skip to main content

Will any type of banana produce edible fruit in 8A (Texas)

15 years ago

I really want to grow one, but I'm not sure if it'll be worth it if they it wouldn't produce. Unless i get that "rojo" one, cuz its kinda cool looking.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

tsmith2579
15 years ago
My expereience with bananas is they are like peaches and apples in that each variety has a different length of time to maturity. I've grown some in pots and put them in the greenhouse. Some take a little over a year of growth to bloom, some take almost two years. Unless you are going to offer winter protection, you will have difficulty growing fruit.
nyssaman
15 years ago
I imagine a dwarf cavendish would - i heard that is edible
Related Discussions
looking for basic info for edible bananas in z7
Q
Comments (8)
Cousinfloyd, Bananas have their minds of their own .. lol, so I can't comment on how long a cycle they need before they fruit. But, I would say some varieties are more predictable than the others. As for me, Raja Puri works for me. I'm able to get fruit off the plant every growing season, but I don't have much luck with the others. They may yield fruit every 2-3 years or more when in the ground. I think for the bananas to complete a cycle, it all depends on how much sun they get and how much water and fertilizer you give them during their growing season and most importantly if the banana is an eager fruit producer. I know all of them will produce fruit eventually, but I would say some earlier than the others. For me here, it is the Winter dying off that sets them back a lot. The lucky ones that survive the Winter may produce fruit quicker than the others. I would highly recommend Raja Puri for planting. Besides being a good fruit bearer, it is also more cold hardy and it's small and easy to manage at a 6-8 ft height in maturity. The larger species are more difficult to handle and they leave behind more mess to clean up. I had to remove a Saba because it simply was too much to handle for me. Maybe there are others here who have better luck with the other varieties who might share with you their experience. I've also realized that bananas don't usually produce fruit in a pot. I had one that fruited in the pot, but the bloom was small and the berries dropped off soon after that. Bananas need to be planted into the ground for fast and healthy growth to reach a good fruit production stage. With regards to overwintering, some people dig out the comb to overwinter while others dig out the entire plant into a pot. If it were me, I would prefer to dig out the entire plant to bring back to the house in the Winter. This way, the banana doesn't need to start from scratch. If you select a banana that doesn't grow too tall, they'll most likely fit into most ceiling heights. If there isn't enough light, you can always get a florescent light to hang above it. I've done that and many of my plants seem rather happy indoor. I've heard someone here in the forum some years back who had an ice cream banana in Illinois (I think) and he was able to get it to fruit after a few years of moving the plant back and forth between the pot and planting it in the ground. It was good that he had a very high ceiling to accommodate the plant while indoor. Well, I hope that helps. When you've decided on one to plant, maybe you can share a picture of your new plant.
...See More
Recommendations for fruiting (if even possible) in 8a/b?
Q
Comments (4)
Different bananas require different amounts of growing time to produce blooms. If you have a mild winter, the stems are not completely frozen and leaves come out of the tops of the old stems, you have a chance to grow fruit. If the stems are killed back to the root and grow from the ground up, your growing season will be too short. Some varieties may require 12 months of growth (survival) and some may require 18-24 months. I've had basjoo bloom here in zone 7 but I had to dig, pot and overwinter in the greenhouse. One growing wild down by the creek is protected & sheltered by a rock bridge abuttment. It grows on the south side and only the top grows above road level. It has been there around 20 years and has only grown new leaves from the previous year's stems 3 or 4 times in 20 years and I've only seen it fruit twice.
...See More
Fruiting Bananas in containers?
Q
Comments (2)
Except for some of the smaller types like superdwarf cavendish bananas won't do well in pots. No matter how big the pot. And you'd have to use a decent soil so that would be expensive. Some bananas sucker more than others. The ones in my front yard produce few suckers but the same banana in the backyard suckers like crazy. I think it's wetter in the back, shadier for sure. Dig up the pups, trade them off, leave them in unlocked cars in parking lots-wait, that's zucchini isn't it?-ah, same principal. Tally HO!
...See More
Growing edible banana in PNW?
Q
Comments (4)
I can't speak from actual experience here, but I was looking over at Ciscoe Morris' webpage the other day, and apparently there's a variety called "Darjeeling Giant" that fruits here. Looks like it has Musa sikkimensis parentage, so a warm location with good drainage would be helpful. Being close to the water, or in the city, even better. Here is a link that might be useful: Hardy Bananas
...See More
tophersmith
15 years ago
California Gold is the best tasting cold hardy fruiting banana out there.
tey157
15 years ago
There are some varities that will do well in zone 8a. They are 1000 Fingers, Dwarf Orinico, and Orinico.
asacomm
15 years ago
Hi Tey157
Could you tell us how they(Thousand Fingers,Dwf.Orinoco and
Tall Orinoco) could overwinter in zone8a? Outdoors in the
ground with perfect cold protections? Or indoors in the
green house? etc.etc.?
Thanks in advance.
bcfromfl
15 years ago
CalGold is only a good variety for 8a if you like plaintains. My most reliable producer for dessert bananas is Ice Cream, although it's hit-or-miss depending upon the severity of the winter and timing of frosts and/or rains. To get any banana fruit in 8a, it has to bloom not much later than July 1st. Many varieties have a tendency to bloom late-summer/fall, hold fruit over the winter, ripening in early spring. This, of course, doesn't work in 8a.

