all winter.

Just keep us updated on the progress! I wanna know how SDC bananas taste!

Jack Daw · 12-24-2009, 07:51 PM

Good job, Sandy, let us know how the winter harvest tastes.

Yummy.

IndianaSue · 12-27-2009, 11:00 AM

Congratulations Sandy!! Please keep us posted.

sandy0225 · 12-29-2009, 08:14 AM

I don't think there will be any harvest until spring. They really do slow down to the point to stopping growth this time of the year in Indiana, unless you have them under a grow light running 14 hours or so a day. It's the short days.
That is fine with me anyway. How many mini's do you think I'll sell this spring if I have that one cleaned up with little bananas on it sitting in a prominent place on the end of the greenhouse bench with the little ones sitting beneath it for sale? I'm thinking one or two anyway.....my (evil) marketing plan for spring!mwahahahahahaha...

LilRaverBoi · 12-29-2009, 03:19 PM

ROFL...that's actually a pretty brilliant marketing scheme! You should totally capitalize on that!

Patty in Wisc · 12-29-2009, 05:51 PM

Congrats Sandy! They came out looking yellow already. Hope they don't get over ripe by Spring...and watch out for ppl trying to steel a nana LOL.

11-16-2009, 09:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 487,677 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	mini sdc choking? I went out to the greenhouse this morning, noticed there were some fallen leaves inside my mini sdc from the tulip tree. I took them out and there was a bloom! I dont know how long it's been blooming. But here's my question, I thought from other sdc pictures I'd seen, and other bananas that I'd bloomed ...that the bloom should be coming out on a short stalk and then opening up. I think this one might be choking up inside the stem. It's just peeking out and already colored up. There are also a couple of leaves including the flag leaf that look like they didn't come all the way out. How would you fix this? Cut it carefully with a knife to release it? It has two large pups in the pot that can feed this pstem if I need to slice those leaves off and do a little careful surgery. __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

11-16-2009, 08:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
chong Senior Member chong's Photo Gallery Location: Seattle, WA Find me on the map! Zone: 8-9 Name: Chong Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,851 BananaBucks : 124,513 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,309 Times Was Thanked 1,702 Times in 759 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 991 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? I don't think that it's choking. It's coming out up top. Crank up the heat a little in your greenhouse, or place it in a warmer area, and see what happens. Congratulations!

11-16-2009, 08:50 PM	#3 (permalink)
r3tic r3tic's Photo Gallery Location: Drexel Hill, PA Find me on the map! Zone: 7-8 Name: Dave Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 216 BananaBucks : 62,695 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 531 Times Was Thanked 123 Times in 71 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 306 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? well done with the bloom....can we see the whole plant? __________________

11-16-2009, 10:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
Gabe15 Moderator Gabe15's Photo Gallery Location: Oahu, Hawaii Find me on the map! Zone: 12 Name: Gabe Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,892 BananaBucks : 13,504,497 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2 Times Was Thanked 8,246 Times in 2,201 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 8 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? This variety often chokes like that. If you are going to operate, I would recommend carefully making a slice in the pseudostem instead of cutting leaves off. __________________ Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

11-17-2009, 06:56 AM	#5 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 487,677 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? r3tic, here's a picture of the plant a couple of months ago. It's in the greenhouse now and let me tell you that one is too crowded to even think about getting a picture from a distance. I'm lucky to be able to thread myself through there to water! I did crank up the heat a few more degrees. I'm keeping it at 60 at night in there now, instead of 50. That's my smallest and cheapest to heat greenhouse, (10x20 glass with plastic and polycarb layer inside that) so far I'm just using one electric radiant heater in there, but prety soon I have to kick the gas one on when it starts getting in the 10's at night regularly. I took my hands yesterday and kind of pulled apart the leaves and loosened up the top of the plant a little bit yesterday. I'll see if that makes it come out. If not, I'll do a little slice down the side of the pstem up at the top as Gabe suggested. It's easy to work on anyway since the whole thing is only about 3.5 feet tall, pot and all! __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

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11-17-2009, 07:08 AM	#6 (permalink)
CValentine Prolific Epistemologist CValentine's Photo Gallery Location: Bell County, Texas Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Che Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 3,846 BananaBucks : 224,687 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 7,127 Times Was Thanked 1,782 Times in 625 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 362 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? So excited to see a bloom on this Sandy!! Your SDC mini is beautiful!! Gives me(blooming) hope for the minis that I got from you!!! ~Cheryl __________________ When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. - Jimi Hendrix

11-17-2009, 10:37 AM	#7 (permalink)
r3tic r3tic's Photo Gallery Location: Drexel Hill, PA Find me on the map! Zone: 7-8 Name: Dave Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 216 BananaBucks : 62,695 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 531 Times Was Thanked 123 Times in 71 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 306 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? You must be feeding it like mad to get it to fruit in such a small pot! How old is that plant? __________________

11-19-2009, 08:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
sirmoebly sirmoebly's Photo Gallery Location: Oak Harbor, Ohio Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Name: Moe Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 378 BananaBucks : 27,708 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 181 Times Was Thanked 160 Times in 92 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? Just let it do it's coarse, mabe keep it warmer.... awesome!!!!!!! Job!!!!!!

