Bananas? (sound and plants)

James Waddick jwaddick@kc.rr.com
Wed, 29 Mar 2017 08:48:41 PDT
Dear Friends,
	Bananas (mostly the genus Musa ) are the world’s largest herbaceous plants and they are ‘bulbous” so fit this group readily.  Incidentally the recently described M. ingens tops the record at over 50 ft in height.

	I wrote an article in the July/August issue of ‘The American Gardener” a pub of the Amer. Hort. Soc. on ornamental bananas. I included some up to date info on fruiting bananas.  There are now a number of varieties (cultivars) of fruitng bananas that can bear fruit in as little as 7 month growing season.  This combines a short flowering season and a short fruiting season. Cultivars with a short fruiting seasson can grow from a small propagule (pup) to bloom within 5 months or so.  A short fruting cycle is around 2 months from the appearance of flowers to ripe fruit. 

	This means a few select cvs can be planted in the ground in April (or emerge from winter dormancy) and flower in July/Aug. Fruit ripens by the end of Oct. or before frost.  This means you can grow fruitng bananas easily in the ground in Zone 8 and with some protection in Zone 7 and in a large container  in colder zones.

	Partly due to tissue culture and wider trials of more cvs, a few specific cvs have been determined to fit this new model. The most often seen is ‘Viente Cohol’ which has been proven in S. GA. Lamon probably heard from  Dr. Esendugue Greg Fonsah. ‘Greg’ has published numerous articles giving details of his methods. Do Google his work on line. Other cvs with less testing include ‘Seminole’ and ‘Hua Moa’, but there may be more. Detailed info is available on line especially from thie publication: Catalog of Banana (Musa spp.) Accessions Maintained at the USDA–ARS Tropical Agriculture Research Station, vol. 1,

	This is just a brief review of these new trials. I am trying new cvs here in Kansas City almost every year. Great landscape plants. 		Best		Jim W. 



On Mar 28, 2017, at 10:18 PM, Lamon Ready <lamonready@hotmail.com> wrote:
UGA of Tifton (ABAC) campus has a banana man that spoke on the short season 'nanners' 2 Novembers ago. The Southeastern Citrus Group meeting was there, and The banana talk was most informative. He was able to share some of the babies, WITHOUT  names. There were exceptions that he wasn't able to share.

Lamon


Dear Daviud and all,

       I suspect there is something else going on.

       The crucial element is the cultivar's fruiting cycle length. Some newly tested cvs with a short fruiting cycle will easily grow and fruit in a 7 month growing season. Perhaps the Uni addded some new bananas now making the rounds that included a short fruitng cycle cv. I wrote about this in The American Horticulturist last year.  Lots of people who could never grow bananas to fruit are having success  now.

       In the state of GA they recommend locally grown GA bananas from a short fruiting cycle cv be sold in small farmer’s mkt and fruit stands with a premium price since they are local, fresh and chemical free.

       New world out there.             Best            Jim





On Mar 28, 2017, at 6:08 AM, David Pilling <david@davidpilling.com> wrote:

Hi,


"Talented gardeners at the University of Exeter have finally cultivated the fruit, normally only found in tropical countries, on its Devon campus after years of trying.


--
David Pilling
http://www.davidpilling.com/<http://www.davidpilling.com/>
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Dr. James Waddick
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