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Re: banana plant

marcia wrote:

> It's a dwarf. My husband would probably divorce me if I tried to have
> a
> full-size model in our apartment ;) Ok, now I have some questions. How
>
> long should the mother plant stay in the pot and how big should the
> suckers get?

depends on the size of the pot.  You can fruit a banana in a 14 inch
pot, but the bigger the better.  I would transfere the plants to the
largest pot you can accomodate, water well, fertilize like  mad and
stand back.  In the winter, if growth slows cut back on the fertilizer
(though I have fed mine full strength hydroponics fertilizer all year
long without a problem) but be ready to power feed as the plant kicks
back in in the spring.  You can find some info at:
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/2011/Musa.html

> How often do banana plants bloom?

Each adult plant blooms only once.  For continuos production of fruit, a
"mat" of bananas should have one fruiting plant, one 3/4 grown plant one
1/2 grown plant ans one sucker coming up.  In the tropics such an
arrangement ususally yeilds about one bunch every 3 months.  In NA,
especially indoors it will be 3-4 years to the first bunch and then
maybe yearly after that.  Consider getting a metal halide bulb to give
them the light they love over the winter.

Also:  Check out the following:

            Lessard, W.O.: The Complete Book of Bananas. - The ultimate
source for the
            banana hobbiest, excellent information and outstanding
pictures. (can be purchased
            from "Going Bananas")

            Taggart B. & G. Randolph. A Taste of the Tropics . . .
Hydroponic Bananas. The
            Growing Edge 1996 volume 7, number 4, pages 56-61.

            Waterman, M. P. Growing Bananas Indoors. The Growing Edge
1992 volume 3,
            number 3, pages 17-22.

            Robinson, J.C. (1996) Bananas and Plantains, Crop production
In Horticulture
            #5. CAB International, Wallingford UK. ISBN 0-85198-985-3

            Gowan, S. ed.:(1996) Bananas and Plantains. Chapman & Hall,
London ISBN
            4-412-36870-6

            Stover, R.H., Simmonds, N.W.:(1987) Bananas 3rd ed. Longman
Scientific &
            Technical, New York. ISBN 0-582-46357-2


--
Keith Benson DVM
Special Species Health Service/Urgent Care
University of Wisconsin
School of Veterinary Medicine
bensonk@svm.vetmed.wisc.edu  (office)
kgbenson@facstaff.wisc.edu  (home)
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/2011/
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