2 days growth.....Fresh Iowa Bananas????(-:

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:47 am

Thai giant growth after 2 days

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11003.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11003.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11002.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

I suspected when my Banana plant put out a leaf half the size
of the others that something might be up........
And now,it has put out a leaf(flag leaf)half the size of that.

Last year one of the same variety flowered and actually put
out quite a few Bananas but he was mid September,so.....
I am thinking this one has a chance.
The B-plant next to it is probably only a leaf or 2 behind.

First pictures are from last year-second pic is the B-plant
with the flag leaf-this year

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10009.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -10009.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

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This years Flag leaf
<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11004.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11004.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:03 am

Damn Jim, that's awesome! I don't think I have a chance for bananas to flower this year. My big ones got so beat up by hail earlier in the summer. The pups are in better shape and surpassing them. Gotta love the weather though! Our dewpoint right now is 87, no kidding!! Temp is 87f, heat index is 115f. And there's a "severe" thunderstorm happening at the moment.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:18 am

Very neat, Jim. Keep us updated on the Iowa bananas

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:20 am

Yea I just checked your weather a second ago when I saw your weather sticker
said the temp was 77...to see if it was an error...but then I saw it said"thunderstorm"

One of my Basjoos came back from last years trunk so,I am curious to see if it will
flower this year....lots of hail damage in my yard this spring as well....
At one point the wells around the plants were filled with it-the soil temp was
up to 60F before that happened(in April),they dropped back to the mid 40s

Quite a lot of stunted growth from that kind of crap over the past spring-

If I can keep this stuff watered through this heatwave,maybe that lost time/growth can be made up!

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 12:51 pm

Yeah Jim that storm that came through dumped a couple more inches of rain in some spots. It took the temp down to the upper 70s for a little while which was the coolest we have seen at any time 24/7 for the last several days. Low last night was 81! Sun back out and it is now back to 92f (at least here at work) and the dew point is 82. I'm going to have to see how accurate the weather sticker is over time. It says 88f as I type this. Maybe it is 88 in Burnsville right now, but I'm just outside of downtown Minneapolis here. Here's the forecast for here. (local station, usually the most accurate) After tomorrow it finally cools off a bit. Supposed to get hot again by mid next week though.

WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE
100 88 88 90 88 86 92

82 73 72 73 65 68 72

Oh, and I'll try to snap a bunch of progress pics this evening after work.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 2:53 pm

Sometimes those weather sticker temps lag a little,looks like your back to 95 @5pm

That must feel nice after all that rain

Last year was so wet...one day it rained like 3 times in the afternoon
ant went from 75 back over 90 3 times-super tropical!

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:45 pm

97.7f here currently (6:40CST) and dewpoint is still 81! Looks like you hit the century mark today down there Jim. We are supposed to hit it again tomorrow. 103f was our highest (officially) so far this summer which was a few weeks ago. You are welcome to some of this rain though, more nasty thunderstorms on the way this evening. Watches and warnings all over.... Going to have to pump more water out of the pool again tomorrow. Water temp well into the 80s and I have not turned on the heater yet this season!

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 5:40 pm

I haven't measured pool water temp. lately but it is already uncomfortably hot for me even under the sunshade. Have to add lots of water; our dewpoint is only 67 F right now so evaporation is a factor.

CTPalm · Post by **CTPalm** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:58 pm

Cool Jim, is that a Basjoo?

Paul

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 7:33 pm

Did the nanners from last year have any seed Jim?

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:45 am

Jim- 83.1f was the overnight low last night here! We are supposed to hit 100+ today. I'm sure you will too... Here's a few pics I was able to snap ysterday before having to take refuge inside out of the upper 90s temp and 81 dewpoint, heat index of 120. Out of the 4 large bananas I wintered from last year only two have made it. One is very slow and stunted and the other seems to be picking up a bit (basjoos). They both got hammered by hail earlier in the summer and both have been cut off to just the stem at least twice since early spring. Meanwhile their pups and the smaller bananas (last year's pups) I kept over the winter seem to be cruising right along. Also the 3 new bananas I got this year are doing well. Started as tiny seedlings and are really speeding up in this hot humid weather (Dwarf orinoco, dwarf cavendish, ensente glaucum). I need to make a new banana planter next year. I don't have the room for everything anymore.

<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0233.jpg>
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0235.jpg>
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0236.jpg>
Don't laugh, I leave those "weeds" there on purpose. It's catnip growing wild and my cats love it!
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0237.jpg>
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0238.jpg>
Y. filamentosa that flowered last year but not this year (unprotected during winter)
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0240.jpg>
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0251.jpg>
<img src=http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww29 ... C_0253.jpg>

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:41 am

Last years bloom pics are from mid Sept-to late for fruit of seed.

They are not Basjoo-my guess is some kind of Orinoco-
should have edible fruit...and may have time to ripen
with the early fruit this year!

Kory

Looking good-this years cold spring and frequent(frequent enough!)
hail storms really stunted the tropicals etc,even the(spear-pull)
Trachys didn't recover until a month later than last year.

Time to get the sprinkler on and stop the carnage!

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 4:36 pm

Thats ok Jim, looks like you may get lucky this year

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:31 am

May indeed Jesse.

Kory

That Glaucum looks awesome!

I missed it the first time.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:23 pm

Man oh man, gorgeous specimen photos in this posting.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:40 am

Can't wait to see what E.Glaucum looks like when it keeps bigger!

Barb

It looks like it is cool there again-

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:08 am

It's been cool and rainy for a couple of weeks.
More storms/lightning than in recent years too.
Most of my plants love these temps.

