first Gros Michel flower

ronke · 11-30-2017, 01:52 PM

The Gros Michel TC plants I got from Sdarkman almost two years ago have been growing most impressively despite the overhanging city trees (incense cedars). I was assured by Mark Steele, however, that these AAs would never bear in my non-tropical area. Then, last night I returned from a week-long trip east to find two hands growing on the larger of the plants. I know this is way too late in the year to expect these guys to mature but since I am a total newbie (these are my first two banana plants), I have no idea how to handle this blessed event. Do I just wait until the babies give up the ghost and then chop that plant down (it has 2-3 pups)? Does the plant give me any kind of indication when it is time to do that? Or do I invest heavily in electric blankets and sulfate of potassium? Thanks.

edwmax · 11-30-2017, 03:02 PM

.... pictures!!!!!

ronke · 11-30-2017, 04:36 PM

ronke · 11-30-2017, 05:03 PM

Only when I went out to take an additional photo did I realize there were actually 3 hands up there with a fourth forming.[IMG]

[/IMG]

sputinc7 · 11-30-2017, 05:28 PM

BIG congrats... Ignore the naysayers, GM is a top of the line banana, taste wise...

As close as you are to being warm enough, I would do my best to keep it warm. 35 keeps it alive...It won't grow in 35 but won't die either if you keep the frost off. Mine, also from Sddarkman, made it last winter and we had several good low 30's frosts. One time the little weather station up the road from me said 32.7 degrees... Anything exposed to frost will get burnt and frost can happen below about 40. (To be safe)

I am hoping mine blooms in early March, which is USUALLY past the frost date.

ronke · 11-30-2017, 06:23 PM

I am not terrifically worried about frost since in the 30 years we have lived here I believe there has only been a single night below 32 degrees. In general we have chill hours in the teens which means I have pulled out almost all my stone fruit and am moving more and more to tropicals. I just doubted that these bananas would ripen in the winter, and if so how I should behave toward the plant.

For example, the Janice Kadota fig next to it has probably a hundred green fruit that will never ripen. They all get pruned off at leaf drop (along with about half the branches) . I don't know what the equivalent tactic is with my Gros Michel

sputinc7 · 11-30-2017, 07:00 PM

I know GM can be finicky, but with most bananas so far as I know, unless they freeze it just makes them take longer. I would give it a nice dose of MOP and pray...

ronke · 11-30-2017, 07:15 PM

Then that's what I will do. Thanks so much.

edwmax · 11-30-2017, 09:06 PM

I agree with sputinc7. You should be able to ripen those. I would put a large clear plastic bag over the bunch to protect the fingers from frost and act as a mini greenhouse. This I am doing with 2 of my bunches now; night temps has been as low as 36°. My teo bunches are doing fine.

Also go ahead an remove the red bracs to expose the hands.

sputinc7 · 11-30-2017, 10:10 PM

If you use plastic bags, leave some air holes so they don't have a fungus issue... Professional covers breathe.
Personally, I wouldn't use plastic bags...
What are your typical weekly temps there in winter? Is it ever below 40? If not, I would not worry.

ronke · 11-30-2017, 11:50 PM

According to wunderground.com, it got down to 42 here in 1952, though I personally remember a frost somewhere around 1996. Basically though I am greatly encouraged by the thought that these bananas will ripen as long as they don't get too close to freezing. I think I will skip the plastic bags which my squirrels tend to regard as an invitation to make merry. I did give the plant a dose of potassium sulfate per edwmax's protocol. I am a little limited in doing too much manipulation of the hands because this is a Gros Michel, ie everything is pretty high up.. though not as high as I feared. My next project will be getting some thick bamboo to build an x-support for the nanas. Thanks to all! Best, Ronni

sputinc7 · 12-01-2017, 01:34 PM

Or some one and a half inch PVC pipe with a couple 45 degree elbows making a soft place to rest... Hate the look? Paint it green.

ronke · 12-01-2017, 06:43 PM

Will 1-1/2" be strong enough? I have been making myself crazy looking for the 2" Jon Verdick recommends, especially since I will need 20' lengths (12' from top of bunch to ground and I will need to angle slightly for better tripod effect, no?) I am not greedy and am perfectly willing to prune at 4 hands.

Richard · 12-01-2017, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronke

Will 1-1/2" be strong enough? I have been making myself crazy looking for the 2" Jon Verdick recommends, especially since I will need 20' lengths (12' from top of bunch to ground and I will need to angle slightly for better tripod effect, no?) I am not greedy and am perfectly willing to prune at 4 hands.

I'm currently babysitting a bunch of new fingers on one of my plants. I expect they'll be ripe bananas in June. We'll see.

