Re: Musa ingens
I dont know if I've said it on this website before, but its been known for a long time that Musa ingens absolutley HATES TROPICAL CONDITIONS. Its a highland species, like Musa monticola (which also dies in lowland tropical conditions). They have indeed been tested in Trinidad and lowland PNG, both without long term success. It was reported that seeds will germinate in the lowlands, but in order to keep the plants alive, they needed to be placed in an air conditioned room at night, I believe it had prefered nightly temperature drops in the 10°-15°C (50°-60°F) range in order to stay alive. Many average banana growers may be disappointed to find out that even if you get a seed to germinate, or acquire a plant, you will not be able to grow it where you can grow other bananas with success. Its native range is Mendi, in the Southern Highlands of PNG and grows no lower than 1350m (4,430ft) in altitude, and up to 1800m (5,900ft).
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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.
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