It's been months for me and I'm still waiting, I also did the alternating warm / cool cycles with no success. The seeds were hand picked from a ripe banana by me. Nada. However, I was lucky enough to receive a pup in trade a couple months ago. Now, despite it being an exceptionally cold winter for FLA, that one pup has multiplied into a 5 gallon pot full and ...drum roll...I see a definite bulge on one of them!!! I'm out every day taking pictures like it's a newborn baby! LOL

Ok then, if you haven't gotten any succes with your fresh seeds then I probably won't get any lucky with my dried seeds. I have planted them in a plastic box with warming cable under the moist soil.
I will keep you posted.
wanna_run_faster can you post a pic of your banana?

I have sprouted Musa Velutina seeds a number of times and I think I have begun to see a pattern with regards to the seeds viabilty (or at least their willingness to sprout in a "reasonable" length of time). When using fresh seeds, I have had them sprout in less than 2 weeks and I have also had them takes > 2 months (still waiting on those trays). I have even had them sprout on their own when the fruit falls onto the floor of the shade house. The difference seems to be not only how fresh the seeds are but what time of year the fruit matured. It appears to me that fresh seeds from fruit that ripen during warm weather seem to spring to life the fastest and that seeds from fruit that ripen during the winter in the greenhouses (when temps are not as high) seem to take much longer.

A few weeks ago I planted ~150 seeds from a velutina fruit that was harvested that day and not a one of those have sprouted yet. When velutina seeds are taken from "warm weather fruit" they usually sprout within 2 weeks. I do keep the seed trays on heat mats at ~85 degrees whether they are sprouting in summer or winter. Has anyone else observed this trend in seeds where you new their history?

I never bother. I leave them in the soil outdoors where they drop and within 2 weeks they are shooting. They are the only banana seed I have found which grows quite that readily!

Gatrops,
That makes perfect sense. Mine were fresh but like you said "fall" fruit, I think I have a bulge right now so hopefully I will have some new 'nanas in the right time of the year to be successful. Since my little pup has taken off, I'm really just doing it for the fun (and to have some more to share :)
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Here is a link that might be useful: Pink Banana

wanna_run_faster,
your pictures are not Musa velutina. They are a common Canna, a close relative to the banana. You might want to take another shot at those seeds to get a Musa velutina!

I don't think so! I got it with the banana growing on it! But I do have cannas, too and they look similar!

Well, I should add I hope not! I did get it in a trade. But we'll find out in a couple of weeks for sure either way.

It came with a banana wrapped in newspaper which I assumed had just fell off. I did pick the seeds out myself. But why would someone do that? I'm not happy if this is a canna! I just checked some pictures on the web, the last picture on Dave's garden website looks like mine. I'm hoping that it will get more coloration along the rib as it gets older (and of course spout pink bananas any day!). Really, if that's the case, how discouraging to my faith in traders because this wasn't a rhizome that could be possibly be mixed up but an actual plant. :"

Ive seen way to many bananas to even start to count can spot them a mile away, and especially Musa velutina which I have seen from seedling to fruiting mature mats. Im sorry to inform you, but thats a Canna, not a banana. They do look similar when young, but after a certain stage they can be told apart very easily, and the flower completly gives it away.

Gabe15,
I believe you. I think I was just in shock that someone would misrepresent a canna in a trade and go as far as to wrap it up with a fresh pink banana. I nutured this little guy through about 4 or 5 cold snaps and babied it like you couldn't believe. It just sucks.

Be positive wanna run. Canas are a beautiful plant anyway.

Sure, the disappointment is there that some $&@#^$!s will do that to people, but the upside is that you'll have a very nice flower.

Just an aside. We have some canas as well. Some of them grow from the fish pond, which has palms around it. Last year, a cana with amazing orange/peach colored flowers, grew against the trunk of the taller palm (Washingontia Robusta) and flowered just above the top frond and some flowers down the stem too.

The end result, is a "Flowering W. Robusta"! LOL I took some pictures last year and should post them as it just looks awesome, while being untrue! LOL I don't think Robustas have cana-type flowers! ;) :D

Thanks Blondboy47, I'm feeling much happier now thanks to Gabe, he sent me a beautiful & genuine musa velutina that is now happily residing on my patio! (Thank you Gabe, you're unbelieveable!) And my "original" velutina now has a beautiful orangy-red flower! Like you said very pretty! I just feel so stupid that I didn't realize sooner! Duh! And I passed on 3 of the pups from the first one so now I have to track down those people, apologize and try to make it up to them! :)