sandy0225

Do you think I could try pollenation experients with my ice cream and my mini? they are pretty close to the same stage of bloom--they are both just getting ready to open. I would love to have a small ice cream. I guess a big mini would not be all that cool, though. Would you take pollen from the ice cream to the mini or from the mini to the ice cream? or both just in case? Does anyone know if this would have a chance of working?

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Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
1501 East Fuson Road
Muncie, IN 47302
www.northerntropics.com


specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~
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CValentine

I dunno Sandy....

Watching & waiting with you!!!

Maybe GN x Mini too??? ~Cheryl

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When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. - Jimi Hendrix

austinl01

We definitely need a dwarf ice cream banana. I'm surprised there isn't one out there already.

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Austin
Arkansas River Valley

Average January Low: 31°F, Average August High: 92°F
Extreme Winter Lows: 5-15°F, Extreme Summer Highs: 100-112°F, Annual Precipitation: 52 inches

conejov

that sounds like a great experiment!
can wait to read what others have to say on this.

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sbl

I'm not an expert here, but I don't think that will work--from what I know, I think you need bananas that produce seeds to get a cross. Without seeds, how can you get a new plant?

I think the normal process os getting new varieties is to cross at least one variety that produces seeds with something else, then the seeds that are produced may be a seedless edible variety.

Bob

You'll never know unless you try. I doub't anyone else is going to do it! Can I get one of the pups?

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Lagniappe

Crossing two seedless bananas can produce seed.

sandy0225

I got the idea from your post because you had the seedless banana with seeds. I guess it won't hurt to try if everything is blooming at the right times.

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Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
1501 East Fuson Road
Muncie, IN 47302
www.northerntropics.com


specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~
check out our new online store at our website!

sirmoebly

Go for it, I will be waiting for results.... It won't hurt to try....

austinl01

I agree...why not go for it if they are both blooming at the same time. Sometimes unexpected things happen!

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Austin
Arkansas River Valley

Average January Low: 31°F, Average August High: 92°F
Extreme Winter Lows: 5-15°F, Extreme Summer Highs: 100-112°F, Annual Precipitation: 52 inches

Gabe15

Go for it, but dont be disappointed if nothing happens. If you are referring to 'High Color Mini' the chances of that cross happening is extremely small.

The production of a dwarfed 'Ice Cream' would be best done with radiation induction. I have thought about this project and may try it one day.

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

sbl

Not that I don't believe you--I guess the Orinoco x Saba thread shows that at least some edible crosses can make seeds, but what keeps our normal bananas from having occasional seeds? Surely, there are bees carrying pollen from other varieties--I had Orinoco and Raji Puri blooming at the same time in my yard.

Gabe15

There are many different factors involved in why edible bananas don't have seeds, there is no simple answer. But here are a few answers.

For commercial Cavendish bananas, they are both female and male sterile, so there is no chance of setting seed.

For backyard growers with lots of different varieties, most edible bananas are only weakly fertile if at all (though some are very fertile), and the chances of seed set decrease as fertility decreases. More over, the pollen doesn't move very easily in most edible bananas, usually because there is a very small amount compared to the wild species and so cross pollination works best by hand.

In general, edible bananas have been inherently selected to be both male and female sterile. Though a wide range of sterility and fertility still exists, the average is that they are more or less sterile. Sometimes a cross pollination event will result in no seeds, other times the same cross may yield a few, there are many factors involved.

Another reason we don't see our female fertile edible bananas full of seeds normally is due to the lack of a pollen source. As stated earlier, edible bananas are not a good pollen source, even though its possible to use some of the pollen from them under controlled conditions. However, if you are growing some wild species around female fertile edible bananas and there is a suitable pollinator around, you can get seeds. I have observed seed set in both 'Orinoco' and 'Ney Poovan' when they were growing around M. balbisiana. In Asia where there can be an abundance of wild bananas, some cultivars which would be otherwise seedless are often very seedy.

Here are some photos of seed set in 'Orinoco' which was growing in close proximity to M. balbisiana. I collected perhaps 30-40 seeds from this fruit bunch.

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

LilRaverBoi

Interesting...well, if you get a dwarf Ice Cream...SIGN ME UP FOR ONE! I'd say it's worth a try, but like Gabe said, don't be too disappointed if you don't get any results.

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