Banana Tree Advice Desired

[Andrew]

My first Banana tree has popped a flower resulting in 20 or so middle finger sized green bananas so far with more coming along every so many days as the flower head pushes out more and more.

Do I need to do anything to get the bananas to mature into eatable fruit?

By the way I was told by the guy that blessed me with the Banana tree keiki it was an apple banana. Also there is a waste hi keiki now coming off the base of the original tree.

Any and all advice and suggestions are appreciated.

Aloha,
Andrew

[kalakoa]

Wait until one banana turns yellow, then cut the bunch down.

Bagging the bunch will protect them from insects/birds and cause them to ripen faster.

The stalk will die after fruiting. Leave it; the plant will recycle the water.

Eventually the keiki will bear fruit, and the cycle will repeat. Next bunch will be larger.

Congratulations!

[Carey]

Here are a couple of "golden Oldie" threads on bananas
This one on growing bananas:
http://www.punaweb.org/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8463

& on separating the clumps:
http://www.punaweb.org/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4321

[bananahead]

cant really mess it up unless you cut it too early or wait way too long.... and everyone does it a bit differently

I usually wait til a single banana turns yellow on the green bunch, then cut the whole bunch off... green ones will soon follow and turn yellow working their way down the bunch from top to bottom ...if its a tall 'tree' I make a single chop w/ machete about 1/2 way through 'tree' base and then bend/pull over the 'tree' so I can reach and carefully cut the bunch w/o it hitting ground hard and losing bananas.
then I usually cut the entire 'tree' (really an herb) down as it is pau and will not produce 2 bunches. I do this so the energy/water will go into the smaller keiki 'trees' developing at its base.

I then either hang the whole bunch to ripen, by hanging with string from something so bugs, rats, etc. cant get to them easily, and they are easily pulled from bunch when ripened, ....or I cut up the entire bunch into individual hands, then give away to friends or freeze for smoothies.
PS. apple bananas, the most common banana on the Big Island, will usually be much smaller than the Safeway bananas (aka Williams) most not from the BI are used to

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save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha

[Rene Siracusa]

Bananas are rich in potassium, so they are heavy feeders of potash. You can provide potash to your plants by mulching with the old leaves. If you burn your greenwaste, the cooled ashes can be used as mulch. You future crops will be better for it.

[bluesboy]

can you use ashes from a campfire?

[robguz]

It is going to be about 6 months from the day the head of the flower has totally emerged from inside the stalk.

[Kelena]

I am totally not the expert on this (robguz is very knowledgeable and so is that Marvin guy!) Yes, don't harvest too early. Rookie mistake which I have made before. I still don't have this down, but you have to see some yellow. A tinge of it at least. The keiki thing is normal. That's so you'll have more bananas. Bananas are labor intensive for harvesting (remove bunch, chop down the whole stalk and drag it away), but totally worth it. Like bananahead, I'm big on smoothies and so freeze most bananas I harvest. Once made a really good banana bread recipe that I got from Cook's Illustrated. (I can cook when I am following an umambiguous recipe, but don't tell anyone.) I gave the bread away. Bananas are one of the joys of living here. I haven't tasted that many varieties, but I definitely like the small local ones.

Once harvested, I don't hang up anymore. I just put in a plastic laundry basket inside until they ripen. Be sure and send photos to your mainland friends. Always blows them away to see bananas growing in your yard at all times of year.

[Andrew]

Thank you everyone for the kind and helpful suggestions. I will keep a sharp eye out for the first yellow banana to appear then a sharp blade out for my harvest.

[8D] Can't Wait.

[terracore]

One thing we learned is that you need to use a lot of fertilizer as soon as you see the flower or else the bananas may not fully develop.