Since you are new at this, I would wait until you see a slight color change. Once one starts turning yellow, go for it. They can take quite a while to start.

Thanks for the reply. After I cut it, should I hang it up someplace, like in my cellar?

After you cut it (be careful- the sap that drips out will permanently stain everything!), we do hang ours, but I don't think it is 100% necessary.
We hand it upside down, so the hands face down (they fall off less easily).

Hello there! I'm new to growing bananas. Can I ask you why cut the fruit off the tree (unless it's for weather reasons?)? I would think that they would mature better in the tree. I have a small Vietnamese banana that someone gave me (he didn't know the name of it) and can't wait until I get fruit, maybe next year sometime. :) Thanks in advance for the information.

Sandra

Yes sk290, you are right, mostly you only cut the fruit off when they are ready (ripe or almost ripe). I think the OP just wasn't sure when they are ready to be cut.
Once you have been growing bananas a while, you will know when they are ready before they turn yellow. Once they are yellow and cut, they do ripen quickly (to fast to eat them all). If you can cut them just before they turn yellow, you can slow some of the ripening. It takes some experience to know when they are ready, but just not ripe. Then you can leave them on the stalk and just cut the top hands that are ready, that way you can take them as you can eat them.

But I guess people in colder zones do need to worry about frost in winter. Maybe someone with a closer zone may be able to help with the slow growth thing. I assume, as long as it doesn't freeze, they will grow, just very slowly in colder weather.

I see. Thanks for the response! :)

Sandra

rav~

OK.

This is my first try. And I am waiting, waitng.

Can you tell if they are getting ready?

{{gwi:423732}}.

Be well

(o_O)

What type of bananas are these? They sort of look like an Ice Cream (Blue Java) but they are not as tightly packed as mine.
But no, not yet. Keep waiting! I know it does seem like forever when you are waiting...

Experts here have 2 ways of "knowing"- the bananas become "fat" or the flower stops making flowers and dies. I just wait until I see a touch of yellow on the top ones. To me, yours still look uniformly green.

I'm new to bananas as well and mine are green. The purple bulb (male flower) is still hanging, do I need to cut this off to make sure that the bananas are fully grown? I'm assuming this is the male flower or is it another bulb that will produce bananas?

We have bananas this year, 2nd tree to have fruit in 3 years. This year the tree is starting to die, we know it will die eventually but it is really going fast. Should we go ahead and cut the fruit and the tree? Or leave until our first frost warning is issued....fruit has not turned as of yesterday. Still green and bulb is still hanging below.
We love our trees so beautiful during summer. Love sharing the pups with friends yearly. Amazing to watch them grown bananas.

In my opinion, you sould let ripe fruit on the tree, it the most delicious. But you have must preserve them.

Here is a link that might be useful: bananatree

This post was edited by milo299 on Thu, Jan 8, 15 at 5:08