Welcome Back, Welcome Back....Welcome Baaaack! May 2016

2016 Will be the Summer of Bananas!

We are well on our way...

The mild Winter and warm Spring have us running a full month and a half  ahead of where we are normally during the growing season(and that's a good thing).  Those that took our advice and trimmed the banana plants up high have been rewarded with 4-5 full sized leaves on their tallest plants.  With the bulk of the Summer a head of us good things are certainly in store.  In fact, we recently and confidently proclaimed on SIMPLY BANANAS FACEBOOK PAGE(Link), that in the year 2016 the Charleston and LowCountry area will produce more Bananas than any other year in the history of Earth!  Think about that for a moment... this a true landmark episode in our relatively short past.
The Chinese were right...
With 2016 being the year of the Monkey...it only follows that it will also be the year of Bananas.

Keep an eye on the weather...

Unfazed by the rain, these Banana Plants are out for a swim during the 1000 Year Rainstorm in October 2015.

Despite underground water tables being 2 feet above historic levels(according to the town of James Island), keep an eye out for dry summertime conditions.  Combat dry weather by watering heavily.  Remember that  healthy leaves lend themselves to healthy flowers and fruits. Banana leaves are wide and long and transpire a lot of water up from the roots.  Mulch keeps weeds from stealing water and nutrients, while holding moisture.  The mulch eventually decomposes and becomes the plant's food.  Mulch early, often, and heavily.  Grass clippings are our favorite.  Many times, you will get the benefit of someone else's lawn fertilizer in your free bag of mulch!

Naked Blooms

Sometimes one of the first items out of the stalk after the winter is a bloom.  While exciting, one must remember that banana fruits need food to grow and mature.  This food needs to come from the not just the roots, but the leaves.  Naked blooms have few or no leaves.  While it is not completely impossible for the fruits to survive and mature, a naked bloom has very little chance for success.  Just enjoy the process and hope the timing is a little better next season.

Banana Harvest Videos

We, Simply Bananas, have a YouTube Channel with different banana related videos.  Many of them are harvest videos showing successful and unsuccessful ways to get the bananas from the stem for eating.  Check it out sometime.

 

10 Years Strong! 

Way back in the infant years of Simply Bananas.

Yes--that is right.  Ten years ago I had an idea to introduce others to the fun of growing bananas here in coastal South Carolina.  It really is something special for all of us to have undertaken together.  You see, in the tropics, bananas literally grow like weeds, therefore very few folks seem to care.  However, in our zone, banana plants are not all that common, so we take a bit more pride in growing them and growing them well.  When we get a flower and eventually some fruit, we have accomplished something that is a bit on the rare and exotic side.  We have accumulated an enormous amount of friends who have taken this journey with us, helping us learn throughout the way.  Therefore, I'd like to say thanks to the feedback and cheers to our success.

The Wildly Popular "How's it Hangin'" Section

Will return very soon when have some enticing dangley bits to show.  If you are not familiar with this section, we publish photos of your bananas hanging off the plant.  Send your pictures to us here SimplyBananas1@gmail.com or add them to the Simply Bananas Facebook Social Media Page.

Some of you may recall our wildlife camera trap project we have going on in Costa Rica.  You can get updated from this link: Camera Trap/Trail Camera Update

See y'all next time! (if I don't get arrested for using the Washington Posts flood image and/or the stunning Ehrinn Cummings 2002 Sports Illustrated  image)