North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Mike Levine" <mlevine@umich.edu>]

Claude,
Thanks, that is extremely useful information.  Exactly what I was looking
for.

Mike


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Claude Sweet" <hortventures@cox.net>
To: "Mike Levine" <crunchy@oldweb.com>; "North American Fruit Explorers"
<nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 6:41 PM
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Bananas


> Mike,
>
> Allowing the plant to sucker diverts energy that would otherwise produce
> the flower stalk.
>
> Commercial growers can time the emergence of the flower stalk and fruit
> harvest by removing suckers until a specific date they have established
> for their region.  This method is reported by growers in Israel who aim
> for a marketing window.  They select a single sucker that has reached a
> specific height for flowering and remove all others except for a small
> replacement for the following season.
>
> I can attest to the fact that both container plants and those that are
> planted directly in the ground need to have suckers removed to promote
> flowering.  The larger cultivars have a direct relationship between the
> number of leaves that emerge from the stalk and the emergence of the
> flower stalk which represents the end of the terminal growth.
>
> This should also hold true for the smaller dwarf selections and
> container grown bananas.
>
> Eventually a clumps of banana stalks will flower, but there is a
> considerable delay, especially in plants that do not have a climate or
> horticultural practices that promotes a uniform and constant pattern of
> growth throughout the year.
>
> If my memory is correct, fruit growers do not select suckers that have
> narrow leaves as they do not flower as soon as those with broader
> leaves.  Nurseries are likely to remove all of the suckers that are
> produced because they have different motivations (profit from plant
> sales - not fruit sales).
>
> Claude Sweet
> San Diego, CA
>
> Mike Levine wrote:
>
> >However, getting back to bananas I am interested in hearing more about
> >varieties that can be used as potted plants.  Thanks everyone for the
> >suggestions and advice.  I think I'll be ordering a Raji Puri for next
> >season.  I gave a banana to a friend with a greenhouse 2 years ago
(variety
> >unknown, but maybe some sort of Jamaican red type) and it still hasn't
> >flowered.  I don't think he has fertilized it much, but it seems healthy
and
> >has a bunch of little sports at the base.  What can I tell him to do to
> >induce it to flower?  Also, when is the best time to divide them?
> >
> >Mike Levine
> >Ann Arbor, MI
> >Zone 5b
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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