Lawler

I have been searching & reading using different key words and THINK that I understand some things (but would love confirmation) ...

If I have a big bunch of bananas that are too many for us to consume, can I cut a hand off and will it ripen, then, before the rest so as I can just continually cut hands off sequentially and spread out in time when each hand ripens?

If so, do I start cutting hands from the top or bottom?

And, I do this once they are filled out?? HOW filled out? (Dw.Nam & Raja Puri).

I put dates on the p-stem from whence they flowered, but am still not entirely sure of the typical time period for ripening. I've heard from 2 folks on the DN that it could be 4-5 months. Anyone experience shorter time on a DN?

What about RP... how long do they normally take (from flower to ripen)?

I know there are several questions, but I would love to hear from you if you have any past experience on this.... (would love to donate some Banana Bucks!)

Thanks,
Lawler

p.s. Also, does anyone have any Dwarf Brazilian pups for sale?? ...I'll pay Banana Bucks and REAL money for some

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PR-Giants

Start at the top and you don't need to harvest the whole hand, you can easily break off some of the fingers without cutting, they will snap in the crown. The lower hands will continue mature and increase in size. Here the lower fingers of the SH-3640 will get over 13 oz.

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pitangadiego

Start at the top. If nothing else, it is easier.

You need to know that the bananas are "mature" - meaning that they are gestationally mature and just need the final ripening process (sort of like having a wife who is full term with her pregnancy but hasn't delivered, yet). Then they will ripen on your counter.

To do this you need to estimate their maturity. For me that is generally 6 monsth after first hand of bananas appears, but each variety can be different. Your climate also matter a lot. Bananas the fruited in April are mature about October, but may not "ripen" till April or may when the weather is warm again. Heat triggers ripening, and without it, mature bananas can "sit" for many months, but they would ripen if removed from the bunch and placed in a warm place, such as your counter.

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Lawler

Huh?? Okay, I was just researching here and found a thread (member I've seen here before for awhile) ...anyway, in the archives read in regards ripening:

•Is it yellow yet? As green bananas ripen, they take on the familiar yellow color. Ripening takes place on the lowest bananas first, so when the first hand begins to show yellowing, you're ready to harvest.

In the above post responses, I was told to take the TOP hand first.
I would think that one would want to take off whatever hand was going to naturally ripen first?

So would that be the top or bottom?

In other words, what ripens first... top or bottom? I would think TOP since they came out first, right? ....and that's why I would take the TOP hand first, right?

Lawler

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sharpstick

Timely subject. I just found that the top hand of a bunch is almost totally yellow. The second hand is mixed yellow and green and the bottom one is all green. I harvested the top (9 lbs) hand with 14 big fat fruit with tough skins. (had to cut them open with a knife.) They are perfectly ripe.
I'm now hoping to postpone ripening enough to be able to eat them all in time. (Got banana bread recipe, too).
I'm in Tampa, Florida, hot humid rainy summer, around 90s daytime temperature. I can leave them on the tree, or cut them all and bring them inside where it's air conditioned to around 80 degrees and dryer air. Cut them apart, or leave on the hand?
Other considerations, when bananas get ripe, they get raided in the night by rats and raccoons.
Any suggestions?

pitangadiego

If you watch them ripen on the "tree" you will soon discover that the first banana to ripen is somewhere in the middle, making it difficult to extract and sample. Other than that Murphy's Law issue, they generally ripen in the order that they flowered.
The goal of picking green is to get them early enough that ripening order isn't really an issue.

You will also find that when they have been mature for a while (over winter) and you get your first heat wave, they all ripen almost at once, so order again becomes almost irrelevant. They are all just waiting for an excuse to ripen.

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Lawler

Good to know and makes sense. So, if one wants fruit to to be spread out over time, just start at the top, taking a hand say, seeing how long it takes to ripen (to know for next timing of hand removal, and so on down the bunch ... thus enabling a steady supply... I hope I have this right....

Sounds wonderful... am curious to put it to the test. Will post pics when I take & download of a bunch in the making on our DwNam.

Can anyone attest to the average ripening time indoors once a plump green hand has been cut?

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venturabananas

Generally a week or so. If it takes more than two weeks, they probably weren't mature.

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Lawler

whhhhhew.... I think I need to calibrate my refractometer .... aside from that, interesting reading- especially about maturing and whatnot to look for.
Thanks!

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