COLD DARK ROOM

[Maro2Bear]

Last summer a forum member from Thailand who now lives in Northern Va. came by to get a bunch of plants for his tortoises and told me to cut the bloom off after you get a few rings of small bananas and they will grow bigger. If I get blooms this year I'm going to try it.

You mean the stalk that the flower is on will get taller. Interesting. Everything Ive read says the stalk will die once it blooms. But maybe, if cut before it fully blooms, the process tricks the plant somehow Into staying on & growing.

Does a banana plant die after blooming and producing fruit?
The simple answer is yes. Banana trees do die after harvest. Banana plants take around nine months to grow up and produce banana tree fruit, and then once the bananas have been harvested, the plant dies.

Decisions, decisions. ?‍

 

[Maro2Bear]

American Red Robin hatching out in the hedge at our rehab house.

Happy Birthday Birdies

 

[Len B]

You mean the stalk that the flower is on will get taller. Interesting. Everything Ive read says the stalk will die once it blooms. But maybe, if cut before it fully blooms, the process tricks the plant somehow Into staying on & growing.

Does a banana plant die after blooming and producing fruit?
The simple answer is yes. Banana trees do die after harvest. Banana plants take around nine months to grow up and produce banana tree fruit, and then once the bananas have been harvested, the plant dies.

Decisions, decisions. ?‍

Cut the bud off to keep it from growing and leave the small bananas attached to the tree. I think it will still die.

 

[Ray--Opo]

As long as it’s growing. Your ulta bright hot sun probably cinges the very new tender edges.....or, if it’s on the big old leaves, they just dry out and brown up. You are seeing new daily growth i hope?

Happy Friday.

Yes it puts out a new leaf about every 5 to 7 days. I am not big on fertilizer but a friend of mine uses a water, Epsom salt mixture. All his fruit trees do fantastic.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Ornamental, not edible, bananas. I ordered & had a bunch growing, but lost the tags. Sooo, not sure of this ones name. The stalks won’t produce fruit until they grow something like 100 new leaves, then will put out a flower stalk/fruit. Once it fruits it will then die. By then, it’s put up more rhizomes/roots & new baby banana pups start growing.

The Bananas won’t get much larger than this.
View attachment 326047

So after about 100 leaves I should see some flower/ fruit?

 

[Yvonne G]

Well it’s official... 1 down, 2 to go... View attachment 326045View attachment 326046
After the ceremony, we all went to a Japanese steakhouse for dinner.. I had siblings, nieces, and great nephews in attendance.. Jess is not sure what path she’s going to go forward with now but she’s still on a long recovery road and I’m not pushing.. I think it’s quite a feat to graduate during a world wide pandemic on top of months of hospitalization.. She’s a trooper and I’m so proud.

Kids are so resilient. Good job, Jess!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Big day tomorrow folks.

Do tell??

 

[Maro2Bear]

So after about 100 leaves I should see some flower/ fruit?

Ok. Heres Banana 101. Quiz tomorrow. We’ll keep it multiple choice.

lots of good info in here.

Banana Tree Bloom Stages

Banana plant flowers grow on top of the banana's large pseudostem, producing ovaries that...

homeguides.sfgate.com

 

[Maro2Bear]

Do tell??

Patience.

 

[Len B]

That's a great idea. Your pads look the same as mine, but I get more of a flower growth. I will only get 1 or 2 of the berry type blooms in a yr. Opo loves them but I am not sure why I don't get more. I get 100's of the flower type.
I like to feed Opo by hand just to have that personal time with him. But it kills my back bending over.

The pads in the pics are all new growth which won't have flowers until next year. Here's one I picked for Walker. These come from from a type of cactus that has long spines on the older pads but not on the new growth. here's a pic of the plant this pad came from.I try to feed Walker a pad by hand every day all year long. I've had 2 back surgeries so I know about bending over.

 

[Lyn W]

Well it’s official... 1 down, 2 to go... View attachment 326045View attachment 326046
After the ceremony, we all went to a Japanese steakhouse for dinner.. I had siblings, nieces, and great nephews in attendance.. Jess is not sure what path she’s going to go forward with now but she’s still on a long recovery road and I’m not pushing.. I think it’s quite a feat to graduate during a world wide pandemic on top of months of hospitalization.. She’s a trooper and I’m so proud.

