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!
Wow--Its been a great year for Bananas.-- We are certainly in the final days of the 2012 season. We first saw traces of green back in March...that was a long time ago. The plants are looking shaggy--like a boy after a long summer at the beach--sun-bleached unkempt hair and all. Big plants, many leaves, lots of flowers and fruit....Man what a year!
I mentioned--back in May, that I thought that this would be the best season for bananas EVER in the LowCountry. Last month, USA TODAY, reported that the weather-on average- was warmer than normal for the past 16 months. October broke the streak. Read the story here: click this link!
This and That about fruit--Banana fruits that are 2-3 months old will often times ripen and become edible. If we have to cut some before they have plumped and start to yellow, allow them to hang for a few weeks inside and its likey you will be able to eat them! For those with fruits already, remember that the ripe bananas flavor changes dramatically every few days. Often times we make the mistake of eating homegrown bananas too soon. Later we find out that as the skin thins and darkens, the flavor is the best. Be patient.
Frost Alert--While we don't really know when the first killer frost will be the historical record indicates that it will be in the next 30 days or so. There is not much that you can do for the leaves. However, if light frosts are indicated in your area--it is possible protect the fruits with a burlap bag or some type of fabric wrapped around them. If the frost is certain--go ahead and cut the fruit from the plant. Now is the time to be especially vigilant.
The Mayan calendar ended the other day. We did not. With 2013 around the corner, we, as banana growers, cannot help but speculate on the remaining winter weather. Will we repeat the bounty of 2012, spurredby an early growing season or will we return to a nasty 2011-like winter with multiple sub freezing days? I don't know... I cannot help but speculate that out tropical plants are in very good shape heading into the remainder of winter. Thick trunks can really protect the delicate center core longer against the cold. Remember--there is no rush to cut your plants. When you do cut them--cut them high on the stem.
October marks the beginning of the end of the growing season for our Banana plants. Leaf production slows down and old leaves begin to yellow and brown. They can certainly be trimmed and discarded, or mulched around the base of the plants. Keep watering on warm days. Don't be surprised as there will be quite a few late bloomers here in the next 6-8 weeks.
Late Bloomin' Raja Puris....Dang it!
OK--Your well supported bunches of fruit may need a little attention. It is probably time to remove the flower pod. You can remove it when there is 16"-18" of space from the last bunch of bananas to the top of the bud. They say this will force energy into the ripening fruits instead of flower production. You intentionally leave that 'tail' beneath the fruit as it tends to protect the lower fruits from drying out.
Dwarf Namwahs with 'tail'.
Close up of 'tail' drying out.
I expect that we'll start hearing of fruit ripening in the next few weeks. You can tell when things are getting close as the bananas will lose that 'angular' shape and begin to plump up and fill out. If they start to yellow 'on the vine', you can eat them right away. One thing about home grown bananas is that they often taste better if the peels brown up a little bit. Unlike Cavendish/grocery store bananas, home grown bananas don't really turn mushy as the peel changes color.
Ripe Raja Puris.
The Raja Puri plant that
bloomed in May(see photo above) had some fruit ripening. However...I noticed in late
August that the fruits had stopped increasing in size. Further
investigation led me to discover that the waterline for that mat of bananas was blocked and the plants were getting very little water. That being said, these tiny bananas are
just really, really small. Their taste is outstanding! In early September, I wrapped up season 7 of Simply Bananas at theCharleston Farmer's Market. It is always fun being down there beside the Wife and talking bananas with so many people. The Truly Tiny, a super dwarf Cavendish type, was especially well received. I'll be anxious to hear of fruit in the coming years from this exciting new cultivar. Thanks to everyone for stopping by we had a lot of fun!
Bananas in the News--From the almost-too-much-information department, Australia's AussieBum Underwear company, has discontinued its Banana Fiber and Cotton men's underwear. How do I know...Kate tried to get a pair for me for my birthday from them, but had to go the eBay route. Here was their one and only commercial(sfw) from YouTube:
I figured this would fit in nicely near the How's it Hangin' section!
the How's it Hangin' Section
Photos of LowCountry Bananas!
Doc's Ice Cream Bananas from Daniel Island
From Mark in Mount Pleasant
Well supported Orinocos from Folly Beach
More from Folly Beach
Even more from Folly Beach
More from Folly 'Banana' Beach
Belle Bananas from Simply Bananas-James Island
One last Orinoco bunch from Folly 'Banana Beach', SC.
