OT: Anyone growing bananas and willing to trade?

[IamKriya]

I am looking to get into growing bananas. I'm looking for Raja Puri, Ice Cream (I think Wills has this, so I'll bug him about it), and Goldfinger. I'll happily trade cuttings for them. Thanks!

[Visceral]

I really wanted to grow some, but the tree leaves are too big for my landscaping tastes and the space I've got. I've heard the taste of a good banana is awesome compared to the Cavendish we all get at the grocery store.

[m5allen]

PM sent

[bunti]

I want to grow dwarf goldfinger banana? Are there any recommendations? I live in Zone 7b.

[Jamie0507]

I am new to growing bananas too Ryan I feel they an interesting an interesting & beautiful plant to grow but I'm still trying to familiarize myself with all the terms that go along with them (ie pups, pseudostem, corm etc..) So I often wished I knew someone else just getting into them as well so we could have discussions on them. I do belong to a bananas forum but it's so glitchy that I rarely use it.. Anyway I'm glad to hear you are venturing into them as well! So far I have 3 Super dwarf Cavendish from EL (2 from pups), Ice Cream, and Orinicco (sp?) but the latter 2 are still pretty small yet as I bought them in November from Wellspring. They were soooo inexpensive and have grown quite bit since then. Maybe check out Wellspring if you don't mind starting small.. I paid $10 for both of them so not too bad. I have found it quite difficult to keep the larger Dwarf Cavendish happy over the winter being potted inside.. The smaller ones have been quite cooperative though Good luck finding the varieties you are seeking and stay in touch about growing them if ya do get a hold of a few!

[cis4elk]

I'm attempting to grow Ice Cream in a pot, but no pups yet. I held off up potting it last fall because I didn't want it to go crazy in the sun room over the winter. I cleared all the leaves except one newly emerging out recently because they were harboring spider mites. Had to mash few with my finger in the following days but it I haven't seen any for a couple weeks now.

[bunti]

I do have one rajapuri growing in pot. I am planning to have it in ground or in to really bigger pot this summer.

[bunti]

Ice cream grows 12-15 feet. I can't keep them inside. My old time favorite is mysore.

[cis4elk]

I knew Ice Cream gets that big, I was figuring there would be at least some dwarfing with pot culture. At our new place we have cathedral ceilings and when I finish the roof on the sun room it will be somewhere around 15' at the highest point. I've never really measured it but it is much taller than our current sun room which is between 7-9' sloped.

[bunti]

where do you live? I thought I am the only one crazy person to grow bananas indoor. One of my friend in florida is having a dwarf banana plant, May be 6'. Don't know the variety name. I am planning to grow that one. But my kids like yellow small bananas.

[Jamie0507]

bunti I will post some pics of my SD Cav below in a new comment.. Hopefully you will know what the heck I'm doing wrong & be able to advise me

[IamKriya]

Jamie, thanks for the idea! I'll take a look at what they have. Good luck with you banana venture.

[IamKriya]

Kavitha, is Mysore as cold hardy as Raja Puri? I think Mysore is much taller, isn't it? Taste profile?

[bunti]

Mysore is not cold hardy and it is taller, almost 15+ feet.

[IamKriya]

Jamie, they grow fast like figs it sounds like

[bunti]

if the weather is suitable, they fruit in an year.

[Jamie0507]

Yes Ryan they do! I am like you lol, a year is long enough to wait for fruit.. Gotta love the near instant gratification growing these types of fruit trees Im sure you will have a good chance of getting your future banana to fruit for you being down south too

[IamKriya]

Excellent news! Waiting years for a fruit tree to produce is not the best part of growing, for me. 1 year sounds good!

[Figinqueens]

Nope not the only crazy one overwintering indoors. I had a vente cohol but it died the first overwinter. My wife absolutely hates the plants indoors but it is the only spot where they get some sun. This is a third year dwarf Orinoco. Haven't see any indication of fruit yet. It's about 7 ft to the top of the emerging leaf. (It is next to one of my two Meyer lemons).

[IamKriya]

Have your lemon trees fruited? If so, how do you like them? I have one too in a pot. It had tons of baby lemons on it until I left it out during one of our cold nights a few weeks ago. So, bye bye lemons they went. I've read that Meyer lemons are very delicious.

[Jamie0507]

Figinqueens Wow! That is a beautiful tree! Below is my baby dwarf Orinoco.. It has a long ways to go to catch up to yours! You are doing a great job with it in our northeastern climate!!

