The Pre-Ides of March Update

Banana Plants on Folly Beach!...Just Kidding.(actually the Samoan Islands)

Hello to everyone.  This is, of course, the first Simply Banana Update of 2013.  I hope that everybody is doing well and had a great LowCountry Winter.  It seems that it was a mild Winter so far.  We are always prone to a Spring frost, but I'm guessing that we are past the serious danger zone.  If this is true, then it looks like we'll have another very good year of fruit production.

Time for Trim?-- Well probably.  After studying the weather, I decided to trim the old frozen leaves off(yesterday) and get the plants ready for the warming temperatures.   In some cases I found a partially green leaf that had emerged. 

Trimmed up it would look something like this:

Also--where I saw no leaf, I cut away all the top 'branches'.  Inside I found this:

Two Days later...it looked like this:

Its important not to cut the trunk parallel to the ground so make an angled cut.  This is done to reduce constriction on the new leaf.
Remember that the first leaf will be ugly as it will show cold damage and tends to shred easily.  As more leaves emerge, shredding eases and classic banana form takes hold.  The old leaves/trunks can be used as compost/mulch or dragged to the curb.

While you are waiting--for Spring to get here, enjoy this video about the Fruit Hunters.  There is some great banana information in here as well. 

Before the freeze in January, we were able to cut some of our undersized green bananas and stored them in the garage.

They are very slowly ripening and taste really good.  One thing we learned was that the more dark spots the banana had the sweeter it was.

Eight(8) Years...I was fortunate be invited back to the Charleston Farmer's Market for my eight season.  Look for us beginning  April 13.  I will also be a vendor at the the Mount Pleasant Farmer's Market starting on April 16th.
Come see us!

The How's it Hanging Section--

These Ice Creams probably won't make it.  Pretty Sad!

That's it!  See you next time!

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