Hello-Seminole here, just north of St. Pete. Been growing bananas for about 3 years. You can cut off the purple "flower" at the bottom of the stalk when all of the fruit is out to relieve weight on the plant. I live next door to a golf course where we regularly have all sorts of wildlife come into our year to "graze". Possum, racoons, fruit rats all are regular visitors. They go after my oranges with a passion but have left my bananas alone.

If your banana plant has just recently produced this flower stalk, then you need to just enjoy it as an ornamental. We are too late into the summer for it have enough time to mature. As for staking it, it won't be necessary because there is very little weight on the flower stalk. Rarely does Dwarf Cavandish ever need to be staked. Pests are rarely a problem except if ripe fruit is left on the plant birds will peck at it.

As for cutting off of the bloom end, there are 2 schools of thought on that. One thought is to relieve the weight on the main trunk so it doesn't break in half. The other is to leave the flower on because if you cut the flower end off you are exposing the cut to fungus.

I belong to a Tropical Fruit Club that has a retired professional banana expert as a member. He says to leave the flower on. Since he told me that I stopped cutting off the blooms.

When the plant gets damaged from a freeze, then just cut it off at the base. The other suckers you have at the base will grow up to take its place.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll have another winter without freezes here in southern Pinellas county. Last winter we had only one cold night that fried some of the more tender plants but left my bananas unscathed.

You have a nice looking Banana plant :)

I suggest to cut the purple flower. there is no need for the plant to spend engery on this one, when you see that no more bananas are being developed.

Also, if you ever get to the point that you feel like drowing in bananas, you will gladly cut it after 4 hands or how ever many you think you can eat. The bananas do ripen pretty much ALL AT ONCE and after you had several full bunches (like the one shown below) you will only have s smile for the people bragging about their 5 feet long banana bunches ;)

My bananas (growing in Orlando) produce through the winter months, of course we didn't have a real bad freeze in the last few years. For the cold nights when temps drop below 40F, I wrap the fruit bunch in a bath towel, never lost a banana.

Some of my bananas last January:

Enjoy your bananas,

Evelyn

Wow, Evelyn, those are some good sized bunches! I guess I won't worry about the weight of the bunch breaking the trunk for now. I'm just excited about having my first bunch of homegrown nannas.

babalu, the clump does spread outwards with the new pups, and as you see on the picture, this one is leaning already. We had to support that one or it would have fallen over. DH took two strong stakes and crossed them, I added a folded towel so not to injure the 'trunk'.

:)

babalu CONGRATS! You and I are new 'nanner parents! My RajaPuri bloomed a couple of months ago. First time bananas for me. I cut the purple flower after about 4-5 hands.
{{gwi:901981}}From Fruits 'n Veggies

It's bunch is much more splayed out now and getting bigger fruit every day. Dennis says if I keep staring at them I might make them fall off the tree!!

WOW Evie, that's some big bananas!! They are beautiful...what kind? I am not worried about having too many bananas. Everyone in the neighborhood is wanting to taste them. Plus, last year a guy Dennis works with brought him a big bunch of Ice Cream bananas. When we got tired of eating them, I froze them(first time) in their skins. The skin turns brown, but the fruit does not ripen any further. When I took them out of the freezer, I peeled them and sliced them up for making banana bread before they thawed and got mushy. Man, that was some really fresh tasting banana bread, so I am looking forward to this harvest.

Curious, though, happy fl, are you saying baba's fruit may NOT ripen in Z9 this winter??? I thought bananas ripened all year round in Florida.

this picture above is dwarf cavendish and at that time had 4 banana bunches going. I also have the raja puri, aren't those just the biggest blooms ever? right now I have them ripe, yes yellow, on the plant, and a couple of bunches green and ripening in the garage and laundry room. My freezer is stuffed with bananas, banana chips, banana bread, chocolate bananas,... I start to understand Tony, he got rid of ALL his banana plants... ;)

about the colder days, if it comes down to it, I would wrap the bunch in xmas light chains and towels. Do what you must to have those nannas!

Cindeea--Yes, that is what I am saying. That's because they are not far enough along for this time of year. We are in a sub-tropical climate and bananas only ripen year round in a tropical climate. Look at the first picture and notice how square the fruit is. Now look at Evelyn's picture. Her fruit is mature or nearly mature because the fruit is rounded. Judging from the number of leaves there are on the plant, those blooms most likely appeared in late spring, the most ideal time.

So how long does it take for bananas to be ready for harvest where you live? I thought St. Pete is central FL?

