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Banana fruiting stopped at 3 hands, now what?

9 years ago

My banana tree finally flowered, we were so excited. But it stopped at 3 small hands and the rest of the flowers just fall off. The leaves aren't looking so hot either. I'm wondering if I should cut the rest of the flower stalk off so it puts energy into the fruit that's there. What say you?

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Comments (4)

lac1361
9 years ago
It's not at all unusual that bananas that fruit in zone 9 don't produce a lot of hands. It's more of a timing issue. When I have a banana that makes it through a mild winter and fruits in April or May, I will get a lot of hands of bananas; otherwise, it almost always going to be a smaller bunch. How much water and fertilizer do you provide it during the summer growing season?

Steve
darkmorning
Original Author
9 years ago
I don't think it's ever been fertilized and it got watered when it rained. I didn't think it would ever fruit, it was just part of the landscape. Once it flowered I started watering more since the rainy season has passed. Should I just leave it and let the flowers fall or remove it and let the hands mature?
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Well I am surprised someone has not replied to this post. Maybe to many questions. I believe the six hands you talk about must be the first ones formed. Yes I would remove the remainder of smaller later formed bananas and let the large ones go ahead and mature. I don't think you really have to worry about to much sun on bananas ripening. The leaves alone should take care of that. About fertilizing, The plant or clump should be fertilized about once per week especially if it is a fruiting variety They are heavy feeders. Hope this helped although a little late. James Maloy
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Yes sk290, you are right, mostly you only cut the fruit off when they are ready (ripe or almost ripe). I think the OP just wasn't sure when they are ready to be cut. Once you have been growing bananas a while, you will know when they are ready before they turn yellow. Once they are yellow and cut, they do ripen quickly (to fast to eat them all). If you can cut them just before they turn yellow, you can slow some of the ripening. It takes some experience to know when they are ready, but just not ripe. Then you can leave them on the stalk and just cut the top hands that are ready, that way you can take them as you can eat them. But I guess people in colder zones do need to worry about frost in winter. Maybe someone with a closer zone may be able to help with the slow growth thing. I assume, as long as it doesn't freeze, they will grow, just very slowly in colder weather.
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sandy0225
9 years ago
It's done then, cut off the bloom
wvau6883nanna
7 years ago
Mine did this too with 3 hands! I think that I will just leave it and see what it does! First time to bloom! There are holes in the banana's under the leaves on the bloom! What can you do with these borers? Is it ok to put insect killer on them?

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