sean

ok, so I am super excited about my dwarf brazilian that has flowered!

it opened on December 1st and has approximately 12 hands each with about 10-14 fingers.

my question is having been open for 2 months, no new bunches are being produced. at what point should i simply cut the flower off, or should i cut it off at all? does cutting the flower increase the speed at which the bananas ripen?

thanks!

MediaHound

Cutting it off should yield bigger fingers.

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Gabe15

Actually, the size of the fingers is already detirmined, cutting the male bud will not do anything special or extra to the fruit itself. From the reports from INIBAP that I have read, it seems as though the biggest advantage of cutting the male bud is simply to reduce weight and prevent toppling, or at least reduce the risk a little.

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MediaHound

Then I stand corrected. I've read a few times that it helps.
I trust you, though, Gabe.

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Gabe15

Ya, I know that is says it helps a lot everywhere, but when it comes down to it the fruit size, quality and number are detirmined way before it actually fruits, not during. If you want the biggest and best fruit you need to raise the plant properly from the pup stage, I remember reading that the first 4 months of a banana plants life are the most crucial in detirmining the fruit quality and number. Given all that, its still a good idea to cut the male bud and support the bunch, just to be on the safe side.

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pitangadiego

You can cut it off when you have 8 or more inches of stem with no bananas. You always want to leave some extra stem. It helps prevent drying out working up into the bunch, and makes a nice piece to hang it from when ripening.

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Going Bananas

BUMP!!!!
and deserves to be repeated...
"the first 4 months of a banana plants life
are the most crucial in determining the fruit quality and number.
Given all that, its still a good idea to cut the male bud
and support the bunch, just to be on the safe side."

Unbelievable!!!
This thread only had 6 responses.
A classic from way back in 2006.
Not much members/audience I imagine.

BTW nice avatar Sean!

Mark Dragt

There's another thread brought back to life. Lots of dust on that one. Have the opinions changed one way or another since 2006? Now I have read that cutting of the flower helps, and does not help with bunch size. But does it help with maturity time? Cut the flower,save 2 weeks?

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