Do you mean once the bananas form from flowers? Generally speaking 6 months. Once you the bananas form, get a marker and write the date on the stalk. Pick 6 months later.

Yes that is what I mean. I was told also that once a tree has bananas that it dies. Is that correct? This tree has several stalks and is really big. I hate to see even the one that has the bananas die.

First, let's clear up some terminology. Bananas are not trees. They are a giant herb, a corm (bulb-like) with leaf stems wrapped around each other, (looking like a big onion, when cut) forming a pseudostem, sometimes also referred to as the stalk. The fruit are in bunches, each of which consist of several hands, each of which consist of several fingers, or individual bananas. The mother plant will die, after producing the bunch of bananas, but should have also produced several pups, (shoots, appearing around the main stem) which will bear the next year's crop. Other plants that die after flowering/fruiting, and produce pups, arer pineapples, and other bromeliads.

Yes, Kay as to what John said. The banana plant has a corm at the bottom of the base of the stalk in the soil. This corm is where the roots form to grow underground and the stalks grow above ground. Once a stalk has bananas it will not grow anymore. when the bananas are harvested, the stalk will die. The corm underground is still alive and will send up new smaller stalks called pups which are attached to the mother corm to grow into new stalks.

Thanks for the info. I knew that pups would come up. I just hate to loose such a lovely big stalk.

The pups will get just as big, believe me.
This is just a couple years worth of a division from my sister. I am going to have to do some major dividing in the spring..LOL
Pattie
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mcbdz, that is a NICE pic. I've never seen so many banana stalks fruit at the same time. Are those ladyfinger bananas?

Not sure of which. It is just the one that all my family and most people around here pass along. If someone is sure of which one it is would love to know.:o)
Pattie

Looks like Musa Ornata "Standard Lavender".

Steve

Thanks Steve, looks like you found it. Cool to have the name. :o)
Pattie