Author Topic: Will banana stalk ripen fruit while having no leaves?  (Read 1582 times)

C24mccain

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Will banana stalk ripen fruit while having no leaves?
« on: February 12, 2018, 07:27:44 AM »
In the January freezes the leaves on my bananas were destroyed. The bananas are now putting out new leaves but I have two stalks that the flower cam out on with no leaves on those stalks. I actually have a total of three stalks at the moment with either fruit or flower but I'm wondering if I should chop them or get what I can if anything from these three stalks? I'm sure some have experience with this. Thanks.

C24mccain

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Re: Will banana stalk ripen fruit while having no leaves?
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2018, 07:40:58 AM »
Here are some pictures. One of them does have a leaf. The bunch of fruit still looks ok even though it went through some serious freezes.








WGphil

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Re: Will banana stalk ripen fruit while having no leaves?
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2018, 07:59:05 AM »
Bananas stop producing leaves when they fruit and they won’t ripen properly if those already on are severely damaged. Yours look close with the big stalk so I’d let em hang for a few more days and see

If they haven’t fruited they may or may not leaf out again depending how close to fruiting. 

Already took mine out. Had one with fruit that I took out and had to remove all the damage on others

Greening out again now.

The one with the new bloom is a goner.

The one with leaves is fine.


I looked again at the stalk and one looks yellow and that is the sign to cut it. The rest will follow 





« Last Edit: February 12, 2018, 08:07:17 AM by WGphil »

C24mccain

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Re: Will banana stalk ripen fruit while having no leaves?
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2018, 12:13:31 PM »
Yea at the top of the racks there are a couple yellow fruit so I knew it was close. So the one that has a leaf you would let ripen while the one with no leaves is best to cut down? Any others have experience with no leaf bananas?

lisar

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Re: Will banana stalk ripen fruit while having no leaves?
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2018, 07:49:19 PM »
I have a Kandrian fruiting now that was topped by hurricane Irma. It was 20' but now 8' pushing a small bunch. We cut a sister plant bunch that was 60+ lb before we left. I'm curious to see how they turn out. I'll post a picture tomorrow

knlim000

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Re: Will banana stalk ripen fruit while having no leaves?
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2018, 11:32:41 PM »
had same issue with mine and its no good to leave it.  it will not get big with fruits

sunworshiper

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Re: Will banana stalk ripen fruit while having no leaves?
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2018, 08:49:49 PM »
I'd leave them all. The fruit that are full size look like most should ripen fine, mine did. The few individual bananas that are black will rot, but the rest look good. The stalks that have pushed a bloom or are close can usually get enough energy from the clump if you let an extra one or two smaller shoots grow from the bottom to bring energy in to he shared corm. I'm in central Florida and will only cull the plants whose trunks rot from cold damage. If only the leaves were damaged they bounce back pretty fast and I leave them.

lisar

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Re: Will banana stalk ripen fruit while having no leaves?
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2018, 09:15:00 PM »
I have a Kandrian fruiting now that was topped by hurricane Irma. It was 20' but now 8' pushing a small bunch. We cut a sister plant bunch that was 60+ lb before we left. I'm curious to see how they turn out. I'll post a picture tomorrow