It's not the strength but the flexibility of pipe that can be a problem. If you go with PVC pipe you'll want schedule 40. Check with plumbing supply shops instead of big box stores. Consider the heavy duty balck drain pipe. Also at fence construction businesses look for 1-1/4" and 1-1/2" galvanized pipe. They'll have connecting parts. It's what I use.

ronke · 12-01-2017, 07:21 PM

Strangely, I just looked at a chart listing the tensile strengths of different widths and the 1.5" was slightly greater than the 2". I'm thinking that must be a mistake.

ronke · 12-01-2017, 07:25 PM

Thanks so much, Richard. I will check around. The fact that you are basically in my zone and have hope for July makes me happy... except for the fact that I only planted these bananas at the request of my younger son's then girlfriend, now -- as of Monday -- wife, and she leaves for Kabul in May! My son joins her in July though. Maybe he will be carrying Gros Michel!

Richard · 12-01-2017, 07:52 PM

There's photos of my set up on this thread:

Bananas in my garden

ronke · 12-02-2017, 01:46 PM

One quick question before I go shopping for my supports: do those PVC connectors recommended by Jon (i.e. the single 45 degree and the two tees) need to be glued to the short pieces of pipe before being strung on the wire/rope? I feel like the weight of the bananas could just pull the construction apart but I also don't know if the PVC glue is designed to be strong in that way. Thanks!

sputinc7 · 12-02-2017, 01:58 PM

PVC glue is very strong, as strong as the pipe. Personally, I would get 1 in and 1 1/2 in, slide them inside each other, drill some holes for pins so they can be resized to fit different varieties.

Richard · 12-02-2017, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronke

... I feel like the weight of the bananas could just pull the construction apart ...

Correct, you need to glue the pipe connectors -- standard "Christie's Red Hot Blue Glue" will do the job with PVC pipe.

11-30-2017, 01:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
ronke Location: Santa Monica/LA border Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 82 BananaBucks : 9,026 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 105 Times in 41 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	first Gros Michel flower The Gros Michel TC plants I got from Sdarkman almost two years ago have been growing most impressively despite the overhanging city trees (incense cedars). I was assured by Mark Steele, however, that these AAs would never bear in my non-tropical area. Then, last night I returned from a week-long trip east to find two hands growing on the larger of the plants. I know this is way too late in the year to expect these guys to mature but since I am a total newbie (these are my first two banana plants), I have no idea how to handle this blessed event. Do I just wait until the babies give up the ghost and then chop that plant down (it has 2-3 pups)? Does the plant give me any kind of indication when it is time to do that? Or do I invest heavily in electric blankets and sulfate of potassium? Thanks.

11-30-2017, 03:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
edwmax Location: Cairo, Ga Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 2,891 BananaBucks : 91,573 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,741 Times Was Thanked 4,440 Times in 2,095 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 414 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower .... pictures!!!!! __________________

11-30-2017, 04:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
ronke Location: Santa Monica/LA border Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 82 BananaBucks : 9,026 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 105 Times in 41 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower

11-30-2017, 05:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
ronke Location: Santa Monica/LA border Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 82 BananaBucks : 9,026 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 105 Times in 41 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower Only when I went out to take an additional photo did I realize there were actually 3 hands up there with a fourth forming.[IMG][/IMG]

11-30-2017, 05:28 PM	#5 (permalink)
sputinc7 Location: Palm Bay, Florida Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Name: Steve Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,394 BananaBucks : 107,978 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 352 Times Was Thanked 2,430 Times in 971 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 295 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower BIG congrats... Ignore the naysayers, GM is a top of the line banana, taste wise... As close as you are to being warm enough, I would do my best to keep it warm. 35 keeps it alive...It won't grow in 35 but won't die either if you keep the frost off. Mine, also from Sddarkman, made it last winter and we had several good low 30's frosts. One time the little weather station up the road from me said 32.7 degrees... Anything exposed to frost will get burnt and frost can happen below about 40. (To be safe) I am hoping mine blooms in early March, which is USUALLY past the frost date. __________________ If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win. https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel. What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

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11-30-2017, 06:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
ronke Location: Santa Monica/LA border Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 82 BananaBucks : 9,026 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 105 Times in 41 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower I am not terrifically worried about frost since in the 30 years we have lived here I believe there has only been a single night below 32 degrees. In general we have chill hours in the teens which means I have pulled out almost all my stone fruit and am moving more and more to tropicals. I just doubted that these bananas would ripen in the winter, and if so how I should behave toward the plant. For example, the Janice Kadota fig next to it has probably a hundred green fruit that will never ripen. They all get pruned off at leaf drop (along with about half the branches) . I don't know what the equivalent tactic is with my Gros Michel

11-30-2017, 07:00 PM	#7 (permalink)
sputinc7 Location: Palm Bay, Florida Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Name: Steve Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,394 BananaBucks : 107,978 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 352 Times Was Thanked 2,430 Times in 971 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 295 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower I know GM can be finicky, but with most bananas so far as I know, unless they freeze it just makes them take longer. I would give it a nice dose of MOP and pray... __________________ If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win. https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel. What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

11-30-2017, 07:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
ronke Location: Santa Monica/LA border Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 82 BananaBucks : 9,026 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 105 Times in 41 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower Then that's what I will do. Thanks so much.

