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John I. starts with ... After 4 years (and two crops) I've decided growing bananas here in Melbourne is not worth the trouble (not without a greenhouse anyway). While it is possible to grow banana plants and have them produce fruit, it is unlikely to mature before cold weather sets in. They can be picked early and ripened by placing in a plastic bag with a couple ripening apples. However because the fruit is not mature it lacks flavour and sweetness. | About the Author JohnI Melton 12th March 2012 8:17pm #UserID: 1975 Posts: 248 View All JohnI's Edible Fruit Trees |
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John I. says... RIPENING TIMES In the subtropics it takes between 2 and 4 months for bananas to ripen (depending on variety, weather and other conditions). In the cooler climate of Melbourne with the shorter daylight hours and overnight temperature drops it takes from 5 to 6 months or more (again depending on conditions). My plants tend to produce a bunch around December/January which would have them ripen May June (well into the cold weather). | About the Author JohnI Melton 12th March 2012 8:17pm #UserID: 1975 Posts: 248 View All JohnI's Edible Fruit Trees |
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John I. says... COLD/FROST While mild frost does not kill the plant completely, it does burn the leaves and stresses the plant. This makes for a slow start in spring, but can also leave the plant with a bunch of bananas and only one or two leaves. this is not ideal for producing large ripe fruit in a short period of time. According to the Queensland dpi ( www.dpi.qld.gov.au/26_16680.htm ), temperatures below 13 degrees can damage banana fruit. Overnight temperatures in Melbourne start to get down below 13 degrees in March/April. I tried rapping a bunch in bubble wrap, but I found that when outside temperatures were around 8 degrees, the temperature inside the bunch was about 10 degrees. Not enough to save them from cold damage. When temperatures start approaching zero the fruit is so badly damaged that it is inedible. | About the Author JohnI Melton 12th March 2012 8:18pm #UserID: 1975 Posts: 248 View All JohnI's Edible Fruit Trees |
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John I. says... OTHER OPTIONS One article I read ( http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1082/is_n4_v41/ai_19660633/ ) provides another option for protecting bananas from cold/frost. Dig up the plants and store in a cool dark location even with fruit on. It would need to be cold enough to prevent growth in storage, but warn enough to prevent cold damage. | About the Author JohnI Melton 12th March 2012 8:18pm #UserID: 1975 Posts: 248 View All JohnI's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Melbourne 16th March 2012 2:12am #UserID: 0 Posts: View All 's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author NSW Bananas1 South Coast NSW 29th March 2012 12:53pm #UserID: 6214 Posts: 56 View All NSW Bananas1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author JohnI Melton 29th March 2012 1:25pm #UserID: 1975 Posts: 248 View All JohnI's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author NSW Bananas1 Far south coast NSW 29th March 2012 7:25pm #UserID: 6214 Posts: 56 View All NSW Bananas1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author NSW Bananas1 Far south coast NSW 29th March 2012 7:29pm #UserID: 6214 Posts: 56 View All NSW Bananas1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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NSW Bananas says... an example see http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=2664&size=1&filefix=.jpg and http://plant.daleysfruit.com.au/ml/banana-red-dacca-1097.jpg | About the Author NSW Bananas1 Far south coast NSW 29th March 2012 7:47pm #UserID: 6214 Posts: 56 View All NSW Bananas1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 29th March 2012 7:49pm | |||||||
| About the Author NSW Bananas1 Far south coast NSW 29th March 2012 7:50pm #UserID: 6214 Posts: 56 View All NSW Bananas1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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John I. says... NSW Bananas, Someone else who has the cool bananas red dacca posted that the plant and bananas are green but the bananas turn red as they ripen. I have a bunch on at the moment but will have to wait months to find out for sure (if the frost doesn't get to them first). As for blue java succers, how often do you come down to Melbourne? | About the Author JohnI Melton 30th March 2012 12:37pm #UserID: 1975 Posts: 248 View All JohnI's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 30th March 2012 12:38pm | |||||||
trikus says... John , there is a green red dacca , bit rare here , but tastes the same , normal red dacca has red fruit that turns yellow when ripe , but fruit emerges red , turns green then sort of yellow .. fruit in hand came from same stand that produced pictured bunch .. its outside a local pub , took pic early Dec at Xmas party .