That's fantastic!!!!!
Congratulations to Jess with many best wishes for whatever she chooses to do in the future. x

 

[Lyn W]

I am doing ok, I haven't told my granddaughter that I wont make her graduation in Michigan yet. I am hoping for a miracle that the clots will dissolve. Plus I hate to disappoint her. But graduation is in 2 weeks so I need to give her heads up. Going for blood tests this morning, so that means fasting. ?

So sorry you can't make it to the graduation Ray but I'm sure your grand daughter would rather know you are safe at home than risking the trip. Hopefully someone will film it so that you can be part of it. Meanwhile I'll be hoping for a miracle for you too - just in case they do happen!!

 

[Lyn W]

Big day tomorrow folks.

Refurbished house?

 

[Maro2Bear]

The pads in the pics are all new growth which won't have flowers until next year. Here's one I picked for Walker. View attachment 326076These come from from a type of cactus that has long spines on the older pads but not on the new growth. here's a pic of the plant this pad came from.View attachment 326077I try to feed Walker a pad by hand every day all year long. I've had 2 back surgeries so I know about bending over.

Wow! Thats a whole lot of fruit! We get our Sully a few every once in awhile from our local International Market where they sell the spineless pads as well.

 

[Len B]

Wow! Thats a whole lot of fruit! We get our Sully a few every once in awhile from our local International Market where they sell the spineless pads as well.

Yeah I get way more fruit from all the different types of cactus I grow than I can feed off. No markets near me either. I've tasted them and don't care to eat them.

 

[Chefdenoel10]

Well it’s official... 1 down, 2 to go... View attachment 326045View attachment 326046
After the ceremony, we all went to a Japanese steakhouse for dinner.. I had siblings, nieces, and great nephews in attendance.. Jess is not sure what path she’s going to go forward with now but she’s still on a long recovery road and I’m not pushing.. I think it’s quite a feat to graduate during a world wide pandemic on top of months of hospitalization.. She’s a trooper and I’m so proud.

Yyyaaaaayyyyyy!!!!!
Go Jess!!!!
Ooooo.... I am very happy for you and your whole family!
So much to celebrate...
I know there is a long road ahead but just for this ONE weekend could you celebrate what you have achieved so far??
You can go back to being overwhelmed later..?
Right now..... CHEERS FOR JESS!!!! ???
(Only the great ones get a lobster)!

 

[Chefdenoel10]

I am doing ok, I haven't told my granddaughter that I wont make her graduation in Michigan yet. I am hoping for a miracle that the clots will dissolve. Plus I hate to disappoint her. But graduation is in 2 weeks so I need to give her heads up. Going for blood tests this morning, so that means fasting. ?

Keep us posted tonight!
I am sending all kinds of good vibes and good thoughts for you to be able to make it to graduation. Two weeks is a long time..
sooo maybe do whatever the doctors say and REST A LOT! ?????????????????????????????????

 

[Chefdenoel10]

Ornamental, not edible, bananas. I ordered & had a bunch growing, but lost the tags. Sooo, not sure of this ones name. The stalks won’t produce fruit until they grow something like 100 new leaves, then will put out a flower stalk/fruit. Once it fruits it will then die. By then, it’s put up more rhizomes/roots & new baby banana pups start growing.

The Bananas won’t get much larger than this.
View attachment 326047

That is so.... fascinating to me!!!
How cool!
Nothing like that would grow as beautiful in MY care...?

 

[Chefdenoel10]

From Twitter, another rescued Box Turtle

View attachment 326048

Omg!!! Does he have a limp now!?!??!?

 

[Chefdenoel10]

You mean the stalk that the flower is on will get taller. Interesting. Everything Ive read says the stalk will die once it blooms. But maybe, if cut before it fully blooms, the process tricks the plant somehow Into staying on & growing.

Does a banana plant die after blooming and producing fruit?
The simple answer is yes. Banana trees do die after harvest. Banana plants take around nine months to grow up and produce banana tree fruit, and then once the bananas have been harvested, the plant dies.

Decisions, decisions. ?‍

I say try it!
What’s it gonna hurt?
At least you’re giving it a 50-50 chance.