HELP! Banana flowers falling off!

joekun · 04-16-2014, 08:27 PM

Hello everyone, I've posted before about how this is my first banana flower on my Ice Cream banana tree. The first 3 bananas set well and are growing, but every one since then (over the last 3-4 weeks I believe) has shriveled up and fallen off as though the flower wasn't pollinated. I tried going out there with a q-tip and gently rubbing the ends of the flowers to attempt manual pollination, but that didn't help. Do I have to do it at a certain time of day? Or is this a different problem? Please help, I really want to have more than 3 bananas this year!

Abnshrek · 04-16-2014, 08:32 PM

The flowers will fall off, sometimes they don't but its no big deal.. If you only got 3 banana's you might want to think about fertilizing your plant or maybe you got the wrong kind in the transaction..

Hammocked Banana · 04-16-2014, 08:43 PM

Those are male flowers falling off, and will never make bananas. Bananas do not need to be pollinated, otherwise you would have seeds in your bananas, and a lot less teeth if you tried to eat them. To get more fruit from the next stem start feeding your banana mat high potassium fertilizer.

joekun · 04-16-2014, 10:52 PM

Ok, does that mean it won't produce any more than the 3, or is it still possible I will get more female flowers? I started feeding it with fruit fuel last month.

Abnshrek · 04-16-2014, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joekun

Ok, does that mean it won't produce any more than the 3, or is it still possible I will get more female flowers? I started feeding it with fruit fuel last month.

Most likely that is it, but there has been freaks of nature that have produced female flower in between male flowering, but that is not the norm. At least your ready for the next go round.. :^)

pitangadiego · 04-18-2014, 12:15 AM

The flowers falling off are male. The limited quantity of female (banana producing) flowers indicates a stressed or under-fertilized plant.

04-16-2014, 08:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
joekun Location: Burbank, CA Zone: 10b Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 14 BananaBucks : 18,491 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 14 Times Was Thanked 28 Times in 8 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	HELP! Banana flowers falling off! Hello everyone, I've posted before about how this is my first banana flower on my Ice Cream banana tree. The first 3 bananas set well and are growing, but every one since then (over the last 3-4 weeks I believe) has shriveled up and fallen off as though the flower wasn't pollinated. I tried going out there with a q-tip and gently rubbing the ends of the flowers to attempt manual pollination, but that didn't help. Do I have to do it at a certain time of day? Or is this a different problem? Please help, I really want to have more than 3 bananas this year!

04-16-2014, 08:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
Abnshrek Happy Growing Abnshrek 's Photo Gallery Location: Beaumont Texas Find me on the map! Zone: 8b, but 9b weather.. Name: Migael / Michael Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 9,493 BananaBucks : 218,041 Feedback: 45 / 100% Said "Thanks" 10,447 Times Was Thanked 16,443 Times in 5,238 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,318 Times	Re: HELP! Banana flowers falling off! The flowers will fall off, sometimes they don't but its no big deal.. If you only got 3 banana's you might want to think about fertilizing your plant or maybe you got the wrong kind in the transaction.. __________________ I'm a Nannerhead :^)

04-16-2014, 08:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
Hammocked Banana Relaxin Under the Nanners Location: Toronto, ON and Peterborough, ON Find me on the map! Zone: 6a and 5a respectively Name: Brady Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 958 BananaBucks : 54,498 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,178 Times Was Thanked 1,156 Times in 555 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 30 Times	Re: HELP! Banana flowers falling off! Those are male flowers falling off, and will never make bananas. Bananas do not need to be pollinated, otherwise you would have seeds in your bananas, and a lot less teeth if you tried to eat them. To get more fruit from the next stem start feeding your banana mat high potassium fertilizer.

04-16-2014, 10:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
joekun Location: Burbank, CA Zone: 10b Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 14 BananaBucks : 18,491 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 14 Times Was Thanked 28 Times in 8 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: HELP! Banana flowers falling off! Ok, does that mean it won't produce any more than the 3, or is it still possible I will get more female flowers? I started feeding it with fruit fuel last month.

04-18-2014, 12:15 AM	#6 (permalink)
pitangadiego Senior Member Location: San Diego, CA Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,489 BananaBucks : 133,629 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2 Times Was Thanked 2,730 Times in 930 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: HELP! Banana flowers falling off! The flowers falling off are male. The limited quantity of female (banana producing) flowers indicates a stressed or under-fertilized plant. __________________ Encanto Farms Nursery http://encantofarms.com We Be Bananas http://webebananas.com

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