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billbrandi

New to growing/some basic questions

billbrandi
17 years ago

I am new to growing bananas here in Florida and have some basic questions:

1. I planted about 9 months ago and 6 weeks ago the main shoot bloosomed and I now have some very green fruit growing. How long does it take before the fruit should be harvested (keep in mind it is now November in Florida)?

2. I have been told that the shoot that has borne fruit will die and need to be cutoff when the fruit is harvested. Is that true? It will only bear fruit once?

3. If the answer to number 2 above is yes, what about the other, smaller shoots that have sprung up around the main shoot? Will they need to be cutoff with the main shoot after its fruit is harvested or will they each bear fruit, given time?

4. We will have some cold weather (cold for Florida at least) in two months or so. Will the plants, and any fruit they are bearing, survive a freeze?

Thanks in advance

Bill

Comments (3)

  • bcfromfl
    17 years ago

    Hi Bill --

    I'm in the Panhandle and have much cooler weather to deal with, but yes, if frost is forecasted you'll have to throw a tarp over your banana to make sure the fruit is safe. Six months is a general rule-of-thumb, but cooler weather may stall the fruit maturation a bit. You'll start to notice a slight color change from bright green to a yellowish-green, and the "corners" of the fruit will become less obvious as they plumpen.

    No rush to cut the mother stem after harvesting, and there may be some benefit to allow the mat to absorb some of the moisture and minerals before chopping it down. You'll be able to tell when to do it -- the trunk will start to shrivel and dry out in the outer layers. Be careful not to damage the pups in the process, because you'll have to hack a bit to get through the trunk. The pups will be your next generation of fruit. Keep only two or three per mother plant, and toss the rest into your compost pile.

    Hope this helps.

    Bruce C.

  • hibiscus909
    17 years ago

    Bananas do not ripen on the plant; they need to be removed once they get plump, hung somewhere,then you wait :)
    They do not like freezing temps; some varieties are more sensitive than others, and the position in your landscape may also help.
    Take a look at this page from IFAS:
    http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/MG/MG04000.pdf

    seahorse

    Here is a link that might be useful: bananas

  • lbbanana_man
    17 years ago

    I also have some bananas that came out about two months ago. My experience is that they do not ripen during the winter months, and will be ready around Memorial Day of next year. I wait until the bananas plump up so that they are much rounder than they looked when they first appeared. One good suggestion I received is instead of cutting all the bananas down at once, if they are not too high up, try cutting off a hand or two at a time. Once cut off they take about a week or so to turn yellow, and then you can try them to learn if they could use more time.

    Yes, the banana stem/trunk will only bear one set of bananas, but the pups growing around it will each get bigger and one day grow their own set of bananas (so, no, don't cut the pups!). Try cutting off the old stalk as close to the ground as is practicable. I use a wallboard (drywall) saw. Be careful, the trunks cut easily but are heavy.

    One important fact that I learned the hard way. Any time you are cutting banana plants (even just trimming the leaves) WEAR YOUR WORST CLOTHES! Banana plant sap will stain whatever clothes it touches!!! (Wash your hands too) You won't see it at first, but when you wash your clothes, the sap areas will turn brown and I have never been able to get the stains out. I ruined many nicer shirts and pants before I figured this out.

    Fortunately, I live in an area that never gets frost, so I can't help you there. I know many people on this forum grow bananas all over the country, so hopefully they can tell you how to protect against an occasional cold spell.

    Good luck and have fun!!

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