Quote:
Originally Posted by Benjo
Frank, that's great to hear of your success thus far as well as what you've learned in the process. I had in mind going for dwarfs especially if I can get the hoop house up. I'm hoping the extra protection would extend the season by a number of weeks. Is the shortness of season the main difficulty in getting bananas to fruit? Thanks also for the list of varieties to try. I will definitely take these as a starting point. If I'm not mistaken the thread about Veinte Cohol was the exact one that got me hooked. Isn't VC putting up great numbers?
Thanks,
Ben
|
Ben,
Yes, the shorter growing season is what usually prevents me from getting ripe fruit. It's kind of tricky trying to time your pseudostems just right. If I can get a bloom by the end of July on my Orinocos, the bunch will plump up just right before the first frost, and then I can cut the whole raceme down and the bunch will ripen the rest of the way indoors. If I see that a pseudostem isn't going to bloom in time, I'll quit feeding and giving it supplemental water, hoping for it not to bloom before frost. Likewise, I'll push the pseudostems that look like they might reach the right size by fall with extra water and ferts. There are some tricks to slowing down growth, like taking a shovel and breaking a bunch of the lateral roots around the plant periodically. It's not an exact science, because some pseudostems will flower at a larger size than others, but it's fun trying anyway. Sometimes I hit the jackpot, most of the time I don't, LOL!
Veinte Cohol hasn't been proven in cooler climates yet, but does very well in Savannah, GA and points further south. It might take a little longer than 45 days to ripen a bunch here, but will still likely be shorter than 3 months! I'll hopefully find out this summer! I'm also experimenting with 'Senorita' and 'Pisang Berlin'.
Frank