M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant'

Tropicallvr · 04-12-2007, 02:00 PM

My only one that germinated is an extremly fast grower, out pacing M. sp violet, and M.cheesmanii(fast grower) , which were all germinated within the same week of December. It is about 5 times as big as my largerst cheesmanii. Since it is a hybrid I guess that explains why some are faster growing than others. My only helens hybrid is alot slower(with light lime green leaves with red splashes), as apposed to my Dar Giant which is darker green, wider leaves, and purple only on the underneath sides of the leaves(at this stage). The top of the leaf also seems strange with two lighter strips(almost white looking) on either side of the mid rib. It makes me wonder if it is a cheesmanii/nagesium hybrid or something else.

mrbungalow · 04-12-2007, 06:59 PM

I am also noticing that my darj. giants are picking up now after beeing slow as a seedling.

Do you have a photo please?

bigdog · 04-12-2007, 08:11 PM

I sprouted one of these last week! It's still working on unfolding its first leaf, so I can't tell anything except that it is keeping pace with those M. balbisiana 'Neue Art' seedlings from sunshine-seeds.com. And that is pretty quick! What was your seed source, Kyle (and Erlend)? Mine came from seedman.com. My M. 'Helen's Hybrid' is pretty quick growing for me, but it's in a heated greenhouse right now, and it has dark green leaves with only very small splotching on the tops and quite reddish undersides. I hope this new M. sikkimensis hybrid turns out to be very stem-hardy. Should be fun to watch it grow.

mrbungalow · 04-13-2007, 05:21 AM

I got mine from Banana-tree. Cheap and of good quality. (Good germination %)

Tropicallvr · 04-13-2007, 05:50 PM

I ordered from seedman too. Sorry no photos, but I just checked on it again and it does have a little wax, but that doesn't give much clues.
As for hardiness, I brought my helens hybrid inside the heated house after spending the winter leafless in a cold green house. It came back really strong from it's 9 inch tall stem(stronger than others like Musa Bhutan), and has put out about a leaf a week.

bigdog · 05-16-2007, 06:27 PM

Here's a couple of pics of my seedling.

Has either of you guys plants shown any coloration on the leaves?

Tropicallvr · 05-16-2007, 07:18 PM

It has. The midrib is red with whitish ridges on either side, and then underneath side is also red/purple. The trunk might end up being the most ornamental part(besides the very wide leafs). The trunk is now covered in wax with alot of black splotches, and black/dark where the petoile claspes the pseudostem. I just hope it is still alive when I get back from vacation here in Nayarit, Mexico since it is being cared for by an digital water timer.

bigdog · 05-16-2007, 07:44 PM

Well, that's good to hear. Sounds like a promising banana hybrid! Hope it's as cold-hardy as M. sikkimensis. Hope yours is still alive when you get home!

bigdog · 07-25-2007, 10:03 PM

Just took a few rainy-day pics today, and thought I'd update the progress on my 'Daj Giant'.

It's getting some pretty large leaves for its size:

Leaf base closeup:

Pseudostem closeup...colorful! Just like Kyle said it was:

Lagniappe · 07-25-2007, 10:07 PM

Niiice !
Yours have really grown well .

BGreen · 07-28-2007, 07:06 AM

VERY NICE Dig Dog!!

Those pics are going to make it even harder to wait for my seeds now!

Basjoofriend · 07-29-2007, 08:10 AM

Hi,

my Musa Helen's Hybrid is the most fast growing banana here in my garden!

One also has 4 pups and another 3 pups. The biggest pups are now 1 metre after one month!

The biggest plant is now 2 metre tall.

The biggest pups have even striped leaves like Musa sikkimensis "Red Tiger"!

Best wishes
Basjoofriend

Tropicallvr · 07-30-2007, 01:30 PM

Daj Giant is definatly my fastest growing musa, and being cold hardy it could be a great one for the northern grower. Yee ha.

frankthetank · 08-02-2007, 02:46 PM

BigDOg-

If i didn't screw up my labeling, i think all the seeds that i sprouted (11) are the dar giant if not they are just the "reg" sikkmensis from bananatree... I'm going to have my hands full next summer! I'll post some pics on here later of mine.

Tropicallvr · 08-07-2007, 12:20 PM

I forgot to mention that where the leaf meets the petiole it is recessed just like balbisiana, initerans(agristarts), and thompsonii. I'm guessing it's a hybrid of one of those, probally balbisiana.

bigdog · 08-07-2007, 09:36 PM

Yeah, I noticed that also. I'd bet that the other parent is M. balbisiana as well, considering how prevalent that species is in India.

Lagniappe · 08-08-2007, 01:40 PM

I have a little variegation in mine . It was present in the seedlings but has just began to show up in the older plants .

bigdog · 08-08-2007, 07:56 PM

Pete, I've noticed a little bit of variegation on mine also! I didn't think it was enough to really call it "variegated" though, so I didn't mention it. The variegation on my lone plant is even less than yours. Just a little stripe here and there.