This past week, the Charleston Horticultural Society, came by for an educational Banana Tour. We had 20 plus folks traipsing around our mosquito-infested, fired-anted yard to view the 23 varieties of banana plants. We met many nice folks and had a fine evening.
Nathalie Dupree penned an article on her 4 banana plants with fruit for the Post and Courier. The story centers on the plethora of fruiting banana plants in Charleston this summer.
You can access Nathalie's story here: Low Country Bananas.
Some of Nathalie's recipes call for banana leaves. You should have plenty. First soften the leaves in hot water, or over an open flame. Like this guy!
Tropical Weather--One grower observed that every time his bananas fruit, "it means a hurricane is coming". Likely a barb that the high winds will blow down the vulnerable plants and he will lose the fruit. Maybe. I thought about it a bit, then realized that this is a logical statement. Warm winters= Bananas in Charleston. Also
Warm winters=Warmer Ocean Waters=Low Country Hurricane potential.
Keep an eye on what's rolling up from down south.
Support your Plants--It's always a good idea to support the fruits especially on already leaning plants. Heavy racks of bananas can often pull over exhausted fruit-bearing trunks. The easiest method is to lash it to another structure or banana plant with a bungie cord(watch your eye) or rope. Another way is with a PVC pole with Y connector on the end. Just prop up the bunch. The pole can be painted dark green to soothe the eyes.
In other Banana news:
Reports that regular water and bananas can be better for you than gatorade! Here's the Linky.
Also:
Are you tired of your bananas rotting before you have eaten them? A new Spray Gel made from shrimp peels can keep them fresh for days longer. Perfect for the Lowcountry. Give it a try!
Why not--have a teak table and a banana umbrella?
Another Video--We spent the first weeks of August down in Costa Rica. Once again we had the pleasure of spending some time at the Paradise Botanical Gardens.
Robert Beatham let me cut down and have a nice bunch of the best Red Bananas! He also sold me the Gros Michele Banana plant(Banana Grande) for the finca. Gros Michele was what people ate before Panama Disease and Sigatoka forced the big fruit companies to switch to Cavendish types of bananas. Enjoy the video.
Hows it Hangin'? A lot is hangin'. See for Yourself:
Ice Cream #1 from the Fox banana plantation. West Ashley.
Ice Cream #2 from the Fox banana plantation. West Ashley.
Wow--What a scorching start to July. Dry--Hot--Windy--did I mention
dry? We need some rain to break this heatwave. While it was not nearly
as hot as was forecast for the first week of July, it was well above average. It seems like this may last for a few days more, so I must advise to keep the hoses handy and water your plants every day. Yep.
So many Bananas---so little time. There are hundreds of varieties of bananas and plantains. Some of the better ones locally are the Thai Bananas(similar to Namwahs) at the very large H&L Asian Supermarket at 5300 Rivers Ave. Check it out and have lunch up there any day but Tuesday.
As you will see below-- in the 'Hows it Hangin' section, the fruits are beginning to show up on local plants. I expect many more to arrive in July. Keep an eye on the plants as these blooms can sneak up on you. Here are some key items to look out for:
The girth of the plant should be as big as you have ever seen it.--Healthy, as it were.
A smaller than normal leaf which may or may not have a red mid-rib-called a Paddle Leaf
A tiny shaped leaf--often called a Flag or a Flag Leaf
Finally the bloom emerges like a giant ear of corn.
Mulch/Thatch--As you know, I am a big advocate of mulching banana plants for water retention, weed control, and free nutrients. I mostly use bagged grass clippings(thatch) from around the neighborhood. While looking for thatch, these lines just came to me early one morning...
A Mulch Poem
I went driving around so I could snatch some free thatch.
I looked wide and far and found nary a batch.
Perhaps the grass was too low for the sack to catch or the new paper-bags the county requires were not a good match. I nearly gave up when I noticed a patch Of over plumped bags in an affluent cul-de-sac. Into the van they went 'til I barely shut the hatch And back home to the bananas for a final dispatch. Kate said I should scratch the poem about all the free thatch because of just one line that didn't quite match!
How's it Hangin'...
Here we post your pictures of fruit and flowers of local banana plants.
