Re: Hardy Bananas
- To: "medit-plants" <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
- Subject: Re: Hardy Bananas
- From: G* B*
- Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 21:48:54 +0200
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>
>here in Crete they grow small bananas in polythene tunnels on the south of
>the island. It is possible to grow them outdoors, by bagging the fruit with
>large polythene bags, but we do not get quality by that method. So we grow
>them just for their decorative leaves.
I understood the bagging was to delay ripening so the crop doesn't all
mature at once. Could someone possibly confirm this one way or the other ? I
often have a problem with several bunches maturing at once so ending up with
several hundred bananas ready at the same time. They dry nicely but it would
be nice to be able to spread the harvesting more equitably.
Commercial bananas are picked green & gas ripened. You just can't beat the
sweetness when they're ripened on the plant. Variety names aren't available
here in Capetown. Most commonly grown is one called ' Ladies Fingers ' .
Short, fat & stubby fruit which are incredibly sweet & flavoursome with a
custardy texture. In USDA zone 10. Get wind torn but the odd light frosting
doesn't affect them in the slightest.
Regards Glenn