-Bruce C.
tropicallvr
15 years ago
The hardiest edible is said to be CA gold, which isn't a plantain, but a dessert banana(better tasting than Dwarf orinico). The second hardiest is Dwarf Brazilian, followed by orinico and others. If you want a quick fruiting type Musa viente cohol is supposed to fruit within the shortest period of time, but it's not likely cold hardy coming from the Philipines.
Hope this helps.
tey157
15 years ago
asacomm, this is not from my experience, but from what others have written.
bcfromfl
15 years ago
I've had CalGold for several years, purchased directly from Jeff Earl. I didn't say it WAS a plaintain, only that if you liked plaintains, you would also like CalGold. I'm fairly well-versed on bananas, and I definitely wouldn't classify CalGold as a dessert-type. When completely ripe it is still very firm, and lacks the sweetness of dessert bananas. It is also very large in size, like plaintains.

I've heard that it is a sport of Orinoco, but I can't corroborate this.

-Bruce
ericjwi
15 years ago
How well does Rajapuri do in Texas (houston area). Specifically in a 20 gallon container.
lac1361
15 years ago
ericjwi,

Raja Puri should do well for you in Houston in the ground. Choose a spot with lots of sun and protected from frost; like up against your house with a southern exposure.

Steve
User
15 years ago
I was looking for an answer about where to locate my new musa rajapuri purchased today at the Festival of Flowers in Mobile, one of the Festival plant selections they recommend for our zone 8b. The man did not know if it made edible bananas, so I was searching to find out on this forum. I'm figuring that it will make some edible fruits?

lac1361 z9a LA (My Page) on Fri, Jul 11, 08 at 8:25

ericjwi,
Raja Puri should do well for you in Houston in the ground. Choose a spot with lots of sun and protected from frost; like up against your house with a southern exposure.

Steve
Based on this information, I'm putting my new guy just outside the kitchen window on the south side of my house.
Next to the heat pump condensate drain, should keep it moist.

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS The Enticing Garden: How to Grow Bananas

By Steve Asbell

Sweeten your dining table with surprising flavors of banana cultivars while adding tropical flavor to your garden

EDIBLE GARDENS A Formerly Weedy Lot Now Brims With Edibles and Honeybees

By Mitchell Parker

Photographers transform their barren backyard into an oasis filled with fruit, vegetables, honey, eggs and more

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow 10 Favorite Fruit Trees at Home

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant a mini orchard in fall, winter or early spring to enjoy fresh-off-the-tree fruit the following year

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Add an Apple Tree to Your Edible Garden

By Marianne Lipanovich

Readily available, beautiful and fragrant, apple trees offer four-season interest along with crisp, juicy fruit

KITCHEN STORAGE Smart Storage for Fresh, Tempting Produce

By Tiffany Carboni

Keep fruits and veggies in easy reach with baskets, refrigerated drawers and cabinet pullouts, to stay healthy all winter long

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Grow Blueberries for Their Fruit and More

By Ellen Sousa/Turkey Hill Brook Farm

Eastern gardeners should consider growing blueberry plants for their delicious fruits, bee-friendly spring blooms and brilliant fall foliage

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Recipe for Tropical Edible Garden Style

Appeal to exotic good taste with fruit trees, palms and tropical look-alikes in your temperate-climate garden

FRONT YARD IDEAS Welcome Edibles Into the Front Yard for Fresh Food and More

By Abundant City

Give your front yard design a boost and maybe even make new friends by growing fruits and vegetables

FARM YOUR YARD 10 Easy Edibles to Grow in Containers

By Marianne Lipanovich

These herbs, vegetables and fruits are just as happy in a pot as they are in the ground

URBAN GARDENS Containers Make Growing Edibles a Cinch

If life hands you a lack of land, grow lemons — with a few basics, you can proudly reap the fruits, veggies and herbs of your labor

Sponsored

Frasure Home Improvements

2 Reviews

Franklin County's Highly Skilled General Contractor

More Discussions

Musa basjoo, winter dormancy?

0

Anyone growing Musa Coccinea

0