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Our Banana Crop

November 9th, 2009 at 07:13 pm

We've grown banana trees for years - technically we're in a growing zone that freezes each winter, so must take them out of the ground as winter approaches.

This year we didn't water them much at all besides the original watering in after planting and the occasional bucket of water I saved when showering. We dig them out and put them in the basement for overwintering. Took some pictures of a part of our crop.


Fingerling



Hanging on fence after harvesting


The ferny looking thing is another plant, a cypress vine, not part of the banana.

These are Hawaiian fingerlings. Had some on my breakfast cereal today. We grow them more for the landscaping qualities, but the fruit is a nice side benefit. They make for great shade on our concrete patio.


Shade & the red thing ? is where the next row will begin budding out


During the last week of October the banana trees were taken out and put away for winter. Come next April out they'll go again. We call it cheap entertainment and a bit of exercise. We often have folks stop and out Hubster goes to give a lesson in banana growing in our climate.

13 Responses to “Our Banana Crop”

  1. creditcardfree Says:
    1257794672

    Those actually fit in your basement? They look huge!

  2. LuxLiving Says:
    1257795020

    Yes, they do. You cut off the leaves, and you just have a stalk. Then when you put them back out in the spring you have a dried looking stick in your yard for a few weeks, then it greens back up.

    If you look back at the wine cellar posts in my blog you'll see the giant square black holes that have lift up doors on them. This is the 3ftx18-20ft space under my utility room. They fit in, up under there.

    Each plant puts off babies each year. Once they bloom out, then they're done-kaput, life as we know it? over. The bananas usually grow out here in the second year, so the mid-size trees are actually ones that usually overwinter.

  3. creditcardfree Says:
    1257796083

    Thanks for sharing, Lux! That is so cool.

  4. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1257796463

    That is so cool. Cool, cool, cool! Last few years banana trees have increased popularity in my neighborhood. I love how they look in a mid-continental urban setting. It's weird bu they just look so *right* in a city....Cypress vine is forever, isn't it? Wink

  5. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1257796772

    Well, wait, I just can't resist. Are those plaster-filled painted brass bookends behind the banana? I think I may have their (50 year old?) cousins.

  6. Analise Says:
    1257799679

    Wow... I never knew you could grow banana plants that actually produced unless you were in the tropics. What a fun thing to do. You definitely have TWO green thumbs! Thanks for sharing.

  7. ceejay74 Says:
    1257802600

    Wow, I'm seriously impressed.

  8. frugaltexan75 Says:
    1257817822

    How very neat!

  9. lizajane Says:
    1257823852

    That is so cool! I didn't know they would grow in the mid-South.

  10. baselle Says:
    1257829366

    Wow, I'm impressed. I say that wearing my plant physiology hat.

  11. campfrugal Says:
    1257855578

    Wow, that would be awesomely fun to try. I do have an orange tree I have been growing. I put it outside in the summer, bring it in in the winter. Can you buy a banana tree/plant online somewhere. I would like one.

  12. LuxLiving Says:
    1257859166

    Sure you can buy one on ebay. I've seen lots of them for sale. If there's someone in your town growing them? Stop and ask them, they may be willing to give you a baby for a start.

    Another thought surfaced that ya'll might find interesting...

    When I was in Honduras in the 80's you could buy a whole stalk of bananas for $1 back in the jungle or $2 at the street-market in Tegucigalpa.

    ---
    We generally have very hot summers where I live - 100 degree days are somewhat routine.

  13. scfr Says:
    1258418910

    That is so cool! Thank you for sharing.

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