Randy4ut

Okay you nanner gurus...
Need some advice. I have velutina fruit that I want to remove the seeds from to ship to some folks. Last year I put the fruit in water and let it sit for 4-5 days and then ran it through a blender, and then screened the pulp from the seed. This work okay, but the blender tended to cut some of the seeds.
I have several hundred seeds I want to clean and wondered if anyone had a better way to separate the seed from the pulp. Anyone that has a good way to to do, please, let me know. I would greatly appreciate any advice I can get....
Thanks in advance,
Randy4ut

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Mustang

Randy, what about getting hold of a large tin (e.g. a large coffee tin), lining the inside with very course sandpaper, throw in the seeds, then shake and shake and shake?

No idea if it'll work tho!

Gabe15

Ive done a few different methods, if the fruit is ripe you can eat it and spit out the seeds like watermelon, however for species like velutina this doesnt always work as they have way too many seeds, but for M. laterita it works nicely. I've been able to pick out seeds on old fruit that it past the rotting stage and is completely dessicated, the seeds seperate from the dried pulp rather easy that way. Other then that, I just sit down, put on some good music and get to work picking out each one hand cleaning the pulp off by hand.

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

Lagniappe

Hey Randy ,
I have a nasty , wooly catarpillar cleaning the fruit off my seeds .
Look in the lower left on this pic and you can see it's progress .

Randy4ut

Gabe,
I tried the "watermelon method last year before I went to the "blender" method. Even though I like nanners, just a bit too seedy for me. I know with palm seeds, you can leave the seeds in just enough water to cover them and let them start to ferment for about a week, drain, rinse and rub with your hands and then put them back into water again. You repeat this procedure until the majority of the pulp is off. Would this cause any problems with banana seeds, leaving them in water until fermentation begins, rinse, and then back into water? Not sure if the seeds would rot or not. Any ideas?
Randy

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Randy4ut

Pete,
Does that wolly buggar munch on your leaves? I think I will try to do it on my own... You can keep your little helper!!! LOL

Could let my dog eat them and follow him around for awhile with a baggie... (aka Cheech and Chong)

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Lagniappe

LOL....Musa schnauzerii !!!! :2780:

Randy4ut

Gto that right, my friend... LOL

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Lagniappe

I think Cheech -n- Chong had Musa Labrador

Mark Hall

Randy I use my wifes cooking seive (when she's not about)Its a metal one and I just put the banana in it turn on the hot tap and just keep running my fingers thru it. Most of the pulp drops through or sticks to the mesh.
You can then pop it in the dishwasher without getting caught.

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Time Flies like an Arrow.....Fruit flies like a Banana.

Rmplmnz

Or eat the bananas...the pulp is very sweet......and seedy..lol

Randy4ut

I tried that last year, Chris, fruit is pretty good, but man the seeds were just too many... Got tired real quick of spitting them onto a paper towel, not to mention the girls at the house thought it was "GROSS"!!! LOL I may end up shipping them in the fruit and letting everyone sperate their own. I figure, if they are free, folks can't complain too much... Hope I'm right!!

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Rmplmnz

Yep...that is the way to go...ship them in the fruit...

D_&_T

We have 3 kids that can help clean


Dan & Tara

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klemmthamm

Got the seeds today!!! I am trying just a couple of different methods...

1.)seeds straight into potting mix (miracle grow mix)
a.)without soaking
b.)soaked for 24 hours
c.)soaked for 48 hours

2.)seeds into seed starting jelly stuff (resembles stuff from silica packs)
a.)without soaking
b.)soaked for 24 hours
c.)soaked for 48 hours

My setup isn't all that technical or neat I guess but I am really curious on how the soaking and substrate effect the germination.


-James-

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"No sir we don't have quotas anymore. We used to have quotas but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we want." - Unknown officer

Randy4ut

James, I hope you don't mind, but I am copying your post onto the other thread to try and keep them all together...
Randy

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BGreen

On my end,

I started to soak all my seeds in the neat little baggy they arrived in on Monday night. When I cam home Tues I found the bag had tipped on it's side and drained out all the water.

Split the seeds 50/50 and nicked (scarified) group #1 and let group #2 alone.
Soaked the seeds for 48hrs

Location #1 (an old terrarium) Temp is raised during the day from overhead lamp to 80f-82F and cools to 67f-70f at night. Light is on 14hrs per day. Placed 50% (25 seeds) from group #1 and #2 on a moist paper towels folded over and placed in same ziplock bag. So they have the same temps and humidity.

Location #2 (garage seed station) Temps raised 10F over ambient temperature by seed germination mat. 12hrs on/ 12hrs off
Temps range mid 80's during the day and low 60's at night.
Seeds are place on moist perlite in plastic tubs.

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Take care,

BGreen

Randy4ut

Ben,
Hope you don't mind, I am moving your post over to the other thread, also. I hope to be able to keep all the Musa velutina trial posts on one thread so we can all pull from it. Hope it is okay with you...
Thanks, and good luck...
Randy


ANYONE ELSE POSTING FOR VELUTINA TRIAL, PLEASE POST ON MAIN FORUM THREAD: OK>>>> Seeds are ready on the velutina!!!

HOPING TO KEEP INFO TOGETHER>>>

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BGreen

LOL.... To many threads....
At a quick glance I thought I had the right one... Figures, been that kind of day.

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Take care,

BGreen

Randy4ut

Ben,
I agree... I had too many threads going and that is why I was trying to round everyone up into one. Thanks so much for taking the time to let everyoone know what you are doing with your seeds...
Good luck!!!

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