Post #185909 by bananabobs on Sun, Sep 11, 2005 8:21 AM

On 2005-09-11 07:49, mermaidhouse wrote:
Nice job! From first hand experience with bannas - fruiting will kill the stem, and the fruit really doesn't taste that good. We keep cutting the pods off before they open to keep the stem alive - folige more important than bad bannas

Um...well...I hate to disagree but, a couple of things, first most banana plants grow cooking bananas not eating bananas, slice a home grown banana length wise and fry it in a little butter and brown sugar and I promise you will never cut off a bud again, second the fruiting signals the plant to send up "babies" You will get 4-10 new plants when the one stalk dies. Oh yeah, when the bananas are all out and you can see that there will be no more, then cut off the end at the flower, it makes an incredible soup, then when the bananas are all formed but not yet yellow, cut off the bunch, loose wrap with newspaper and put them in a dark place for a few days. Be sure to keep and eye on them, they ripen fast. I have about 4 to 5 plants at any given time in fruit, I also like to cook pork in the ground, banana stalks are what I use to line the pit as Ti plants are rare here and seaweed is a myth. I would hate to cut down a good plant to use but a flowering stalk is a prime target.