Re: Hardy Bananas
In a message dated 9/18/99 0:10:30 AM EST, dave-poole@ilsham.demon.co.uk
writes:
<< The variety Raja Puri looks pretty interesting as a possible for
fruiting in less than ideal climates. I understand it to be
marginally hardier than Orinoco and a few people over here are trying
it out in sheltered spots out of doors. My money goes on the
so-called dwarf form of Orinoco which should mature sooner than its
bigger brother since both varieties are fine in areas with very light,
infrequent frosts. >>
Thanks, Dave. I've got a guy in Florida who is going to send me a corm of
Raja Puri and anything else he can spare from his garden after the recent
hurricane. He grows 26 varieties of banana in his 1/4 acre backyard! I
don't think the variety I got from my Puerto Rican friend can be the dwarf
form of Orinoco, since the pseudo-trunk of one of the offsets he gave me is 8
feet tall! (Although, with the leaves, it's more like 12 feet tall.) His
tallest plants were only a few feet taller, though, so I'm not worried about
it getting too huge. I'll let everyone know how my "banana experiment" turns
out.
Regards,
Kurt
