English Bananas?????

[ColinM]

Woo Hoo!
For the first time in 7 years, the Banana trees in our garden have decided to produce a flower bud.



These are planted directly in our garden (as opposed to pots that can be brought in during Winter). They always survive the frost and up till now I assumed that the only ones capable of flowering in English conditions weren't as frost-hardy (generally need to be inside).

I wonder what the chances are that we might even get some home grown banana fruit this year?!

[Mike G]

Colin, I'll send you my address a bit later, I love nanas

[Gary]

Off the top of my head, climate notwithstanding, Bananas need no pollination to produce fruit (parthenocarpy). So good luck and start looking up some recipes. 

[ColinM]

Mike, if it comes to that, I may have to start an auction here on NG - I don't think there will be enough to just start giving them out

Gary, thanks for the inside information.
I'm glad they don't need something tropical like Hummingbirds as the whole thing might have stalled there and then!

[paullgj]

Hi Colin,

I'm in South Texas, where the climate is a little warmer than England.  Best time for flowering is during the summer months.  Then 2-3 months after that, provided things stay warm, is ripening.  Here's some tips - after the flower stem has fully emerged, cut the male flowers.  Thus, all the energy goes into the female banana hands.  At the first hint of yellowing in the upper hands, cut the stalk, and hang in a cool place - 2-3 days, and all should ripen.  Never let the hands completely yellow on the plant - they will split.

What type of banana do you have?  They like heat so you must have had a mild winter.  I have Raja Puri growing in my yard - have about three stalks ripening at present.

Gene, in South Texas

[ColinM]

Hi Gene, it's great to get your first hand experience of this.

I can't now remember what variety we have. We got them from a garden centre a while back and they spent the first 4-5 years growing in our conservatory. Eventually they got so tall they reached the roof and reluctantly we put them outside, expecting them to not last long. We also had quite a lot of frost & snow that winter, but I wrapped the stems to make sure they didn't get wet. It seems that just cold alone isn't enough to kill the variety we have.

Ever since then, they have produced "babies" and the single original plant has slowly become a colony of trees that is (year by year) moving down our garden! I've also given many of each years new babies away.

I'm interested in your advice on the flowers. Can you post any pictures of your plants? Esp of you have examples of what the male flowers look,like?

[Mike G]

Well it seems that you will have a shed load of disposable plates in the shape of Banana leaves. 

[Jakov Minić]

Wonderful Colin, I have a banana too, but it occupies my living room, I doubt I'll ever see it bloom

[ColinM]

Mike, I'd love to try using the leaves like they'd be used out East. Sadly our trees don't have enough leaves on them to let me take them whilst they are young green & intact. And the mature leaves have usually turned to shreds by the wind, by the time enough new leaves have grown.

Jakov any banana that's currently in your living room will have reached the ceiling in a few years time! At that point you have nothing to lose by planting it outside. I'm not sure how they'd react by having the stem trimmed back.

[paullgj]

Hi Colin,

Here's the attachments - pardon the IQ - it's blazing sunlight outside right now, lots of contrast.  The first is the complete stalk.  The female flowers are the fleshy bananas - the ones that produce the fruit.  After the complete stalk emerged I let the male flowers develop for a few days.  Some are still visible at the bottom of the stalk.  I've attached a closeup.  They are the little stems at the bottom of the stalk which do not produce fruit.  I cut the majority of them, but left about 4" vertical on the stalk.  The reason to cut them is that the energy of the plant goes into the female flowers.

I am really interested in how your plant develops in England.  The mild temperatures and humid conditions should help.

Gene

[ColinM]

Thanks Gene

I'm going to struggle to match these, but this is where mine has got to 3 days later:



I'm guessing that the female ones are at the top RH corner and the flower bud has yet to emerge still?

[paullgj]

Colin,

Those are amazing for latitude 50 N.!  The female flowers are the ones that are emerging right now.  The males will be the last to emerge, probably about 2-3 weeks.  I see that Europe is having a heat wave.  That should help.

Gene

[ColinM]

I see that Europe is having a heat wave.  That should help.

Not here it isn't!
It's barely reached 20C so far this year. Wet & windy today....
.....so it sounds like we are even luckier to get these.