11-30-2017, 09:06 PM	#9 (permalink)
edwmax Location: Cairo, Ga Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 2,891 BananaBucks : 91,573 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,741 Times Was Thanked 4,440 Times in 2,095 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 414 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower I agree with sputinc7. You should be able to ripen those. I would put a large clear plastic bag over the bunch to protect the fingers from frost and act as a mini greenhouse. This I am doing with 2 of my bunches now; night temps has been as low as 36°. My teo bunches are doing fine. Also go ahead an remove the red bracs to expose the hands. __________________

11-30-2017, 10:10 PM	#10 (permalink)
sputinc7 Location: Palm Bay, Florida Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Name: Steve Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,394 BananaBucks : 107,978 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 352 Times Was Thanked 2,430 Times in 971 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 295 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower If you use plastic bags, leave some air holes so they don't have a fungus issue... Professional covers breathe. Personally, I wouldn't use plastic bags... What are your typical weekly temps there in winter? Is it ever below 40? If not, I would not worry. __________________ If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win. https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel. What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

11-30-2017, 11:50 PM	#11 (permalink)
ronke Location: Santa Monica/LA border Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 82 BananaBucks : 9,026 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 105 Times in 41 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower According to wunderground.com, it got down to 42 here in 1952, though I personally remember a frost somewhere around 1996. Basically though I am greatly encouraged by the thought that these bananas will ripen as long as they don't get too close to freezing. I think I will skip the plastic bags which my squirrels tend to regard as an invitation to make merry. I did give the plant a dose of potassium sulfate per edwmax's protocol. I am a little limited in doing too much manipulation of the hands because this is a Gros Michel, ie everything is pretty high up.. though not as high as I feared. My next project will be getting some thick bamboo to build an x-support for the nanas. Thanks to all! Best, Ronni

12-01-2017, 01:34 PM	#12 (permalink)
sputinc7 Location: Palm Bay, Florida Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Name: Steve Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,394 BananaBucks : 107,978 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 352 Times Was Thanked 2,430 Times in 971 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 295 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower Or some one and a half inch PVC pipe with a couple 45 degree elbows making a soft place to rest... Hate the look? Paint it green. __________________ If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win. https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel. What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

12-01-2017, 06:43 PM	#13 (permalink)
ronke Location: Santa Monica/LA border Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 82 BananaBucks : 9,026 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 105 Times in 41 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower Will 1-1/2" be strong enough? I have been making myself crazy looking for the 2" Jon Verdick recommends, especially since I will need 20' lengths (12' from top of bunch to ground and I will need to angle slightly for better tripod effect, no?) I am not greedy and am perfectly willing to prune at 4 hands.

12-01-2017, 07:21 PM	#15 (permalink)
ronke Location: Santa Monica/LA border Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 82 BananaBucks : 9,026 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 105 Times in 41 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower Strangely, I just looked at a chart listing the tensile strengths of different widths and the 1.5" was slightly greater than the 2". I'm thinking that must be a mistake.

12-01-2017, 07:25 PM	#16 (permalink)
ronke Location: Santa Monica/LA border Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 82 BananaBucks : 9,026 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 105 Times in 41 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower Thanks so much, Richard. I will check around. The fact that you are basically in my zone and have hope for July makes me happy... except for the fact that I only planted these bananas at the request of my younger son's then girlfriend, now -- as of Monday -- wife, and she leaves for Kabul in May! My son joins her in July though. Maybe he will be carrying Gros Michel!

12-01-2017, 07:52 PM	#17 (permalink)
Richard un-Retired Richard's Photo Gallery Location: Vista, CA Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 10b Name: Richard Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 9,674 BananaBucks : 552,452 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,636 Times Was Thanked 12,543 Times in 4,721 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,685 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower There's photos of my set up on this thread: Bananas in my garden __________________ Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

12-02-2017, 01:46 PM	#18 (permalink)
ronke Location: Santa Monica/LA border Find me on the map! Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 82 BananaBucks : 9,026 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 105 Times in 41 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower One quick question before I go shopping for my supports: do those PVC connectors recommended by Jon (i.e. the single 45 degree and the two tees) need to be glued to the short pieces of pipe before being strung on the wire/rope? I feel like the weight of the bananas could just pull the construction apart but I also don't know if the PVC glue is designed to be strong in that way. Thanks!

12-02-2017, 01:58 PM	#19 (permalink)
sputinc7 Location: Palm Bay, Florida Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Name: Steve Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,394 BananaBucks : 107,978 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 352 Times Was Thanked 2,430 Times in 971 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 295 Times	Re: first Gros Michel flower PVC glue is very strong, as strong as the pipe. Personally, I would get 1 in and 1 1/2 in, slide them inside each other, drill some holes for pins so they can be resized to fit different varieties. __________________ If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win. https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel. What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

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