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Scarab74
Warminatrix
Registered: 07/06/09
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Loc: Conchs & Coconuts, USA
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Growing Banana Plants
#15601458 - 01/01/12 02:39 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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We live in South Florida and have two banana plants growing in large containers (sadly, no yard). We were excited to return from xmas vacation to find one of the plants had flowered and little bananas were popping out.
Does anyone have experience growing bananas, especially in containers? I'm looking for advice on harvesting the fruit and on propagation of new plants.
-------------------- ~Scarab74 We are such stuff as dreams are made of. W. Shakespeare - The Tempest
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eLShaMukO
Registered: 04/28/10
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Loc: far away
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: Scarab74]
#15601803 - 01/01/12 03:40 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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you could provably have new plants with time in a container like that but fruiting bananas in a pot is very hard because it needs tons of water make the fruit grows good and if gets a little dry it will drop it before it matures.
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Scarab74
Warminatrix
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Posts: 1,554
Loc: Conchs & Coconuts, USA
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: eLShaMukO]
#15602645 - 01/01/12 07:00 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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Thanks for the tip about watering. We were watering twice daily in summer and once daily now. I didn't realize the fruit was so sensitive to water.
-------------------- ~Scarab74 We are such stuff as dreams are made of. W. Shakespeare - The Tempest
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Prisoner#1
Even Dumber ThanAdvertized!
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Loc: Pvt. Pubfag NutSuck
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: Scarab74]
#15602915 - 01/01/12 08:00 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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I dont normally do this but I'm suggesting you give these guys a call, their site looks hokey but they're legit and really damned knowledgeable about bananas. I wouldnt recommend them if I hadn't actually stopped by their place myself a few years back on my way back from florida
Nursery at TyTy 1-888-811-9132 http://www.tytyga.com
http://www.tytyga.com/Growing-Banana-Trees-a/363.htm
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: Prisoner#1]
#15603002 - 01/01/12 08:20 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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I grew them back in Florida,but not in containers.You should put them in the ground,then you'll get the harvest you're looking for:-)Speaking of bananas in containers,I have one I brought from Florida that could use a major repotting
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R_Unit
Lab Tech
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: KBG1977]
#15603962 - 01/02/12 01:56 AM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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I don't know much about bananas, but if they do need constant water as eLShaMukO said, you might try a diy water globe.
http://www.frugalupstate.com/general-frugality/diy-plant-watering-globes/
Just use old wine bottles or the like and they will release constant water.
-------------------- May your harvest be bountiful.
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: R_Unit]
#15604286 - 01/02/12 06:44 AM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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yeah mine had to be watered nearly daily in Florida,or they would wilt badly,and look like crap.
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Scarab74
Warminatrix
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: R_Unit]
#15605352 - 01/02/12 01:01 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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Love the diy water globe idea, thanks!
Here in the Keys, yard space is at a premium, and what little ground that does exists is mainly coral rock and sand. We've had decent luck with tomatoes, eggplant, onions, herbs, and greens in containers, and my husband's coworker gave us two banana plants. I was happy they grew at all and made some shade on the deck, so when a stalk of actual fruit started to form I was super-excited.
They are small fruits, and I don't know how to tell when they're ready for picking.
-------------------- ~Scarab74 We are such stuff as dreams are made of. W. Shakespeare - The Tempest
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R_Unit
Lab Tech
Registered: 12/08/11
Posts: 188
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: Scarab74]
#15607247 - 01/02/12 07:50 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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Your welcome
PS, If Space is limited, you might want to check out window gardening. They are hanging hydroponic gardens made from recycled bottles. You can grow all sorts of fruits and vegetables. Imagine that you walk to the window and pick a fresh hydroponic strawberry when you want a snack.
http://www.windowfarms.org/buildyourown
-------------------- May your harvest be bountiful.
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Prisoner#1
Even Dumber ThanAdvertized!
Registered: 01/22/03
Posts: 193,665
Loc: Pvt. Pubfag NutSuck
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: R_Unit]
#15607278 - 01/02/12 07:56 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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banana plants are a little too large for window gardening
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: Prisoner#1]
#15607451 - 01/02/12 08:40 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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There are dwarf species though that can be grown indoors in pots by a window,preferably a patio.
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R_Unit
Lab Tech
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: KBG1977]
#15607630 - 01/02/12 09:19 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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Yeah, I didn't mean to grow banana trees in the window. That would be ludicrous! I mean window farming in addition to the banana trees.
-------------------- May your harvest be bountiful.
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koraks
Registered: 06/02/03
Posts: 26,697
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: R_Unit]
#15608713 - 01/03/12 02:24 AM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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Seed propagation isn't the easiest thing with bananas, and with the commercial consumption-oriented strains, it isn't even possible since they're seedless. The smaller, ornamental bananas can usually be propagated with seeds, but usually the rhizomes create little pups which can easily be separated from the mother plant. That's by far the easiest and quickest way to multiply bananas.
Quote:
R_Unit said: Yeah, I didn't mean to grow banana trees in the window. That would be ludicrous!
I have a pot with several (ornamental) banana trees in my house; I've had it for more than 3 years now. They're quite popular around here as house plants, as they are so easy to grow. It's a bit tricky getting them through the Dutch winters alive, but the rhizome tends to survive even if the actual plants don't. I never got them to flower or to fruit indoors though.
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: koraks]
#15608973 - 01/03/12 05:35 AM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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I don't think they will ever fruit indoors,especially the type that I have.They don't start producing fruit until they are like 20 foot High!Maybe the Dwarf ones will if you leave them out for the summer,and bring them in every winter,but I don't know.
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koraks
Registered: 06/02/03
Posts: 26,697
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: KBG1977]
#15611242 - 01/03/12 04:59 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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I've got a dwarf strain that is supposed to be capable of bearing fruit, but the winters are too long here to get them to flower, let alone bear any fruit. It only works if the summer lasts long enough, so around here, that means artificially adding heat and light during spring and autumn. It's not worth it.
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Scarab74
Warminatrix
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Posts: 1,554
Loc: Conchs & Coconuts, USA
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: koraks]
#15611304 - 01/03/12 05:17 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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Do you think sunlamps will help indoor plants to fruit?
-------------------- ~Scarab74 We are such stuff as dreams are made of. W. Shakespeare - The Tempest
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: Scarab74]
#15611914 - 01/03/12 07:13 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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I think so,yes:-)try it and let us know:-)
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koraks
Registered: 06/02/03
Posts: 26,697
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: Scarab74]
#15613820 - 01/04/12 04:34 AM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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Undoubtedly, if you use one/several that is/are powerful enough. But why pay hundreds of dollars for artificial lighting to grow a $10 hand of bananas? Count on it that you need at least something in the order of magnitude of 500 to 1000 Watts at an efficiency of 100lm/watt to make it work.
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KBG1977
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 11,017
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: koraks]
#15614458 - 01/04/12 10:03 AM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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my thoughts exactly,it just isn't worth the time or money,especially since bananas are so cheap to buy.
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Scarab74
Warminatrix
Registered: 07/06/09
Posts: 1,554
Loc: Conchs & Coconuts, USA
Last seen: 9 years, 11 months
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Re: Growing Banana Plants [Re: KBG1977]
#15616485 - 01/04/12 05:57 PM (12 years, 2 months ago) |
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Good point.
Maybe if you already had sunlamps on for other plants then the bananas could reap some incidental benefit?
-------------------- ~Scarab74 We are such stuff as dreams are made of. W. Shakespeare - The Tempest
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