musa velutina

bonkersinbrighton

musa velutina

Post by bonkersinbrighton »

I know its not hardy so maybe the wrong place to ask...
I have recently received my pink banana (after Royal mail lost it for two weeks!........... but thats another story).
I finally gave in to buying a plant after trying for 2 years to grow from seed but not 1 germination :oops: :evil:
I have had a quick look through the banana info and there doesn't seem to be many tips on this banana, is that because you are not growing them? 'cos there not worth it? icon_scratch the pics of them in fruit look divine, is it not realistic for them to fruit? icon_scratch
Any info or points in a direction I can find more info please.

by the way I am bonkers so if there is another place this is covered could you tell me.
GREVILLE

Re: musa velutina

Post by GREVILLE »

Photo, Bonkers?

I'm growing this in a tub. Got it as a dry corm last year and it's done well. Pupped towards last Autumn. Kept inside on a sunny window sill overwinter. I lost the main psuedostem this Spring but the pup has taken over and is now nearly four feet tall. That's the height it's supposed to bear fruit. Here's hoping.
bonkersinbrighton

Re: musa velutina

Post by bonkersinbrighton »

Ok here just taken tiny i Know but keep in mind it has just been unwrapped after 2 weeks on delivery van so it has been serching for light be the look of it :wink:
bonkersinbrighton

Re: musa velutina

Post by bonkersinbrighton »

oh !

I thought i had added the photo to that icon_scratch

hang on ..........
bonkersinbrighton

Re: musa velutina

Post by bonkersinbrighton »

photo for what its worth.....if I can get this bloody thing to do it stuff :lol:
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bonkersinbrighton

Re: musa velutina

Post by bonkersinbrighton »

so why has it done that with the bars up the side and not just a normal photo?
Vagetarian

Re: musa velutina

Post by Vagetarian »

I think that maybe the forum decided that it's too tall? When you click the image it maximises anyway...

I had a lack of success with velutina seeds (technically, it's Musa dasycarpa, velutina is a synonym) but finally managed to get one from a 100 pack to survive winter germination.

I don't think anyone will tell you that it's not worth growing and I think it's a great choice because you should have a good chance of it flowering, certainly since you might be able to fit it indoors over winter.

The fruit is only called 'inedible' because it contains loads of tooth smashing seeds, if you don't mind sucking the fruit off them then it is apparently very, very tasty. Of course, I guess you have to get to them before they pop themselves open and get covered in insects.
GREVILLE

Re: musa velutina

Post by GREVILLE »

If I get any fruit I'll do a full-blown taste test and report icon_thumright
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Re: musa velutina

Post by Dave Brown »

GREVILLE wrote:If I get any fruit I'll do a full-blown taste test and report icon_thumright
icon_thumright
Best regards
Dave
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Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
bonkersinbrighton

Re: musa velutina

Post by bonkersinbrighton »

Well Greville to get any fruit we would have to get some sun first icon_sunny :lol: icon_sunny surly its got to be coming soon!
Do you think that they stand any more chance of flowering/fruiting if planted in ground rather than large pot? I am generally quite lazy as far as planting out only to dig up & bring in for winter, but might make an exception if I could get it to do its stuff.

I was told by the nursery to cut any pups down to ground level as they appear. Is this so that I have to go back to them if I want another plant or is there a reason to do this in its first year? Had you separated yours before you lost one?

sorry many questions, and I suspect mostly I will have to wait and see.

Has anyone on here got one to flower?
Vagetarian

Re: musa velutina

Post by Vagetarian »

It might flower quicker if you remove all the pups but when it does flower, the main p-stem will die off so it's a good idea to have another largish pup ready to replace it. And then perhaps a baby pup which will in turn replace the 2nd.

Monstrous pots are always recommended for fruiting bananas (I'll be using 160L for example) so I would say that it was better off in the ground. However, then you've got all the disturbance, etc. If I had any ground to plant mine in, I would still have a specimen in a pot for fruiting, so I can bring it back in without disturbance and hopefully allow it to ripen or something.
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simon
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Re: musa velutina

Post by simon »

I had one f these for several years and had it flower twice but it never produced fruit of any significance as they withered and fell off as quick as they were produced. I got bored with it in the end and it eventually died of neglect or Red Spider Mite, I can't remember which.
bonkersinbrighton

Re: musa velutina

Post by bonkersinbrighton »

Yeah Simon I have heard similar reports from others, difficult to get right conditions even if possible.
You were not blown away by its inflorescence by the sound of it :lol:
Oh well I will give it a go in a large pot and see what happens - fingers crossed
GREVILLE

Re: musa velutina

Post by GREVILLE »

I'd even consider the flowers as a bonus, if no fruit. I gather the procedure for fruiting involves leaving one extra pup on the plant and any subsequent pups removed after at least three leaves have been produced.new stock plants. The extra pup can be left to mature after the main p-stem has produced fruit - and so the cycle continues - hopefully with your extra pups giving you new fruiting plants 'many seasons' later :wink:

Voila, your plantation. :D
Vagetarian

Re: musa velutina

Post by Vagetarian »

I've got my fingers crossed for flowers and if I manage to get that far, I'll cross them for the fruit. :lol:
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