Unfortunately, the link provided by banana-grower (and cut-and-pasted above) doesn't seem to provide any info on tissue-culture. As a matter of fact, it says, "...most of Banana is grown by planting suckers." Banana-grower operates in Melbourne, FL. Before I moved to the Florida Panhandle (and bringing my 'nanners with me!), I lived in Vero Beach -- which is a little less than an hour south of Melbourne on the Atlantic coast, or about 45 miles or so. Despite the fact that the two places are fairly close geographically, there is a transition between the sub-tropical and temperate zones between Vero and Melbourne, actually visible from I-95 as one drives between the two locations. I recall it getting quite a bit cooler in Melbourne during the winter months, so, to call it "sunny Florida" conjures images of conditions like those in Miami -- which is in truth substantially different. I don't doubt that there are varieties which fruit sooner than the rule-of-thumb six months, but it's probably not accurate to lump all bananas into the same cultural/growth time-line as each other. Certainly it takes a bit more than "watering daily" to get them to fruit sooner. Watering daily during cooler months when bananas slow down will get you rot problems, so, a greater understanding of their growing requirements is necessary than this overly-simplified answer. Surprisingly, there is a lack of info on the web concerning the length of time it takes to ripen bananas before harvesting -- although several sites discuss the post-harvest stage. I found the following which might explain how commercial growers are able to get away with harvesting a bit sooner, but also why grocery-store bananas are a bit "bland": ********************************* 1. Q. I've got bananas growing in my backyard and, I know that you're not going to believe it, they have produced little bananas! When do I harvest the fruit and how do I make them ripen? A. Unlike most other fruits, the banana will develop a resemblance to normal flavor after being harvested at any time after they are as much as 2 to 3 inches long: separation from the plant causes initiation of all ripening processes. However, the greener the fruit is harvested the slower these processes will be. Few of the ripening changes proceed well in banana fruits left to ripen on the tree: starch remains high and sugar consequently lower than in fruit ripened off the tree. Bananas shipped to this country are harvested "three-fourths full". This means that three fourths of the bananas have filled out and do not have the predominant ribs on the sides of the fruit. (When a banana is green and immature it has several obvious ribs down the length of the fruit. As the banana matures the ribs become less obvious.) Bananas need exposure to a naturally occurring gas called ethylene in order to ripen properly. Homeowners can "gas" their own bananas by placing them in an airtight plastic bag with several apples, which naturally emit the gas. ******************************** So, yes, commercial growers do harvest bananas more quickly, but it is at the cost of fruit quality. The following is the only other relevant discussion I could find on ripening time, from the California Rare Fruit Growers website: ************************** Fruit Harvest: Stalks of bananas are usually formed in the late summer and then winter over. In March they begin "plumping up" and may ripen in April. Occasionally, a stalk will form in early summer and ripen before cold weather appears. The fruit can be harvested by cutting the stalk when the bananas are plump but green. For tree-ripened fruit, cut one hand at a time as it ripens. If latter is done, check stalk daily as rodents can eat the insides of every banana, from above, and the stalk will look untouched. Once harvested the stalk should be hung in a cool, shady place. Since ethylene helps initiate and stimulate ripening, and mature fruit gives off this gas in small amounts, ripening can be hastened by covering the bunch with a plastic bag. Plantains are starchy types that are cooked before eating. ******************************* Bananas will, of course, bloom and fruit whenever they feel like it, also dependent upon varietal differences. My dwarf Namwah is just beginning to fruit now, despite consistent nighttime temps in the 40s with a handful to the mid 30s over the past few weeks! I also have a fruiting Ice Cream (as well as dwarf Brazilian and California Gold) which is about eight weeks old at this point. The dwarf Brazilian started in June so I'll cut it off in three or four weeks, but the CalGold and Ice Cream will have to stay on through the winter. I have a fuzzy memory about this and can't recall where I read it, but I seem to remember that Ice Cream is an exception that should be left on the plant until it starts to form black marks on the fruit skin to signal optimal ripeness before the finishing stage in your garage or closet. Hope this helps. Bruce C.

