Clare_CA

I'm so excited. This will be my first flower and fruit. This is on a Sweeheart banana that my friend gave me last summer. I just noticed the flower today. I haven't gotten around to mulching this area yet, but I plan to. I know it looks dry, but we just had lots of rain so the soil is moist below. I have very sandy soil, but I amended the soil before I planted. I haven't fertilized since last summer.

If anyone knows how long from flower to ripe fruit, I would appreciate that information. Is it six months?

Here are some pics:

Gabe15

It sure is going to flower, but I hate to break it to you that should not expect any harvest-able fruit. That plant is extremely small and stunted, a plant that size simply cannot support fruit and is likely flowering as a response to stress. This is likely a mechanism left over from the wild plants where in the worst case scenario if the plant is severely stressed and cannot support fruit, it can at least make some male flowers to produce pollen.

You may get a few small fruits to partially fill, but I doubt anything will come of it. Bananas are heavy feeders and need a steady, large supply of water, fertilizer, sun and warmth in order to perform well. Fertilizing now will not help the fruit being produced, but it will help the plant regain overall health and maybe next time (if you keep feeding it and it can stay in the ground) it will be able to produce a bunch of fruit.

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

mjdsinsacto

Congratulations, Clare!

My young plants have long succumbed to the elements--and, I'll probably won't replace them in the spring. Potted bananas in a duplex backyard just take too much dollar and space resources in contrast to the short growing season.

From what I've read around here, you should be peeling ripe bananas in 6 months.

Congrats again, and enjoy!

Rereading the thread, I stand corrected by Gabe; so sorry to hear there won't be bananas for your sweetheart after al, Clarel--I feel your pain.

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Clare_CA

Thanks Gabe and mjd!

Gabe, I understand what you are saying. I did fertilize it this past summer with MiracleGro, and a few times, I gave it a handful or two of dried chicken manure. I was quite busy so I'm sure that I didn't fertilize enough. I did use good rich dark garden soil when I planted it initially. It's been quite a mild winter and has only started to get cold this past January. The flower is now at about 5 feet tall, I think. I know that my friend got bananas from this plant before he gave it to me (or at least from it's mat, I guess). You are the expert so I won't get my hopes up for fruit. Thanks for the info.

Mjd, I'm sorry to hear about your young plants succumbing. I have a 'Truly Tiny' banana plant in a container that seems to be doing all right. Maybe I can send you a 'Truly Tiny' pup in the spring. It is supposed to bear fruit, and I think it would be fairly easy to move inside in the winter. It is tough to grow stuff in a duplex backyard. Thanks so much for the encouragement.

cherokee_greg

cool. Great news on the flower. Good for you

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Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm