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["Robert Walton" <waltonrp AT gmail.com>]

> >
> Should I pay a bit more for a "mother bulb" or go with the TC corms from
> Going Bananas?  Do you think TTN gets their cultivars from someplace
> like Going Bananas?
> >


I'll check out those varieties that you sent, but if they are smaller
plants, they should be OK as far as I know, you are probably going to have
to try out several to see what will work for you.

I know that Going Bananas has some that are tissue cultured plants and
others that they cut from the field. They have 5 acres of bananas growing,
so I think that you could request non-tirssue cultured plants. I did, but
only because I wanted larger starts.

>
Also, it seems to be grown
more for a cooking banana than an eating banana, but I'll take your word
for it that it is sweet enough to eat. I do like fried
bananas/plantains, so it is really not that big of an issue anyway.  I
do like the fact that this variety seems to make a large bunch.
>

I've ate this one both ways and it is sweet. It is not a plantain, I would
not eat those types raw. Too tough.

>
Assuming I buy corms from GB, how long will it take to actually harvest
bananas?  I read something about the plant producing blossoms after the
25th leaf.  Will this take several years for the plant to mature enough
to produce fruit?
>

This is going to be your challenge. I would think in your climate, you would
neet to have an overwintered plant started and then transplant it to rich
soil as early as possible. Then you would neet to provide lots of water and
manue/compost/etc to make it grow fast.

The bananas I grew would flower X months after coming up. For instance some
varieties take 13 months or more of growth to flower. You can set your
calendar by it. You might want to ask the people at Going Bananas what
varieties they have that woul flower the earliest. The FHIA-03 would flower
for me in about 9 months. Remember you need 2-3 months to grow after
flowering.

>
Also, can I harvest green and allow them to ripen if the season runs
short, or do I need to let them ripen on the tree-assuming FHIA-03 here.
>

I always cut the bananas green when the tip of the individual banana fattens
up. The FHIA-03 is unique in that I could cut what I needed and the rest
would keep on the tree. It took forever for them to ripen on the tree and
they are really better cut green. Good news for you with your climate.

>
What did you think of my plan to use the pallets for "mulch containers"
and windbreaks?  Am I wasting my time? Is this necessary?
Your 'professional' opinion is highly valued here. :)
>

Are you wasting your time? Never! I'm not sure that you need a windbreak,
but you need the to provide rich highly organic warm soil for the plants.
The pallet thing might help a lot in that.

believe me, I'm no professional, but have grown bananas. They will grow in
just about any soil. They grow in hard, heavy clay on my place in El
Salvador. We don't water in the dry season. BUT, they don't grow fast in
that condition. If they have water and good rich soil, they will grow really
fast. That's what you need.

I read that a banana has all of the leaves that it will ever grow inside the
stalk when it comes up. So the faster you can get those leaves out the
faster you get bananas. It won't bloom until it has done it's growing.

All this talk is making me miss my bananas, mangos and avocados! Come peach
season, I'll feel better!

Rob - Va

Shame that
> we did not connect last year, cause I left that at my house in the
> city. I could have sent you some corms. I smuggled aome out to El
> Salvador and have it growing on my place there, but no good way to
> smuggle it back in :>)

Dang it!  I knew I should have looked harder for you!  That would have
been nice.  Thanks for the thought, anyway.

Bev


--
erthnsky AT bellsouth.net  BevanRon of EarthNSky Farm      NW Georgia USDA Zone
7
34.498N 85.076W



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