[Figinqueens]

I use a ton of slow release fertilizer. And Dynia gro foliage pro also maybe once or twice a month. Usually the toughest part is the inevitable mite infestation.

[Jamie0507]

Im almost embarassed to post the pics of these 2 SD Cavendishes bc they look horrible.. Ugh & I have them in my family room because that's the best south facing window area I can offer them.. Anyway do you see what I mean about the leaves appearing stuck in the pseudostem? It seems like they dont fully emerge before another leaf unfurls and it keeps happening. No clue how to help these poor pathetic looking banana plants, just trying to get them through to spring so they can go back outside again & enjoy the real sun

[bunti]

This super dwarf plant. It's max height is 3', so the leaf growth is like that. There is nothing wrong with that. Bigger banana plants have room to grow leaves. Semi dwarf have little more closer leaf pattern. Super dwarf has tight leaf pattern.

[pukzpukz]

Jamie bananas grow slow or are dormant at below 60 only water once a week and flush the pot of salts that build up they don't need much during the winter they won't use it.

[Jamie0507]

pukzpukz Harborseal you both hit the nail on the head, I just found out it is called "banana choke" and due to the cold weather and my continued feedings!

[Harborseal]

Best of luck with them. I used to grow bananas but after years of not fruiting and dying in the garage over winter I gave up. Jaime, what kind of fertilizer are you using and how often?

[Jamie0507]

Hi Bob As for fertilizer, at the end of last summer when I had to take these two overgrown pups from the mother plant, I mixed in Osmocote (14-14-14) at the rate recommended for a 20 gallon pot (escaping me right now the exact measurement). I also added in some fish fertilizer then too. Up until about the end of September I used a semi-weak mixture of foliage pro at the rate of 1.25 tsp per gallon of water until I brought them inside. Since they weren't growing at all and I assumed they were in a state of dormancy, I stopped fertilizing and really cut back on water so they wouldn't rot. Now in January they slowly started putting on leaves (that look stuck) so I added a half a capful for each plant of Osmocote indoor/outdoor version (15/9/12 fortified with minerals) and gave them a good watering with the foliage pro (same rate as before) and protekt (1.25 tsp per gal) & have been giving them that at every watering. Maybe I am starving them? I know bananas are suppose to be big eaters but being that it's winter my thoughts were to hold back on it. I am definitely a novice at growing but I would love to learn more & do better for them. Can you make any recommendations for me?

[Harborseal]

Hi, Jaime! See below

[IamKriya]

Figinqueens, nice trees! You are dedicated. Hope it fruits for you soon. I admire your patience :-)

[IamKriya]

Jamie, love how green their leaves are! I, too, am curious to know what may be causing that unusual growth habit.

There's a guy down in South Florida who owns a nursery called Going Bananas. You may want to email him these photos and ask.

Here's the link: http://www.going-bananas.com

[Jamie0507]

Thank you Ryan! I am going to write him right now I'm so glad you started this topic, as I would never have thought to do it.. If I find out any good info or solid causes, I will share with you all

[Jamie0507]

What a great help he was Ryan, I received a return email from him yesterday and he informed me what I have going on is called "banana choke" and happen in weather below 60 degrees and feeding them while they are wanting to be dormant. Don is the man's name, and I will definitely buy bananas from him in the future Thank you for sharing his info with me!

[IamKriya]

Bob, I would have done the same, I think. I really do admire those who have that patience year after year waiting to get fruits.

[growcrazie]

here is my dwarf red Musa, I only have room for one, I would like more

[bunti]

here are my banana plants, Raja puri and super Dwarf. When I used to grow bananas in india, they used to lover water. I would like to have dwarf red banana plant too.

[Figinqueens]

I am generally not that patient for fruit, but the plant looks great out on my terrace for the summer. It is tall enough that it should try and fruit next year hopefully.

[Hobo62288]

I also started bananas not too long ago. I bought one I've Cream from Wellspring late last summer to early fall and I'm overwintering indoors. It seems to be doing good considering I only have fluorescents. Hoping it will fruit this year but I have no idea. I'm keeping fertilizing and waterjng to a minimum until closer til spring when I can start shuffling. Probably plant it inground but haven't decided for sure yet.

[IamKriya]

Bob, that's some great info. I'm going to print what you wrote as a reference. Thanks!