cutting off flower

jen · 08-14-2008, 09:13 AM

Okay my banana flower is no longer making bananas it's now the male flowers...you guys have made me so smart just listen to me talking about male and female flowers.

Anyway, there are only flowers now no bananas but the flowers continue to be such a mess on the ground and it's an every morning process to clean up all the flowers that have dropped and kill all the ants that have swarmed on them. I'm ready to be done with the mess! I remember reading after so many rows you can whack that thing off...right? Geez, a week ago it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I just sat outside looking at it and now I want to kill it.

I'm such a woman! So can I hack the messy thing off yet?

I will post some pictures of it in my gallery.

island cassie · 08-14-2008, 11:23 AM

Jen - I usually let about 8 inches of stalk grow after the last fruit, then chop the bud off. I figure that the energy will then go into the fruit instead of the flower, plus no more mess and a bit less weight in case of windy weather!

Cassie

harveyc · 08-14-2008, 01:51 PM

Jon's primer suggests cutting off at 12", bot he did also write once that 8" is okay.

Ants haven't found mine yet!

jen · 08-14-2008, 01:53 PM

Great. Thanks.

What's "Jon's primer"?

Richard · 08-14-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jen

Great. Thanks.

What's "Jon's primer"?

Banana Primer with Pix

pitangadiego · 08-15-2008, 12:11 AM

The problem is that some stems dry up, rather than just callusing off, and if they dry up past the point that that fruit is attached, it will ruin the fruit as well. Tolerate the mess for a while, rather than risk the loss of the fruit. Better safe than sorry.

jen · 08-15-2008, 08:31 AM

I will for sure wait now. Thanks for the great info.
Jen

08-14-2008, 09:13 AM	#1 (permalink)
jen jen's Photo Gallery Zone: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 215 BananaBucks : 67,536 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 56 Times Was Thanked 174 Times in 66 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	cutting off flower Okay my banana flower is no longer making bananas it's now the male flowers...you guys have made me so smart just listen to me talking about male and female flowers. Anyway, there are only flowers now no bananas but the flowers continue to be such a mess on the ground and it's an every morning process to clean up all the flowers that have dropped and kill all the ants that have swarmed on them. I'm ready to be done with the mess! I remember reading after so many rows you can whack that thing off...right? Geez, a week ago it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I just sat outside looking at it and now I want to kill it. I'm such a woman! So can I hack the messy thing off yet? I will post some pictures of it in my gallery.

08-14-2008, 11:23 AM	#2 (permalink)
island cassie island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,170 BananaBucks : 384,603 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,708 Times Was Thanked 2,079 Times in 874 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 416 Times	Re: cutting off flower Jen - I usually let about 8 inches of stalk grow after the last fruit, then chop the bud off. I figure that the energy will then go into the fruit instead of the flower, plus no more mess and a bit less weight in case of windy weather! Cassie

08-14-2008, 01:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
harveyc Been nuts, gone bananas harveyc's Photo Gallery Location: Isleton, Calif Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Name: Harvey Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 5,119 BananaBucks : 275,747 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 6,025 Times Was Thanked 4,460 Times in 1,896 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,785 Times	Re: cutting off flower Jon's primer suggests cutting off at 12", bot he did also write once that 8" is okay. Ants haven't found mine yet! __________________

08-14-2008, 01:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
jen jen's Photo Gallery Zone: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 215 BananaBucks : 67,536 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 56 Times Was Thanked 174 Times in 66 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: cutting off flower Great. Thanks. What's "Jon's primer"?

08-15-2008, 12:11 AM	#6 (permalink)
pitangadiego Senior Member Location: San Diego, CA Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,489 BananaBucks : 133,341 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2 Times Was Thanked 2,730 Times in 930 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: cutting off flower The problem is that some stems dry up, rather than just callusing off, and if they dry up past the point that that fruit is attached, it will ruin the fruit as well. Tolerate the mess for a while, rather than risk the loss of the fruit. Better safe than sorry. __________________ Encanto Farms Nursery http://encantofarms.com We Be Bananas http://webebananas.com

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08-15-2008, 08:31 AM	#7 (permalink)
jen jen's Photo Gallery Zone: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 215 BananaBucks : 67,536 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 56 Times Was Thanked 174 Times in 66 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: cutting off flower I will for sure wait now. Thanks for the great info. Jen

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