I'm over in NSB on the east coast. Our nanas produce year round, and they get ripe :) Only time I've lost some was during Fay, and the wind took down the tree. We support the trees once the stalk is huge with a 2x4.

Abendwolke---It is best when the bananas bloom in late spring to early summer to be sure to get ripe fruits before winter. When they bloom mid-summer, the bananas will ripen during the winter if we don't have an early freeze. However, I find the flavor and texture to not be as good when they ripen in the winter, but I eat them anyway. It takes somewhere around 5-6 months of hot/warm temps. for the fruit to ripen.

I live near DeLand, central FL, so our climates are pretty much the same. Now the lucky people in zone 10 have a greater chance of getting lots more bananas with an increase in varieties that don't need to be cold tolerant.

well, maybe it depends on the variety. I am growing bananas for the past 19 years and I do have fruits year round. I do harvest them when plump but green, and let them ripen inside. Winter or Summer, I don't taste a difference. Again, may be the varieties.

To answer the questions, that appears to be all of the female fruit and even when ripe it won't be heavy enough to need bracing. I haven't had a problem with insects or animals, while on the tree - left on a table overnight, that's another story.

I try not to have to brace any of mine, as it always seems to end up snapping the stem if we get a good wind. I do find trying to brace it as close to the actual flower stem works best.

Mine fruit year round and I probably harvest a bunch a month. Unfortunately I did lose two bunches to Hanna and Ike. At the moment, I probably have 8 bunches, here are 2 of my very latest. On the right it just finished with the female flowers and on the far left you can see it is just starting.

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I'll let the male flowers come out a little more and then I'll cut the purple pod off. The only reason I cut it off is to stop it from dropping the "skins" on the ground.

WOW guys, great info here. I cannot remember when my bloom appeared on my Raja Puri. Now I just wish I would have written it down! Here's a pic I took today, can anyone tell me how much longer you think? They are still squarish.
{{gwi:952422}}From Fruits 'n Veggies

Now this looks like my hand is in the foreground, but actually, my pinkie finger holding a bottle of Coffemom's fav bevvie is wrapped around the tip of the banana bunch. I guess I have to hope for some more hot weather to get these babies to ripen!
{{gwi:952423}}From Fruits 'n Veggies

They're a good couple of months, they aren't even begininng to plump yet. I know some people that take a Sharpie and write the date on the stem, me I just wait and watch.

Thanks mini-I figured so, just this being my first litter, I wanted to confirm with the banana republic out there. btw I drank Coffeemom's brew for her before it got too hot!!

Thanks everybody for all of the input.

Cindee's right, this is great info. And if staring at them will make them fall of the tree then mine are in big trouble!

Minibim, I think you're right about that being all of the female fruit. The ones coming now are tiny little white things. If I don't see any more green fruit in the next few days I'll cut that bloom off.

My bunch looks pretty scrawny compared with some of the ones you all have posted. If your plants can hold up those giant bunches, then mine should be able to handle this little bunch without extra bracing.

I guess I should be thankful though, because this banana only gets about 2 hours of sun in the middle of the afternoon, with bright shade the rest of the day. People told me it would probably never produce fruit with such a short period of direct sun each day. I have been pretty religious about giving it lots of water and keeping it well fed with Black Hen.

Wow...after viewing all these glorious banana photos...I am very excited about spring!

All of you have absolutely beautiful banana trees. It must really be fun to pick the fruit in your backyard.

Out of my 4 banana trees, my largest is 2 feet tall. They are all dwarf cavendish. I didn't know what I was doing at first. So, I am off to a slow start.

I've been reading and getting educated on growing bananas so I can't wait to ask for advice on my first bunch!

By reading all of your advice, I have learned that bananas require a lot of watering (more than I thought...) and regular fertilizer. Hey...who knew?

I thought the rain water was enough? Apparently, if you want it to grow taller than a foot high and not die, you have to water and fertilize regularly.

Any special fertilizers that you all recommend?

Saintp, I throw whatever fert I have handy, at the trees. I was told they ain't particular about fert other than just wanting a lot. Our trees get plenty water as they are planted in a swail, below a wall hubby built to flatten up the yard by my potting bench. He also ran the drain spout from the house under the ground and out the bottom of the wall near the bananas. Still, when ever I have the hose on for anything, I make sure to give them a gulp or 2.

My little neighbor is totally fascinated with the fact that we have nannas on a tree! She checks on them every day, just like me!