You can just google it and come up with info: http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/Brazil-Retreaded-Tyres-Submission-of-Non-Party-Humane-Society-International.pdf "Watkins, U.S. Pat. No. 2,105,800 discloses a flexible subirrigation device utilizing a scrap rubber tire that is buried horizontally in the ground surrounding the root portion of a plant. The tread portion forms the outer periphery and the side walls form the top and bottom walls, and the bead portions which fit the rim may be positioned close together or wide apart to form an annular slot facing toward the roots of the plant. The downward facing side wall is provided with a plurality of perforations and a funnel may be connected into an aperture in the upper facing side wall for introducing water into the tire casing. The tire casing may also be filled with a water absorbent or water retention material prior to its burial. The Watkins patent issued in 1938 and since that time much has been learned about buried tires. Most States now have regulations prohibiting burial of whole scrap tires in landfills because they tend to trap air and gases and rise to the surface. Also, studies have shown that buried tires can produce toxic chemicals that are leeched into the soil and groundwater. Watkins states that the cotton cords may rot, however, with modern day steel belted tires, the metallic elements may rust and also leech hazardous metallic solutions into the soil and groundwater. These hazardous chemicals and solutions are likely to be absorbed into the groundwater and root system of the plant. " http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9216257&dopt=Abstract "Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, MD 21654, USA. Tires have a deleterious effect on the environment. This review discusses the background of scrap tires discarded in the environment, including tire composition, adverse environmental effects, threats to public health and safety, and solid waste management. Despite the widespread use of scrap tires in environmental applications, both land-based and aquatic, data on the indicators of environmental degradation are extremely scarce. Indicators of environmental degradation include analysis of chemicals within the water and sediment, analysis of contaminants within organisms, and analysis of the biological effects of these compounds on plants, animals, microbes, and organelles."

salgal- I have to agree with you about Lapp Valley Farm in Pa. When we live in CT we went to Lancaster County twice a year to visit the Amish. We found that farm when we were riding around. The ice cream could not be beat. The older Amish man told us he could wrap the ice cream for us so we could bring it back to CT & it would not thaw & he was right. Hubby has a sweet tooth so we always came back with at least 8-10 gallons.

We had them when we lived in FL. It was awful- FL is so flat and the sound from the speakers on the trucks would carry for probably a mile, so when you first heard the horrible music, you knew you were going to hear it for a couple of hours as he toodled thru the neighborhoods. It's a Small World. The theme song from The Sting/The Gambler, earworms like you wouldn't believe. I don't miss them at all. They would run every day, all afternoon long, during the summer and on every weekend, it was very not peaceful. That was 20 years ago and a treat was at least $1. I never saw too many kids stop the truck, but there had to have been enough business for him to keep coming back. Personally, I don't know why parxt name="link" size=45>    Name of the Link: Information about Posting You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account. Please review our Rules of Play before posting. Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos. After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it. Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use. We have a strict no-advertising policy! If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum. If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help. Learn more about in-text links on this page here Return to the Kitchen Table Forum Most Recent Posts Antarctica trip â¢Â by graywings Swimming Pool and Trees â¢Â by bossyvossy grandmamaloy FYI â¢Â by calistoga What would you do re: light fixtures? â¢Â by zorroslw Tall Verbena â¢Â by rouge21 Hosta M 2014 â¢Â by funnthsun Old house, small kitchen, part 2 â¢Â by controlfreakecs To tuft or not to tuft. That is the question. â¢Â by bossyvossy Opinions on prep sink against the wall â¢Â by GreenDesigns Can I save my poor plant? â¢Â by Supovitz Explore GardenWeb Ann's Cream Cheese Babka Perfect for Holiday Baking