BGreen · 09-02-2007, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdog

Just took a few rainy-day pics today, and thought I'd update the progress on my 'Daj Giant'.
It's getting some pretty large leaves for its size:

Any new pics BigDog? I just keep trying to will my seeds to sprout!

bigdog · 09-02-2007, 11:32 PM

I'll get one tomorrow. It hasn't grown much, mainly because I hadn't potted it up until yesterday. Everything slowed way down here during the heat wave/drought, but the last week has been much improved. A little rain here and there, and come cooler temps have brightened things up a bit.

04-12-2007, 02:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
Tropicallvr Member Tropicallvr's Photo Gallery Name: Kyle Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,032 BananaBucks : 436,325 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 230 Times Was Thanked 414 Times in 163 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 14 Times	M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' My only one that germinated is an extremly fast grower, out pacing M. sp violet, and M.cheesmanii(fast grower) , which were all germinated within the same week of December. It is about 5 times as big as my largerst cheesmanii. Since it is a hybrid I guess that explains why some are faster growing than others. My only helens hybrid is alot slower(with light lime green leaves with red splashes), as apposed to my Dar Giant which is darker green, wider leaves, and purple only on the underneath sides of the leaves(at this stage). The top of the leaf also seems strange with two lighter strips(almost white looking) on either side of the mid rib. It makes me wonder if it is a cheesmanii/nagesium hybrid or something else.

04-12-2007, 06:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
mrbungalow Freezing member mrbungalow's Photo Gallery Location: Bergen, Norway Find me on the map! Zone: 8 Name: Erlend Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 598 BananaBucks : 51,160 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 14 Times Was Thanked 165 Times in 78 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' I am also noticing that my darj. giants are picking up now after beeing slow as a seedling. Do you have a photo please? __________________

04-12-2007, 08:11 PM	#3 (permalink)
bigdog ******* bigdog's Photo Gallery** Location: Gainesville, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Frank Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,003 BananaBucks : 746,782 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 213 Times Was Thanked 1,788 Times in 503 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 131 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' I sprouted one of these last week! It's still working on unfolding its first leaf, so I can't tell anything except that it is keeping pace with those M. balbisiana 'Neue Art' seedlings from sunshine-seeds.com. And that is pretty quick! What was your seed source, Kyle (and Erlend)? Mine came from seedman.com. My M. 'Helen's Hybrid' is pretty quick growing for me, but it's in a heated greenhouse right now, and it has dark green leaves with only very small splotching on the tops and quite reddish undersides. I hope this new M. sikkimensis hybrid turns out to be very stem-hardy. Should be fun to watch it grow.

04-13-2007, 05:21 AM	#4 (permalink)
mrbungalow Freezing member mrbungalow's Photo Gallery Location: Bergen, Norway Find me on the map! Zone: 8 Name: Erlend Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 598 BananaBucks : 51,160 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 14 Times Was Thanked 165 Times in 78 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' I got mine from Banana-tree. Cheap and of good quality. (Good germination %) __________________

04-13-2007, 05:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
Tropicallvr Member Tropicallvr's Photo Gallery Name: Kyle Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,032 BananaBucks : 436,325 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 230 Times Was Thanked 414 Times in 163 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 14 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' I ordered from seedman too. Sorry no photos, but I just checked on it again and it does have a little wax, but that doesn't give much clues. As for hardiness, I brought my helens hybrid inside the heated house after spending the winter leafless in a cold green house. It came back really strong from it's 9 inch tall stem(stronger than others like Musa Bhutan), and has put out about a leaf a week.

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05-16-2007, 06:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
bigdog ******* bigdog's Photo Gallery** Location: Gainesville, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Frank Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,003 BananaBucks : 746,782 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 213 Times Was Thanked 1,788 Times in 503 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 131 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' Here's a couple of pics of my seedling. Has either of you guys plants shown any coloration on the leaves?

05-16-2007, 07:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
Tropicallvr Member Tropicallvr's Photo Gallery Name: Kyle Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,032 BananaBucks : 436,325 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 230 Times Was Thanked 414 Times in 163 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 14 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' It has. The midrib is red with whitish ridges on either side, and then underneath side is also red/purple. The trunk might end up being the most ornamental part(besides the very wide leafs). The trunk is now covered in wax with alot of black splotches, and black/dark where the petoile claspes the pseudostem. I just hope it is still alive when I get back from vacation here in Nayarit, Mexico since it is being cared for by an digital water timer.

05-16-2007, 07:44 PM	#8 (permalink)
bigdog ******* bigdog's Photo Gallery** Location: Gainesville, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Frank Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,003 BananaBucks : 746,782 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 213 Times Was Thanked 1,788 Times in 503 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 131 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' Well, that's good to hear. Sounds like a promising banana hybrid! Hope it's as cold-hardy as M. sikkimensis. Hope yours is still alive when you get home! Last edited by bigdog : 08-07-2007 at 09:37 PM.