| About the Author trikus tattered tropics 30th March 2012 1:37pm #UserID: 5279 Posts: 121 View All trikus's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 30th March 2012 1:42pm | |||||||
nswbananas says... Trips to Victotoria useauly around 2 to 3 times a year. More often than not have family that go down vic and can sometimes bring things back with them. Most times when we go to Vic we go to ballarat and Back so go past Melton. And by the way I got my bluesky blue Java order of 3 tissue cultures a month ago already lost 1 to it snaping other 2 to date are still growing ok. | About the Author NSW Bananas1 South Coast NSW 30th March 2012 3:36pm #UserID: 6214 Posts: 56 View All NSW Bananas1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author JohnI Melton 30th March 2012 4:23pm #UserID: 1975 Posts: 248 View All JohnI's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author NSW Bananas1 South Coast NSW 30th March 2012 5:22pm #UserID: 6214 Posts: 56 View All NSW Bananas1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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snottiegobble says... My one year seedling cavendish is a worry also! I have fed it like crazy which has resulted in nearly 3 mtrs to top of youngest leaf with 2 pups retained & nearly as tall. I wont be able to contain & protect like last winter in a plastic tent so I am hoping no bell will form until spring! Should I stop watering & feeding now? | About the Author snottiegobble Bunbury/Busso 31st March 2012 1:24am #UserID: 3468 Posts: 1458 View All snottiegobble's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Brendan says... G'day SG, I never allow suckers to grow up with the 'mother' tree, they sap all the goodness from her IMO. I only allow 1 sucker to grow when the mother tree has reached full height. Mike & trikus might have different ideas. I try to feed my bananas every two months, and water them when I think they need it. We've had a lot of rain lately too.
| About the Author Brendan Mackay, Q 31st March 2012 8:48am #UserID: 1947 Posts: 1722 View All Brendan's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Trikus Tully 31st March 2012 12:26pm #UserID: 930 Posts: 749 View All Trikus's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Cairns 31st March 2012 12:42pm #UserID: 0 Posts: View All 's Edible Fruit Trees |
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snottiegobble says... I have a neighbour who used to run a banana plantation in Canarvon WA. He told me in spring that the mother`s leaf segments were probably too close together to let the fruiting body climb through so maybe keep the pups & cut her out instead! Anyway I didnt ( or should say couldnt) & she has managed to stay ahead in growth! ( Oh boy, these banana family matters are getting me down.) :-) | About the Author snottiegobble Bunbury/Busso 1st April 2012 1:14am #UserID: 3468 Posts: 1458 View All snottiegobble's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author MaryT Sydney 1st April 2012 6:57am #UserID: 5412 Posts: 2066 View All MaryT's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Brendan says... Hi All, the only time I actually de-sucker bananas, is when I want to transplant the sucker. All other times I just use a serated knife, cut the sucker off about 150mm above ground, gouge out the centre and pour in about a teaspoon on kerosene. I thought everyone did that? Works a treat! Here's another one, when transplanting suckers, do you cut the leaf part off? Here's two I planted a few weeks ago, pic 1 didn't have the leaves removed, pic 2 did. You'll note the sucker that I removed the leaves (actually reduced the sucker length by about a half), is growing a lot better. Added a pic of the knife I use. I trim the older leaves off, cut suckers off, gouge out the centre with the point (to add the kero), remove banana hands when needed, cut bunches off, and finally, cut the spent tree down with this knife. I really couldn't do without it! :-)
| About the Author Brendan Mackay, Q 1st April 2012 7:27am #UserID: 1947 Posts: 1722 View All Brendan's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 1st April 2012 7:40am | |||||||
| About the Author Trikus Tully 16th April 2018 8:47am #UserID: 930 Posts: 749 View All Trikus's Edible Fruit Trees |
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