Janelle525

I have had this raja Pisang for almost 2 years, and the pups never get bigger than this. I fertilize plenty and watered in the dry season. I did notice that it needs hilling up to the pstem as some of the roots became exposed, but other than that the main pstem looks super healthy. It was kind of a runt for a long time up until this summer. There are 9 tiny pups on it. The pups tend to rot before they get going. Last yr it seemed like choking was the main issue, but it doesn't seem that way anymore. The soil tends to be hot and dry so I am going to put a thick layer of mulch to maybe help cool it down. It has not flowered yet. Just wondering if I should just get rid of it maybe after it produces a rack as there won't be a good pup to take over! 20 ft away down the fence I have a goldfinger with almost ripe bananas that was planted 6 months after this one.

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.

Janelle525

I'm really thinking that it needs more protection from the Florida heat and sun. Seems to be a pretty easy banana to grow being the favorite in other parts of the world. In this video it seems to be in more of a tropical climate. Florida can be very hot and dry.

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.

Janelle525

It has started leaning so it looks like it is going to bloom soon! I still have the issue of not having a pup to bloom next year though...so it may be replaced unless the taste is amazing.

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.

edwmax

It appears the top half of the corm is exposed. Soil should be to the top of the corm neck (or bottom of the pstem green). The last pic posted seems to show this clearly. .... Add a retainer ring around the bed and add soil (about 6" ????) & mulch. The problem the the pups is likely lack of water and no shade. Bananas in Georgia and Florida need afternoon shade from the blistering sun.

__________________

Janelle525

Thank-you, yeah I suspected this was the issue, I kept adding more of my homemade compost but it never seemed to matter, I guess it needed many inches! I feel bad I let it scorch in the hot sun This is probably the hottest spot in the yard next to the white fence.

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.

edwmax

In the large orchards, the banana plants shade each other during the day. Each plant only take direct sun for a few minutes. This also creates much cooler under-story for the new pups to grow. .... While the banana plants at the outside edges takes a brutal beating from the sun. .... So this is a very good reason to allow your plants to expand into larger mats to shade & protect new pups. Also you will find that sitting under banana plant shade & leaves to be nearly like sitting under the AC.

__________________

Janelle525

Yes it's unfortunate I do not have the protection of other bananas along this fence line, but thankfully the goldfinger down the way, a praying hands further to the right and the tall namwa in the corner are doing great. I also have a dwarf namwa next to this one that is pretty runty but finally is starting to take off most likely because it was able to get some protection with it's leaves. This raja pisang grows more upright and doesn't shade the ground at all. Will watering it every morning help with the scorching sun? We usually only get afternoon rains and then nothing in the dry season for months. That's when this plant really struggles.

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.

sirdoofus

Check out this thread:

How hot is too hot for Bananas? Anyone try shade nets?

__________________
Who keeps calling me nuts??

Janelle525

Thanks! I saw that a few days ago and wished I had put shade cloth up on this one and the dwarf namwa when they were really struggling. Seems it would take a very tall structure now that they are taller. I will try out watering every morning see if I can get the pups growing taller than a couple inches!

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.

Iowa

__________________
Growing Musa Orinoco since 1993 - Added 2018-Basjoo, Zebrina' Rojo, Ensete Red Abyssinian - Added 2019-Goldfinger - Added 2020-Kokopo (Short Cycle), Double (Mahoi), Highgate, Super Dwarf Cavendish - Added 2021-Pisang Ceylon(Mysore), Musa Margarita, Ensete Ventricosum - Added 2023 - Siam Ruby

Janelle525

Good idea, we'll see if adding more soil and mulch and watering will get the pups to take off. I am kinda impatient though as it seems to be a variety that is taking longer to get going than some of the other more popular backyard grown bananas. Actually I did write down it could take 2 yrs to get fruit. So I think I'll replace it with a pup of the tall namwa or goldfinger after it fruits. Maybe put the corm in a different spot in the yard.

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.

edwmax

If the leaves have folded down, then mist the plant(s). This is what I do during the heat of the day. This will cool the leaves and counter the hot radiant heat of the sun. Radiant heat???? ... think fried eggs on the on the sidewalk or .... on the banana leaf...... Radiant heat can be 40 deg or more than the ambient air temp.

__________________

Janelle525

It has send out the flower! At exactly 2 yrs from the time I planted it. It's at about 7 ft tall. The lower leaves dried up as soon as the flag leaf was out. So I cut them up and added them as a layer to the base with grass clippings on top. Still only have tiny little baby pups. Never did figure out what went wrong there.

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.

Janelle525

Not a big bunch, but it's a bunch nonetheless! 4 Hands. The bees were loving the flowers.

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.

Akula

Congratulations!

Winter is typically the dry season in Florida so you may need to water it once a week if its warm and sunny. Be careful about watering when the temps are below 60F as it can lead to root rot. I water during the morning if needed during the cooler winter months to mimimize risk of root rot.

Good luck!

Janelle525

Thanks! I have been watering when it feels super hot near the bananas (even if the air temp is 72 that white fenceline and hot florida sun make it seem so much hotter!), I honestly never know if they are getting enough in the dry season because no matter what the leaves look yucky this time of yr.

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.

Janelle525

We have pups! I cut down the mother plant after the end of Jan. freeze because it had lost all of it's leaves and it didn't seem like the bunch would ripen, although now I've learned that maybe they would have plumped a little more and I wish I had left it because the bunch was too early and I ended up having to put them in the compost.

This pup took off so quick I thought it was going to grow a foot in a day lol!

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.

wstrickland1

well those look great!!

Art_R

Congratulations on your new pups!

__________________
Here's what I'm growing: Grand Naine, Namwa, Blue Java, Raja Puri, Patupi, & a mystery nanner

Janelle525

Pups doing really well. I added a bunch of mulch, I feel quite ashamed there was barely any at the beginning of this thread as I am really into back to eden gardening, I guess I was just being lazy. I think bananas don't do very well unless lots of organic matter is added. At least as single specimens in a hot yard.

__________________
Super Dwarf Cavendish, Tall Namwah, Goldfinger, Praying Hands, Raja Pisang, Manzano.