Author Topic: Dwarf Namwa Height Question  (Read 922 times)

kapps

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Dwarf Namwa Height Question
« on: February 19, 2022, 06:40:19 PM »
My “dwarf” Namwa has been a favorite ever since it produced its first 50+ lb rack after 15 months in the ground. It seems to send out the flower when it’s at the -10ft range and I’ve lost two racks due to wind (which is surprising with the massive girth of the pseudo stems). I’ve seen videos where they are flowering at what seems like 6’ and I’ve been starting to wonder if I actually have a tall Namwa. I believe this one was mail order from Florida Hill nursery. Is it possible that I have a tall variety or do those get really tall?  Is there a trick to getting them to flower at a lower height?

Epicatt2

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Re: Dwarf Namwa Height Question
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2022, 06:48:46 PM »
Glad you asked this question, Kapps, because I, too, recently bought a dwarf NamWah and I have it still in a pot.  I'll plant it our next month and see what it does for me.

Meanwhile, I did a Google search for 'dwarf NamWah height' and got this:

Quote
Dwarf Nam Wah, also known as Pisang Awak and other names throughout the tropical world, is a dwarf banana variety reaching a mature height of only 8 to 10 feet.

OK — HTH

Paul M.
==


SouthBayHapaJoe

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Re: Dwarf Namwa Height Question
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2022, 07:06:36 PM »
Mine was only 6 ft when it flowered. Yummy


spaugh

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Re: Dwarf Namwa Height Question
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2022, 09:05:29 PM »
Mine are 6ft maybe 7ft also.  The tall namwah is 10 or 12 ft and has a larger rack and falls over in the last few weeks of fruit maturation.
Brad Spaugh

Satya

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Re: Dwarf Namwa Height Question
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2022, 09:10:10 PM »
Ours have been 6ft max for years, and fruited many times.

kapps

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Re: Dwarf Namwa Height Question
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2022, 09:17:41 PM »
Hmm. My racks are double the size of the one in SouthBayHapaJoe’s photo.

Most recent rack that was blown over a couple months after this photo was taken:


This rack made it to fully ripen:


First rack ever (from the tissue culture baby):

« Last Edit: February 19, 2022, 09:25:08 PM by kapps »

kh0110

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Re: Dwarf Namwa Height Question
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2022, 10:01:29 PM »
This is a Dwarf Namwah pup that fruited recently. I received it from Thailand years back as a giant onion!!! This one is about 6-7 ft high.


Thera

pineislander

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Re: Dwarf Namwa Height Question
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2022, 09:20:04 AM »
Some reasons for height variation are:
- sunlight amount (less light = taller plant)
- type of sucker (sword vs water)
- depth of planting
- age of harvesting and pruning (pruned off maidens can fruit lower than mature specimen in less light)
- rising up of mat (bananas tend to rise up every generation because pups form above the preceding parent's base)

Declared "height of plant" depends on whether they measure pseudostem or tip of tallest leaf

SouthBayHapaJoe

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Re: Dwarf Namwa Height Question
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2022, 11:37:03 AM »
Yup. It’s why I’m not growing more bananas. I live near the beach and even though it doesn’t get below 40 it rarely gets above 80. We probably get 300 days of  mid 70 degree high and low 50 overnight lows. Not great for bananas but they still grow.  Fun experiment.

kapps

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Re: Dwarf Namwa Height Question
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2022, 01:54:03 PM »
pineislander, These are in all-day sun so light is not an issue and I only let sword suckers grow.  I haven't been as diligent with pruning off suckers as I was a couple years ago but all pseudostems seem to send off flowers at a similar height.  Depth of planting and rising of the mat could have something to do with it.  I'm on a small lot with a steep slope to a drainage canal at the back of my property so they're planted towards the top of the slope which also makes it very hard to brace them if they're tipping towards the canal.  In terms of pruning maidens, do you mean lopping them off at a certain height so they can't reach their final height before flowering?

I've found another spot that's on flat ground and started a pup so at least that will be a location that I can easily brace. 

SouthBayHapaJoe, I'm a few miles from the coast so the sea breeze does really reduce the summer downpours that they get 5 miles further inland.  I've been extremely happy with the production considering I really only feed them yard waste or their own suckers.  There was a video by Matt Reese who mentioned that the Namwa is able to produce heavily on only mulch and I can attest to that.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2022, 01:57:47 PM by kapps »

pineislander

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Re: Dwarf Namwa Height Question
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2022, 01:58:45 PM »
In terms of pruning maidens, do you mean lopping them off at a certain height so they can't reach their final height before flowering?
If you plant maidens usually the pseudostems are usually pruned off at planting. Once they start to grow again the final fruiting height may be shorter because they have already been partially matured. Some with frost might have to prune off and regrow with the same result.