11-29-2009, 07:35 PM	#10 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 487,677 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? Hey it was choking big time. I first tried to loosen the bloom by pulling slightly down and outward on the leaves. In a few days I checked it and eek...the bloom was still stuck and it had a little bit of whitish fuzzy mold on it! So I gave it a quick cut down the side of the pseudostem with a pocketknife, and started pulling the pstem open (kind of like butterflying it open)so I could see what I was doing. I pulled the bloom sideways and it popped out of the side of the stem where I'd made the cut. I could see that the bloom stalk was still even further inside the stem, so I made the cut longer and pulled on it again. The bloom actually had a few hands of small bananas forming inside the pstem! But it looked like it was still further down in there. So I one more time lengthened the cut and pulled sideways gently on the bloom stem again and I was able to pull it to where all the fingers were sticking out of the side of the stem on a stalk about 3 inches long. I altogether had to cut the pstem open about 5 inches and pull the flower out. I think it might make fruit now though. The mold was on petals that hadn't been able to fall off as the bloom opened because it was stuck and now the little hands of bananas are out of the pstem so they might just make it, I hope. I'll take a picture of it tomorrow, it's dark out there now. __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

12-01-2009, 10:25 AM	#11 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 487,677 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? picture as promised, see how far I had to cut and pull it out? The bananas were already forming in the stem and it's to the point of producing male flowers now. There's no pollen at all, so much for trying to cross it with my ice cream! __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

12-24-2009, 07:57 AM	#13 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 487,677 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? My chop and pull method seems to be working! the little bananas are plumping up slowly. __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

12-24-2009, 08:52 AM	#14 (permalink)
Caloosamusa Caloosamusa's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,578 BananaBucks : 33,394 Feedback: 1 / 67% Said "Thanks" 3,829 Times Was Thanked 1,556 Times in 675 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 334 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? While Ice Cream is a female fertile plant, the Cavendish are AAA (triploids) and do not produce a viable pollen. Try a Rose, Monkey fingers, or PJB, as the male and your results will be better. I hope this helps.

12-24-2009, 03:47 PM	#15 (permalink)
LilRaverBoi Nanner Time! LilRaverBoi's Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Rapids, IA Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Bryan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,937 BananaBucks : 160,325 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 534 Times Was Thanked 2,243 Times in 1,245 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 855 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? I was just wondering how this was coming along the other day! My SDC has just stopped growing for some reason...not sure why. It's warm enough (next to a heater and a south-facing window) but hasn't done much all winter. Just keep us updated on the progress! I wanna know how SDC bananas taste! __________________ BANANA RAVE! Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top! lilraverboi@genxglow.com RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you! I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

12-24-2009, 07:51 PM	#16 (permalink)
Jack Daw I think with my banana ;) Jack Daw's Photo Gallery Location: BA, SK, CEU Find me on the map! Zone: Dfa (Köppen-geiger) <-> 7b/8a? (USDA) Name: Jack Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 3,525 BananaBucks : 252,864 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,771 Times Was Thanked 2,461 Times in 1,355 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 383 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? Good job, Sandy, let us know how the winter harvest tastes. Yummy. __________________ Thnx to Marcel, Ante, Dr. Chiranjit Parmar and *Francesco* for the plants I've received. Zeitgeist - Corporatocracy 101 (~2hrs) Zeitgeist - Moving Forward (~2.5hrs)

12-27-2009, 11:00 AM	#17 (permalink)
IndianaSue Location: Northwest,Indiana Zone: 5 Name: Sue Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 79 BananaBucks : 6,555 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 40 Times in 29 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? Congratulations Sandy!! Please keep us posted.

12-29-2009, 08:14 AM	#18 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 487,677 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? I don't think there will be any harvest until spring. They really do slow down to the point to stopping growth this time of the year in Indiana, unless you have them under a grow light running 14 hours or so a day. It's the short days. That is fine with me anyway. How many mini's do you think I'll sell this spring if I have that one cleaned up with little bananas on it sitting in a prominent place on the end of the greenhouse bench with the little ones sitting beneath it for sale? I'm thinking one or two anyway.....my (evil) marketing plan for spring!mwahahahahahaha... __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

12-29-2009, 03:19 PM	#19 (permalink)
LilRaverBoi Nanner Time! LilRaverBoi's Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Rapids, IA Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Bryan Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,937 BananaBucks : 160,325 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 534 Times Was Thanked 2,243 Times in 1,245 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 855 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? ROFL...that's actually a pretty brilliant marketing scheme! You should totally capitalize on that! __________________ BANANA RAVE! Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top! lilraverboi@genxglow.com RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you! I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

12-29-2009, 05:51 PM	#20 (permalink)
Patty in Wisc tropical nut Patty in Wisc's Photo Gallery Zone: 5 Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 3,115 BananaBucks : 432,052 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,946 Times Was Thanked 2,510 Times in 1,203 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 69 Times	Re: mini sdc choking? Congrats Sandy! They came out looking yellow already. Hope they don't get over ripe by Spring...and watch out for ppl trying to steel a nana LOL. __________________ Got a lite? Patty ____ Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.

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