First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

I won this M. "CA Hardy" on eBay last April 2, it was shipped via USPS Priority Mail on April 3, and received April 6! Thanks Shawn!!!

That's a USPS P-M 38-inch mailing tube:


The corm was cut a little too close. But there are several live roots that will hopefully sustain the plant and grow more roots:


Here it is planted in a 15-gallon pot:

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

Woohoo, congrats Chong!

Best wishes,

Harvey

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

Wow, that's a good one! Good luck!

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

Congrats! I hope it flourishes!

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

Is this the same as california gold?

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

No, this is a different banana. Jeff Earl first "discovered" California Gold but this is a taller plant that takes a bit longer to fruit but produces larger bunches and is grown by Jeff's brother-in-law, Shawn. I visited late last July to buy some in person. He had something like 7 of these eventually fruit for him last year.

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

I don't want to cast stones, but doesn't it seem just a little weird that Jeff and now his brother end up with what may be the two best varieties of Musa that will fruit in your zone when planted outside without protection?

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

It is kind of weird, I just sent you a PM Mitchel.

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

I'm hoping to get a tall Namwah so I can compare it to this banana and also to my other unknown variety which fruited at a little over 10' for me last year. They might all be the same, but I'm not claiming that. I really don't know.

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

By the way, if you need to mail a tall plant and the USPS Priority tube is too skinny, you can combine two of them together to make a nice rectangular box. I just need to slit the ends somewhat to make your own flaps. It costs a bit more if you exceed 1 cubic foot, though. I modify these boxes a bit further for shipping chestnut roasters to keep it below a cubic foot. I'm a firm believer that the easiest dollar made is the one you save (don't spend)! I shipped over 600 boxes last year and only two of them (FedEx shipments to Hawaii) were boxes I paid for. :D

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

I was thinking about that myself. They resemble Orinoco to me. Perhaps some sort of Orinoco sport??? What do you guys think?

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

I honestly don't know, Scot, though I think California Gold is closer to an Orinoco than this one.

I kind of hate having "unknowns" but it seems I'm ending up with more of them.

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

As Harvey says, the CG fruits are closer to the Dwarf Orinoco. I've seen photos of them. However, while a few CA Hardy fruits that I've seen photos of do resemble like Orinoco, the majority of them are rounder and longer than CG, especially when they're still in the bunch, up the p-stem. And as Harvey pointed out, the plants are a lot taller and more fruitful than the CG. Another thing is that, reportedly, the CG is not as sweet as the CA Hardy until it is very ripe and the skin is almost black.

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

Yes, the most recent eBay photos of the CA Cold Hardy (CCH) really look a lot like Orinocos to me. The distinct ridges, pointed ends, size are all very close. This is what leads me to believe that they may in fact be an Orinoco sport.

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

I don't think that the photos of the CA Hardy in the recent eBay auction look like the the Orinoco. The CA-H is fuller and rounder at both ends, while the Orinoco has tapered stem and tips. Plus the Orinoco has less fruits per bunch and fingers are spreading out, while the CA-H is pretty packed and more hands/fingers. I have not seen any Orinoco fruit bunch that is packed and as many hands as the CA-H.

Orinoco(from Agri-Starts site):


CA Hardy(from eBay):

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

Perhaps so, I was looking at this picture when I thought that. But you are correct in that they are more curved than the more angular shape of true Orinocos. Again, I suspect that it is a sport, not necessarily an Orinoco.

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

I believe Shawn told me that the photo with his daughters was an immature bunch which he had put away in the closet to ripen. When I saw his bunched fruits last summer I didn't think they reminded me of orinoco. You can see more photos at Flickr: shawnujones' Photostream.

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

I give up.

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

Can we just call it "Scot's Cold Mystery"??? LOL

Re: First Musa "CA Hardy"on eBay in 2009?
 

Sure, why not?
Hey Pete has a caption for the photo in post #16
"Hey, Meester - you gotta light?" :ha::2182: