My banana project

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Hey Curbie,
LOL about "bananabrain"! But def get a banana pup! They're really not that tuff to grow! :)
Hey CrabberGirl,
I hope your bananas are okay but if there are any soft spots, just cut them off. :) You can also put plastic around the bottom of the tree, in the winter, to help keep the ground dry!

Btw, my banana pup has another new leaf starting! :D
 
HELP! I found a website where I can buy a banana pup. I want to try a dwarf one ..........but I don't know what I'm supposed to buy. I am doing this today :) Today is Tuesday ~ got that :) Curbie
 
Oh, there's a Chinese Yellow banana plant. I'm busy here b/c I don't really want a huge tree b/c we still have our Christmas tree up. I'm figuring this out ~ slowly but surely. I feel like an idiot! Thanks Trax ~ Curbie
 
geez..... i would not like bamboo b/c I have 2 bamboo plants in this home. I REALLY want to be able to ~ go pick a banana :) I'll make banana jam (BOY, THAT was a fib!) Some of these are 12 ' tall so HOW will 5ft, get a banana down? Curbie
 
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I just HAD one :) I hope I'm seldom cranky but than you for reminding me not to be. This banana site really is great. It's WillisOrchard.com . Absolutely fascinating. You'd like it Ron. i'll be better now ~ I apologize....Cranky Cold- Infested Curbie :)
 
OH! THAT is the plants I bought in Pittsburgh! I thought it was a poinsettia. Now, I brought it inside this winter and SO far , so good. I actually just trimmed off some of the REALLY tall limbs and I'm going to see if they root in water. They are REALLY lovely! I don't think they bloom but if you put that in your sunroom, it would be awesome. I bought 3 at a Pittsburgh nursery and planted 2 them together. You'll LOVE them! THAT'S my PLANT! Thank you, Ron :) Curbie
 
WillisOrchard.com is perfect! :D
That's where I got 2 of my best banana trees and they def woulda survived if I knew they cant go dormant. They sell big healthy pups! But yeah, they'll say you cant grow banana trees in Massachusettes but I know a dude that's growing bananas in Alberta Canada and they're doing great! :) You can DEF grow one in Mass! And you can grow any kind you want there too!
Some good ones for that state would prolly be Basjoo, Zebrina, Rojo, Ice Cream, dwarf Cavendish, California gold, Thai black, dwarf Red, Gran Nain, High Color Mini, Sikimensis, Misi Luki, Bordelon, dwarf Brazilian, dwarf Ladyfinger, dwarf Orinoco, dwarf Thai, dwarf Namwah, Velutina (pink fuzzy bananas) (only 2-5 feet tall), or dwarf French plantain.
Def dont get Ensete Ventricosum (20 feet tall), Itinerans (30-40 feet tall), Rhino Horns, Ruby Siam (dies VERY easy), Ae Ae (same), or Pahari Kela (VERY hates cold). But the dwarfs and Velutina can be grown inside! :)
Let me know what you decide!
 
How did I get hooked on this stupid idea :) ? Truly, I have spent half of my day looking for bananas that grow in my zone. I DID find that pink fuzzy wuzzy one. but if I can grow one inside, that would be ideal. Which would you sugeest, oh great guru of the lovely banana tree? I'd liek to have it blossom and bear fruit. :)Curbie
 
Fun :) ! If you want bananas fast, the Velutina is almost perfect! The bananas get ripe a lot faster than any other bananas. The banana peels even pop open when it's ripe enough to eat! But it's not easy to eat cause it has lots of big, hard, black seeds that are bigger than apple seeds. But for good seedless bananas you prolly wanna grow dwarf Cavendish. The bananas you buy in the stores are either Williams Hybrids or Cavendish so it def has a good flavor too!
And if you want cooking bananas, you would prolly wanna get a dwarf Orinoco. Orinoco is the best tasting cooking banana! :D
Btw, after the tree makes bananas, you can cut off the huge flower and eat it too! :D It has to be boiled in salty water but it tastes like really sweet celery!
 
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Curbie,
That plant might root better in sand. I get play sand from Homedepot. Get a pot and fill with stones about 1 inch deep then with sand. Water the sand , then use a pencil to make a hole to place your stem into. Then water the sand again to fill in around the stem. You should have at least 2 inches of the stem in the sand and at least one node or bud area under the sand as well. Keep it watered daily and in a short time it will have roots and be ready for planting. You can use roottone if you like and water with Peter's at a very low dose once a week.
 
Crabbergirl said:
Hey trax,
Have you studied on Plantains? (SP)
Click to expand...

I talked to a dude in Ecuador last summer online! :) He sells bananas down there and told me that Orinocos were the best tasting plantains. He even gave me recipes for making plantain chips! I got most of my info about bananas just chatting with him. I have one Orinoco tree and it's really healthy so I'll be planting it in-ground this spring! :)
 
Here's a list of some common bananas if anyone's interested:

Ensete Gilletii -- Ensete is not a true banana plant, no bananas
Ensete Glaucum
Ensete Homblei
Ensete Perrieri
Ensete Superbum
Ensete Ventricosum
Ensete Ventricosum Maurelii -- See Sumatrana Zebrina Rojo
Ensete Ventricosum Montbeliardii

Musella Lasiocarpa -- Musella is another species of banana
Musella Musaceae
Musella Splendida

Musa 1000 Fingers -- Tons of bananas but they're very small
Musa 1780
Musa Acuminata
Musa Acuminata '2390'
Musa Acuminata 'Johnson'
Musa Acuminata 'Kirkinan'
Musa Acuminata 'New Pavan'

Musa Ae Ae -- Camo white/green banana, VERY tuff to keep alive, hates winter
Musa African Red
Musa African Rhino Horn -- The peels break too easy before the bananas are ripe
Musa Amistad
Musa Antigua Finger Rose
Musa Aulena
Musa Aurantiaca

Musa Balbisiana
Musa Balbisiana 'Black Thai'
Musa Banane Corne
Musa Basjoo
Musa Beccarii
Musa Belle
Musa Black French
Musa Blue Java -- See Ice Cream
Musa Boman
Musa Bordelon
Musa Brazilian -- See Dwarf -- See Hy
Musa Brown's Red
Musa Burmese Blue

Musa California Gold
Musa California Cold hardy
Musa Cardaba
Musa Carolina King -- U.S. banana
Musa Cavendish -- See Dwarf -- See Super Dwarf -- See Giant -- Loves shade
Musa Cheeka
Musa Cheesmani
Musa Chini Champa
Musa Coccinea

Musa Dhusray
Musa Double (Mahoi)
Musa Dwarf Brazilian
Musa Dwarf Cavendish
Musa Dwarf French (plantain)
Musa Dwarf Ladyfinger
Musa Dwarf Namwah
Musa Dwarf Nino
Musa Dwarf Orinoco
Musa Dwarf Puerto Rican
Musa Dwarf Red
Musa Dwarf Thai
Musa Dwarf Valery
Musa Dwarf White Iholena

Musa Ebun Musak
Musa Eka
Musa Eke-ula
Musa Ele Ele

Musa FHIA-1 Goldfinger -- See Goldfinger -- FHIA = THE banana research center
Musa FHIA-2 Mona Lisa -- See Mona Lisa
Musa FHIA-3 Sweetheart -- See Sweetheart
Musa FHIA-17
Musa FHIA-18
Musa FHIA-20
Musa FHIA-21 Plantain -- See Plantain
Musa FHIA-23
Musa FHIA SH3008
Musa Flaviflora
Musa Formosana
Musa French Horn
Musa French Plantain -- See Dwarf

Musa Giant Cavendish
Musa Giant Governor
Musa Giant Plantain
Musa Giant Sweet Plantain
Musa Gigante Blanco
Musa Golden Rhinohorn
Musa Goldfinger
Musa Goldfinger FHIA-1
Musa Governor -- See Giant
Musa Gracillis
Musa Gran Nain -- Sold in stores
Musa Green French
Musa Green Red
Musa Griersonii
Musa Gros Michel -- Sold in stores prior to Panama Disease

Musa Hai
Musa Haikea
Musa Hapai
Musa Helen's Hybrid
Musa High Color Mini -- Loves heat and sunlight
Musa Horse plantain
Musa Hua Moa
Musa Hy Brazilian

Musa Ice Cream -- See Blue Java
Musa Igcpoca
Musa Iholena
Musa Iholena 'kapua'
Musa Iholena 'loha'
Musa Iholena 'maoli apex'
Musa Iholena 'ula ula'
Musa Ihu'u
Musa Ingens
Musa Itinerans
Musa Itinerans 'Gigantea'
Musa Itinerans 'Indian Form'

Musa Jamaican Red

Musa Kahiki
Musa Kalela
Musa Kandarian
Musa Ka-ua-lau
Musa Kentucky Wonder -- U.S banana
Musa Kofi
Musa Kru -- See Red Kru
Musa Kummunaba

Musa Lacatan
Musa Lady Finger -- See Dwarf
Musa LahiLahi
Musa Lakatan
Musa Largo
Musa Laterita
Musa Little Prince

Musa Maclayi
Musa Mahoi -- See Double
Musa Mai'a Hapai
Musa Maia Maoli Eka
Musa Malbhog
Musa Malei
Musa Maleiula
Musa Mannii
Musa Manzano
Musa Maoli maoli
Musa Mauritius
Musa Misi Luki
Musa Mona Lisa
Musa Mona Lisa FHIA-2
Musa Monkey Fingers
Musa Montecristo
Musa Monthan
Musa Morado Enano
Musa Muluensis
Musa Mysore

Musa Nagensium
Musa Namwah -- See Dwarf
Musa Nchumbahka
Musa Nino -- See Dwarf
Musa No'u
Musa Nuholani

Musa Oa
Musa Orinoco -- See Dwarf -- Best plantain, dont overwater
Musa Ornata

Musa Pace
Musa Paggi
Musa Pahari Kela -- Indian hill banana, confined to University of India
Musa Peekelii
Musa Pelipita
Musa Pink French plantain
Musa Pirineo
Musa Pisang Abukeling
Musa Pisang Buai
Musa Pisang Ceylon
Musa Pisang Klotek
Musa Pisang Tandok -- Or Tanduk
Musa Pitogo
Musa Plantain -- See Giant -- See Giant Sweet -- See Horse -- Cooking banana
Musa Plantain FHIA-21
Musa Polapola
Musa Popoulu
Musa Popoulu Kaia
Musa Popoulu Puapua'nui
Musa Praying Hands
Musa Puerto Rican -- See Dwarf
Musa Puhi

Musa Raja Puri
Musa Red -- See Dwarf
Musa Red Iholene
Musa Red Jewel
Musa Red Kru -- See Kru (Green)
Musa Rose
Musa Rowe Red
Musa Rubinea

Musa Saba
Musa San Jose
Musa Sc 2T
Musa Schizocarpa
Musa SH-3640
Musa Siamensis
Musa Siamensis 'Thai Gold'
Musa Siam Margarita
Musa Siam Ruby -- Hates cold, loves extreme heat
Musa Sikkimensis -- Very cold hardy, hates heat -- Indian banana
Musa Sikkimensis 'Manipur'
Musa Sikkimensis 'Red Tiger' -- Thin red striping
Musa Silver bluggoe
Musa Sumatrana (Rojo)
Musa Sumatrana X Gran Nain -- Edible Zebrina -- See Zebrina
Musa Sumatrana Zebrina
Musa Sumatrana Zebrina Rojo -- Can be mistaken for Ensette Ventricosum Maurelli
Musa Super Dwarf Cavendish
Musa Super Plantain
Musa Sweetheart FHIA-3

Musa Taiwanese Somaclone
Musa Tall Red
Musa Tango
Musa Texas Star -- U.S. banana
Musa Textilis
Musa Thai -- See Dwarf
Musa Thomsonii
Musa Thousand Fingers
Musa Thun Ghia
Musa Truly Tiny
Musa Tuu Ghia

Musa Valery -- See Dwarf
Musa Velutina -- Makes small fuzzy pink bananas with big, black seeds
Musa Verdin
Musa Violacea
Musa Virapakshu -- Indian banana, confined to India

Musa White Iholene -- See Dwarf
Musa Williams Hybrid -- Sold in stores
Musa Wine

Musa Yangambi
Musa Yunnanensis

Musa Zan Moreno
Musa Zebrina -- Camo red/green leaves
Musa Zebrina X Grand Nain -- Edible Zebrina -- See Sumantrana X Gran Nain
Musa Ziv
 
I knew the list was long, but you top the cake with your list Josh!
It would be very helpful if you add the zones they are hardy in!
It would help Curbie decide without getting a migraine!
 
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