Bananas for Tennessee

vol-vet · 02-27-2012, 11:56 AM

THANKS TO ALL !!!

Thanks for all the great advice. Subscribing to Bananas.org was the best five dollars I ever spent.
I'm mainly looking for ornamental value but was thinking a fruit bearing banana was getting the best of both worlds. Looks like I'm out of the zone for that. I'm still psyched about having banana trees in my back yard !!!
I'd like to purchase several varieties of large plants from members and give 'em a try. Sounds like the best way to get bananas on your banana tree in middle Tennessee is to buy a stalk of ripe bananas and tie them to your tree. I may do this to mess with my friends !!!
I'll probably try the Orinoco and other varieties mentioned. If anyone has any larger plants for sale let me know.

Randy4ut · 02-27-2012, 01:43 PM

Email sent!!! If you are willing to travel to my area when I pull pstems from under house, I should have a few extra to plant up your way!!!

Bob3 · 02-27-2012, 06:44 PM

With just a small amount of investment & work, a passable winter home capable of wintering-over a decent size mat of a "short" cultivar can be had.
Dwarf Orinoco lends itself particularly well because the fruit can be eaten both green (tostones!) or ripe.

There are a few posts in the forum here covering different construction details & materials and construction hints, tips, & tricks.

The ideal covering is pretty much accepted to be the "solar blanket" type swimming pool covers. Like bubble wrap on steroids!

In your area a small heater would be needed to keep the frost away at night.
This post may help: Bananas in ground all year round?

stumpy4700 · 02-29-2012, 10:58 PM

Robert, I'm in Nashville and have had flowering ICE CREAM bananas for 2 years in a row now. It's not impossible in TN. And not in a green house, but overwintering in the garage and putting outside during the spring and summer. Check out my Gallery for pics of the Ice Creams

jeffreyp · 02-29-2012, 11:07 PM

I'd suggest orinoco or saba (for fruit), sikkimensis or basjoo for ornamental value. Stick with corms when starting out is my advise. Tissue cultured banana plants take quite a while to develop a starchy root ball and that may not happen in one summer (if you plant a tissue cultured starter plant outside).

Randy4ut · 03-01-2012, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stumpy4700

Robert, I'm in Nashville and have had flowering ICE CREAM bananas for 2 years in a row now. It's not impossible in TN. And not in a green house, but overwintering in the garage and putting outside during the spring and summer. Check out my Gallery for pics of the Ice Creams

Stumpy, have your IceCream produced edible fruit, or just flowered? Great job either way!!!

stumpy4700 · 03-02-2012, 02:07 AM

Randy, I have had both flowers and ripe fruit the last 2 years. The fingers are about the lenght of your finger, but I was amased they even ripened at all.

02-27-2012, 11:56 AM	#1 (permalink)
vol-vet Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 4 BananaBucks : 14,310 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 12 Times Was Thanked 6 Times in 2 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Bananas for Tennessee THANKS TO ALL !!! Thanks for all the great advice. Subscribing to Bananas.org was the best five dollars I ever spent. I'm mainly looking for ornamental value but was thinking a fruit bearing banana was getting the best of both worlds. Looks like I'm out of the zone for that. I'm still psyched about having banana trees in my back yard !!! I'd like to purchase several varieties of large plants from members and give 'em a try. Sounds like the best way to get bananas on your banana tree in middle Tennessee is to buy a stalk of ripe bananas and tie them to your tree. I may do this to mess with my friends !!! I'll probably try the Orinoco and other varieties mentioned. If anyone has any larger plants for sale let me know. __________________

02-27-2012, 01:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
Randy4ut Randy4ut's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,387 BananaBucks : 89,522 Feedback: 23 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,051 Times Was Thanked 1,324 Times in 444 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 87 Times	Re: Bananas for Tennessee Email sent!!! If you are willing to travel to my area when I pull pstems from under house, I should have a few extra to plant up your way!!! __________________

02-27-2012, 06:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
Bob3 Bob3's Photo Gallery Location: Sacramento, Luxemburg Find me on the map! Zone: 9 & Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 466 BananaBucks : 47,154 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 128 Times Was Thanked 512 Times in 265 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 97 Times	Re: Bananas for Tennessee With just a small amount of investment & work, a passable winter home capable of wintering-over a decent size mat of a "short" cultivar can be had. Dwarf Orinoco lends itself particularly well because the fruit can be eaten both green (tostones!) or ripe. There are a few posts in the forum here covering different construction details & materials and construction hints, tips, & tricks. The ideal covering is pretty much accepted to be the "solar blanket" type swimming pool covers. Like bubble wrap on steroids! In your area a small heater would be needed to keep the frost away at night. This post may help: Bananas in ground all year round? __________________ Recipes & links for Cajun, Creole, & other goodies. Last edited by Bob3 : 02-27-2012 at 06:48 PM.

02-29-2012, 10:58 PM	#4 (permalink)
stumpy4700 Going Ape for Bananas stumpy4700 's Photo Gallery Location: Satellite Beach, Fla Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 10 Name: Stumpy-----a.k.a Jeff Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,194 BananaBucks : 38,806 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,353 Times Was Thanked 678 Times in 349 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,300 Times	Re: Bananas for Tennessee Robert, I'm in Nashville and have had flowering ICE CREAM bananas for 2 years in a row now. It's not impossible in TN. And not in a green house, but overwintering in the garage and putting outside during the spring and summer. Check out my Gallery for pics of the Ice Creams

02-29-2012, 11:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
jeffreyp Zone 10, South Florida jeffreyp's Photo Gallery Location: Royal Palm Beach Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 870 BananaBucks : 143,300 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 30 Times Was Thanked 590 Times in 298 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 4 Times	Re: Bananas for Tennessee I'd suggest orinoco or saba (for fruit), sikkimensis or basjoo for ornamental value. Stick with corms when starting out is my advise. Tissue cultured banana plants take quite a while to develop a starchy root ball and that may not happen in one summer (if you plant a tissue cultured starter plant outside). Last edited by jeffreyp : 02-29-2012 at 11:10 PM.

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03-02-2012, 02:07 AM	#7 (permalink)
stumpy4700 Going Ape for Bananas stumpy4700 's Photo Gallery Location: Satellite Beach, Fla Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 10 Name: Stumpy-----a.k.a Jeff Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,194 BananaBucks : 38,806 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,353 Times Was Thanked 678 Times in 349 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,300 Times	Re: Bananas for Tennessee Randy, I have had both flowers and ripe fruit the last 2 years. The fingers are about the lenght of your finger, but I was amased they even ripened at all.

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