Aulani, I would except that is a photo from yesterday. This year I have La Rouge Royale in that slot. I am a firm advocate of knowing cultivars that one plants. Taste is in the mouth of the taster. If you find one you like, then you can grow it again. If you go to a nursery and buy a banana pepper, it could be one of several dozen cultivars with the only commonality an elongated shape and banana yellow color. I like sweet pepper fried, stuffed, and raw. BUT I use different cultivars for each purpose. Hot peppers I prefer to dry and use for seasoning, so Long Slim Cayenne is my favorite, altho I use Jalapenoes for pickles and used raw in soups and stews. This year I have Satan's Kiss, which I use primarily for chili poppers.

sparklynnrose, Found a simple explanation from Purdue University that I thought might help. I've also read that once fruit sets that watering should be decreased because our extreme heat my cause the fruit to burst/split. Something to do with the plants pumping so much water to fruit that the skin cannot keep pace (defense mechanism or some such, I cannot find the book quote exactly) Another link that is pretty informative: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-26.PDF Here is a link that might be useful: Tomatoes Not Ripening?

Could you post a picture of the tree? These are extremely fast growing trees and I would expect it to be much larger at 3 yrs old. Mine are always full of flowers and fruit and buzzing with bees except in the cooler winter. Where are you located? I don't fertilize now as I don't want to encourage new growth as we move into cooler weather.

Yes, quite a bit warmer down here. In my raised bed out back I now have five ( 5 ) stalks in various stages of ripening. Our temps hereabouts are still low 80 deg hi's, and low to mid 60's at night. So am hoping to harvest most of them. I am of the belief that these exotic bananas ( especially the Goldfingers I am growing ), taste their best at the time they actually mature on the stalk. So I wait till the last minute before cutting the stalk down and distributing the fat, yellow/green hands to friends & neighbors,..with the advise,.." eat 'em promptly. " Have one stalk that is over 4 1/2 months old now with a bulging stack of 10 fat, hard, green hands,...looking for the 1st streaks of yellow, Am expecting to take my machete to it as soon as that happens,..should be any day now ! Hmmm, haven't looked at it today yet,..better get out there ! ( smile )