07-25-2007, 10:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
bigdog ******* bigdog's Photo Gallery** Location: Gainesville, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Frank Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,003 BananaBucks : 746,782 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 213 Times Was Thanked 1,788 Times in 503 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 131 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' Just took a few rainy-day pics today, and thought I'd update the progress on my 'Daj Giant'. It's getting some pretty large leaves for its size: Leaf base closeup: Pseudostem closeup...colorful! Just like Kyle said it was:

07-25-2007, 10:07 PM	#10 (permalink)
Lagniappe Lagniappe's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 2,111 BananaBucks : 250,236 Feedback: 22 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,378 Times Was Thanked 1,402 Times in 558 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 535 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' Niiice ! Yours have really grown well .

07-28-2007, 07:06 AM	#11 (permalink)
BGreen Digger Extraordinaire BGreen's Photo Gallery Location: Kansas Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 5b/6a Name: Ben Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 296 BananaBucks : 117,356 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 19 Times Was Thanked 45 Times in 29 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' VERY NICE Dig Dog!! Those pics are going to make it even harder to wait for my seeds now! __________________ Take care, BGreen

07-29-2007, 08:10 AM	#12 (permalink)
Basjoofriend Member Basjoofriend's Photo Gallery Location: Lucianópolis-BRAZIL Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: 01 Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 926 BananaBucks : 191,508 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 138 Times Was Thanked 266 Times in 123 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' Hi, my Musa Helen's Hybrid is the most fast growing banana here in my garden! One also has 4 pups and another 3 pups. The biggest pups are now 1 metre after one month! The biggest plant is now 2 metre tall. The biggest pups have even striped leaves like Musa sikkimensis "Red Tiger"! Best wishes Basjoofriend

07-30-2007, 01:30 PM	#13 (permalink)
Tropicallvr Member Tropicallvr's Photo Gallery Name: Kyle Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,032 BananaBucks : 436,325 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 230 Times Was Thanked 414 Times in 163 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 14 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' Daj Giant is definatly my fastest growing musa, and being cold hardy it could be a great one for the northern grower. Yee ha.

08-02-2007, 02:46 PM	#14 (permalink)
frankthetank Member Location: La Crosse, WI Find me on the map! Zone: 4-5 Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 144 BananaBucks : 43,103 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 119 Times in 41 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' BigDOg- If i didn't screw up my labeling, i think all the seeds that i sprouted (11) are the dar giant if not they are just the "reg" sikkmensis from bananatree... I'm going to have my hands full next summer! I'll post some pics on here later of mine.

08-07-2007, 12:20 PM	#15 (permalink)
Tropicallvr Member Tropicallvr's Photo Gallery Name: Kyle Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,032 BananaBucks : 436,325 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 230 Times Was Thanked 414 Times in 163 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 14 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' I forgot to mention that where the leaf meets the petiole it is recessed just like balbisiana, initerans(agristarts), and thompsonii. I'm guessing it's a hybrid of one of those, probally balbisiana.

08-07-2007, 09:36 PM	#16 (permalink)
bigdog ******* bigdog's Photo Gallery** Location: Gainesville, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Frank Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,003 BananaBucks : 746,782 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 213 Times Was Thanked 1,788 Times in 503 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 131 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' Yeah, I noticed that also. I'd bet that the other parent is M. balbisiana as well, considering how prevalent that species is in India.

08-08-2007, 01:40 PM	#17 (permalink)
Lagniappe Lagniappe's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 2,111 BananaBucks : 250,236 Feedback: 22 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,378 Times Was Thanked 1,402 Times in 558 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 535 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' I have a little variegation in mine . It was present in the seedlings but has just began to show up in the older plants .

08-08-2007, 07:56 PM	#18 (permalink)
bigdog ******* bigdog's Photo Gallery** Location: Gainesville, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Frank Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,003 BananaBucks : 746,782 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 213 Times Was Thanked 1,788 Times in 503 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 131 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' Pete, I've noticed a little bit of variegation on mine also! I didn't think it was enough to really call it "variegated" though, so I didn't mention it. The variegation on my lone plant is even less than yours. Just a little stripe here and there.

09-02-2007, 11:32 PM	#20 (permalink)
bigdog ******* bigdog's Photo Gallery** Location: Gainesville, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Frank Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 2,003 BananaBucks : 746,782 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 213 Times Was Thanked 1,788 Times in 503 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 131 Times	Re: M. sikki 'Darjeeling Giant' I'll get one tomorrow. It hasn't grown much, mainly because I hadn't potted it up until yesterday. Everything slowed way down here during the heat wave/drought, but the last week has been much improved. A little rain here and there, and come cooler temps have brightened things up a bit.

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