Cutting Banana Stalk
The Orinoco Is almost ready it looks like but I was wondering if by cutting it back to a short stump now,would it still fruit from its dwarfed state?
I could cut a few inches off at a time and stop if I see the bud....although I might not know it if I started nipping at it.
Thanks,
Martin
The following thread was started by Martin on May 05, 2008 at 1:37 pm PST
If yes, I would myself leave them alone. You want all of the leaves you can, when it blooms; the larger leaves and the more you have, the greater the size of the bunch and the individual fruits, when it blooms.
If you have no leaves yet showing, you can cut it back some, but not sure, it it will make it that much shorter by the time it blooms hopefully by the June to the middle of July.
I have read that some commercial growers cut theirs back, but I would think it would be done in the middle of its life cycle, not at the end, though they don't have our winter dormant period either.
If you have two of something, I would leave one alone and then cut say 1/3 off of the top of its twin sized variety plant., so you have a base reference to guage what the results would be. Then let us know how you did.
How warm have you been so far this spring? I ask, as, all of mine which survived well this winter, and are all with 3 to 5 small leaves, except for the Raja puri. All of the leaves are looking nice and green compared to some winter damage results, do to surface root kill, down to 3 to 8 inches from average winter cold penetration.
If the leaves emerge with a yellowish to white look, and die from the sun fairly easily, include root rot too.
The surface roots might die from the almost freezing ground, but the roots below 6 inches coming off the bottom of the corms are normally ok.
If you start cutting from the top and work your way down, when you have no emerged leaves yet, you are not going to harm anything, if you don't cut much off with each slice. If you run into a leaf sword, you will only cut the tip of of the leaf, no big deal.
If you hit the bloom, you will only cut the tip off, and that is ok, if you don't hit it much. Here in the hot Central Valley, I have never had a bloom emerge without leaves, and ever grow and mature, they die by mid summer. Though it seems that Axel or someone along the coast where it is cooler in summer had one bloom without leaves, and went on to mature, and was edible.
If you are a CRFG member, or can get a hold of the recent May/June Fruit Gardener Mag, my article has a pic of of stalk cross section, showing an emerging leaf growing up the center. You may find others online too, to get an idea. I know I have that same pic on my MSN Group site.
David
The above followup was added by DavidLJ48, Waterford CA, zone14 on May 05, 2008 at 3:14 pm PST.
Those mentioned have their leaves except the Orinoco in question.All but two leaves were chopped off by my neighbor,thus me wanting to dwarf them.The second pup is 5 feet and pointing away from his fence so should be OK.The leaves were far above his roof line but I guess it bothered him.The rest are even with the top so I'll keep the low ones pruned as I always have on his side.
I did a briefing titled "Cold hardy banana test" on the Banana-tree board outlining temp,winter damage,growth and other factors that you asked for.It would be under the growing bananas section from author "Vallejo Ca".The experiment lasted all winter.
I searched all over for the answer but no luck so I had to ask...and lurking here seemed to be the best bet for an answer.
Been waiting two years for a bunch.Hate to screw up just as it's ready to send up a flower as it would be my first ever batch.
Thanks,you answered my question.I'll nip at it and hope it sends up a few more leaves before the bud and force the others to lean toward my house for now.
Martin
The above followup was added by martin on May 05, 2008 at 7:59 pm PST.