Re bananas and cool temps, get a load of this July 18th excerpt from The Province (Vancouver BC) newspaper.
"Woman's banana tree grows fruit - in Surrey?"
Given the dismal spring and early summer in Metro Vancouver, Melanie Benekritis didn't expect much to be growing in her Surrey garden -- especially bananas.

But after going away for two weeks, she returned a few days ago to find her banana tree had, of all things, actual bananas growing.

Patrick Lewis, director of the UBC Botanical Garden, said the climate i BC is not optimal for banana trees. It's not common but it does happen, he said.
Miles Hunter of David Hunter Garden Centres said the tree type they sold Benekritis is a Musa basjoo -- a Japanese hardy. It is rare for a banana tree to develop bananas in this climate, he said. The growing season is short, they need a long hot summer.

Maybe the trick is to go away for two weeks...

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:19 pm

Hi Jim,

your yard is looking real tropical. That banana is huge! Keep us posted on banana fruits!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:08 pm

Barb

Sounds like she wasn't paying very close attention.....
Banana plants don't just suddenly grow Bananas!
Even in 2 weeks!

Thanks Tim

I will....
I need to get another picture of the flower emerging.
It is so fun to watch these flower,esp when the heat is on.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:33 pm

The Surrey woman obviously missed the flower, and came home to find small bananas forming.
How cool!
Especially with Vancouver's rainy cool weather.

Will look forward to seeing your updated banana flower pics.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:54 am

I'll try and take one today....
I always forget to bring my camera out!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 11:41 am

Haha

Here is an update on my Banana plant that flowered.
The one next to it is flowering too!

I always wondered if they flowered by say.....mid
to late July if it would be possible for the fruit
to ripen.
I guess I will get my answer this year!

Here are some pics from 7-29-11

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11004.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11004.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Second Banana plant flowering

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<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11002.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11003.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11003.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Thanks for looking-I'll let you know when the Banana splits are ready-hopefully not served with Pumpkin pie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 12:54 pm

Outstanding, Jim!

And look at the size of those leaves!

I'll take a dozen bananas...

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 3:27 pm

Super!
I've never had a banana of any sort flower, but a friend of mine down here got fruit a couple of years ago and he was so proud he put the little things in his freezer so he could pull them and and brag into the winter.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 3:46 pm

Nice job!! Is this any earlier then last year?

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 3:49 pm

Grest work as usual, Jim!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:10 am

Thanks

These have flowered almost 2 months earlier than last year!

They have grown insanely fast too-already need another picture up!

zomble · Post by **zomble** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 12:02 pm

Awesome Images!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 3:09 pm

They really move fast-esp in 100F weather with plenty of water.

Flower 2 days ago-

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

The Bananas 2 days ago-

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11002.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -11002.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Pretty cool!

mnpalms · Post by **mnpalms** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:01 am

That's awesome Jim! I always seek out and fondle and inspect the flowering bananas when on tropical vacations. They are so cool when they flower. People must think I'm nuts...

Did you say they are orinocos? They look like they probably are not the "dwarf" variety if orinocos though. How old are they? How many winters have they been dug up and wintered indoors? How big were they when you got them and started them out? Sad thing is that they will die after flowering. Hope you got lots of pups out of them first! The basjoos seem to pup like mad but I see no signs of pups from my orinoco and cavendish (both dwarf) yet this year. They seem to be growing like weeds though and if we get a summer even remotely like this one next year I think I might get one to flower here. Basjoos on the other hand, I don't think our season is long enough for that species for some reason.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 2:56 pm

Jim, how much water are you giving your Bananas every day in this heat?

Scott/Omaha

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:15 am

Yea,I pretty much have been watering them everyday but
these get some shade at the hottest part of the day.

Kory
These grew to 12' last year(top of leaves)so they were ready.
Probably a dozen babies on them now plus 2 other singles I planted
this year...these should flower early next year.
The babies on these will probably flower late next year.

What ever this variety is,it is a true 2 year fruiting plant in this zone.

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:24 pm

Cool As ^&%$#!!!!!! Bravo! I hope mine do that some day.....

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:09 am

Thanks Mike

My Basjoo are slow this year but maybe
by the end of the season they will catch up.

They may have used up the area they are in
probably need to dig them out in a year or 2
and rework some compost in...maybe try a different
kind there for a year or 2.
Like my Saba and Thai Black

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:39 am

You make a good point.
these guys are heavy feeders.

Mine did much better after I fertilized it monthly.
Didn't do as well with just buckets and buckets of water.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 3:03 pm

Mine look burnt-not to a crisp but bad enough.

Who the **** wants to go out and water in 100-106F
temps and heat indexes over 120-125F?
Not me....oops.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 4:04 pm

Good they're planted in ground.
Can you imagine how much watering work it'd be to try to keep potted stuff alive in those temps?
They'd fry for sure, i.e. root temps too high.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:41 am

Yea,Basjoo are not my favorite Banana plants,if they
didn't come back every year they'd be history.........
in more ways than one I guess.

Might want to try something there that pups less.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:04 am

Now that you've got those Thai giants, it's easy to understand why you've gone off Basjoos.

Basjoos don't match the "wow factor" of your others.

BTW Jim, any updates coming on your palm growth this summer?
And hopefully your ferns aren't withering in your heat.

Cheers.
Barb

zomble · Post by **zomble** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:05 am

Awesome Plants Jim!!

We could never grow them that big, and forget them fruiting.

PalmsNorth.com

2 days growth.....Fresh Iowa Bananas????(-:

2 days growth.....Fresh Iowa Bananas????(-:

Update on mini Banana plantation in Iowa-move over corn!(-:

Check it out-2 days growth!

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