Bananaman88

I have a banana (possibly Bluggoe) that produced a bud very early this season. The pstem has one tattered leaf left over from winter, the flag leaf and then the bud. It is starting to open and there is some fruit. My question is whether or not the two leaves will be enough to nourish the fruit. I'm also hoping that as the pup comes along it will help with nourishment back to the main plant as well. Do you all think the fruit will develop or should I cut my losses and chop it down? My intention all along had been to get rid of this one this year to make room for a Dw. Red I'm supposed to be getting but I decided to hold off since it bloomed so early.

Thanks for your thoughts!

JoeReal

If by bud, you meant bloom, yes, I think there is a very good chance!

Even without any leaf, the fruits will develop. Cut all brown spots from the p-stem to expose any green part to help photosynthesis. The fruits itself will be green and help in the photosynthesis. you will have smaller fruits, and slow filling too, but it would be edible in the end. So really have a good chance.

Remember that bananas are often in the typhoon belts, and sometimes all of their leaves are shredded or lost in very strong storms, and yet they still bear fruits, so it is one way of adaptation. Their photosynthesizing area index, without the leaves is still big enough.

jpfloors

Man, that would be awsome if it did produce! I'd hold off just from curiositys sake to see what it did do, but it does make sense that the pup would help nourish the mother plant as you stated above. You don't already have the Dwarf Red yet do you? You could always pot it in a 15 gal until you see what your Bluggoe? is going to do.

Bananaman88

Joe and JP:

Thanks for your responses. I've never had any of my bananas fruit this early in the season before, so always in the past, there have been plenty of leaves to conduct photosynthesis so I've never been confronted with this issue. I guess I'll leave it and see what happens. As the fruit progress I'll try to post some pictures.

As for the Dw. Red, no I don't have it yet. I'm waiting on my buddy Pete to send me a pup. Are ya out there, Pete???

jpfloors

Awsome, I wish you luck with it fully maturing! Yeah, since you don't have the one you're replacing it with yet, definately leave it. What would you have to lose? It'll just be more fun digging up the new pup once the fruit is fully mature! Good luck with that as well!