I don't blog much about it, but gardening and growing my own food is one of my favorites hobbies. So, today I had a very pleasant surprise when I visited my backyard to do some preparations for the growing season that starts in about two months. A surprise that got me really excited :D
Among other things, I have a spot where 6 or 7 years ago I planted a banana tree. Unfortunately, I have never eaten a single banana. Why? Well, the reason is quite simple. Banana trees need about a year of growth in hot climate to yield fruits, so you either need to live in a tropical climate or come up with some other solution, like starting them indoors during the winter. And yeah Greece maybe hot but we have do have a mild winter with the occasional sub-zero temperatures that are more than enough to kill banana trees.
These plants are really susceptible to cold and in the winter typically the upper part dies and and the roots goes dormant, giving new banana trees when the weather gets good again.
So, what was the pleasant surprise? Well, first here's a photo of my banana trees from afar. Things look pretty gloomy:
But on closer inspection, things look a bit bright! As you can see down below there are still some green leaves but most importantly there are new leaves coming out of some plants, a clear sign they are still somewhat alive:
With winter almost over and the danger of frosts almost gone, if they manage to survive they are about to have a nice head start in March when the weather starts to get hot. Up until this year, the plants started coming out of the ground around mid-april and occasionally even reach the fruiting stage sometime around november. But then it gets too cold, the fruits die before they mature and so do the plants at some point by mid-december. So, even if one of the plants in the photos manages to survives then I bet I will eat my very own home-grown bananas for the first time sometime by the end of 2018 !
I will be updating you guys on the status of the plants sometime by the end of next month :D
P.S: Now that I proof-read the post I think it reads somewhat childish to some people. But I am sure all my fellow gardeners will understand my excitement. Fingers crossed, hopefully there are no more serious frosts to come !
"...a clear sign they are still somewhat alive"
Hey, your banana plants and I have something in common! There are also clear signs that I am somewhat alive!!!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂🤣😂😂🤣😂🤣😂😂🤣😂🤣😂😂🤣😂🤣🤣
Dont worry my friend. This summer I will feed you my 100 % organic fruits. That and a couple stem cell therapies and you will be as good as new!
Fully fermented and *Distilled" organic fruits I hope!
I zoomed in.
illuminati??
Fuck! I now have to burn everything! You saved my life!
I'll be waiting for your bananas @trumpman! Although I think I'll taste your strawberries first. Too bad they won't be coming out at the same time to make a fruit salad fertilized by fresh Greek piss :P
If you want you can have my piss right away <3
Naaaah! I prefer my morning coffee! :P
Fingers crossed!!! I am sure your home-grown bananas will survive! Looking forward for the update! cheers @trumpman
Thanks alexandra :D
Hey @trumpman,
congratulations - bananas! If winter comes back unexpectedly, just wrap them in bubble-plastic-stuff, should keep them isolated enough to survive a few nights! Those glorified herbs...
smartass mode on
No wooden tissue in the stem - thus, herbs
smartass mode off
I am too lazy to wrap :( But if I don't get any this year too I will just grow a couple indoors!
Exlente that you have your own garden, since in these times GM foods are killing us, I am from Latin America here they give some very good bananas for the weather, luck with yours.
Thank you :)
oh man, that's awesome! hope it does yield some bananas.
Had troubles with pomegranate here, my tree hasn't given anything yet and it's been 3 years.
Every year i think this is it lol
How did you start the plant ? And is it a sunny place? I have 4 pomegranate plants , six if I cound those in my village house, never had a problem with them! Maybe yours is still too young ? :)
i bought it didn't start it from seed, it has grown quite big now, every year it flowers, yet no fruits .. yea in a good sunny place too.
I have no idea then :( Maybe bees don't do their magic for some reason? Try to pollinate them by hand and see what happens!
right now I have just arrived from a plantain plantain and purple mop here in Venezuela, here abounds that plant, and if you want to prosper plant it in a place that does not give much sun, the sun for more than 8 hours a day dry, also needs water even once a week, and remove the dry leaves
Ok!
@Trumpman But no, it's not childish to rave about a plant that grows or a flower that opens. For my part, I live in an apartment I only have a terrace, but I'm always super happy when I discover that my plants flower or grow is only the happiness of life ...
It's one of the best feelings in life for me. Seeing a seed that I planted come out ! Thanks for the comment :D
@trumpman great side passion :3 I wonder how tasty fresh home grown bananas are! Please let us know in the future how the fruit turn out! Super cool.
I will thank you :D
Friend good post, hopefully your dreams of eating your own banana is fulfilled ... I support it with my vote and I will continue to see how it turns out your harvest I also invite you to see my blog you may be interested, thank you.
Thank you for the support :)
Hard work pays. Thanks for being hard working and sharing this inspiring post. Faming is indeed a very vital and profitable venture. Going to engage my self in it as well.
You should, it's lots of fun :P
Probably you are right. temperatures that are more than enough to kill banana trees.if winter go you can up cut middle of trees (one or two banana tree for example). I think you will get new trees with in two months. If soil dry give some water and potassium (may go agriculture officer for use comical) needful. Thanks, keep update.
Yep, you are right! It's super easy to get new trees as long as the roots stay healthy!
I've never even seen a banana tree before lol
Now you have :P But thanks to winter they don't look very good XD I will post a new photo after a couple of months, I promise they will look way better!
Much appreciated!
Ah man...I was into gardening as well as a kid!! And trust me, you can't describe the feeling when you're eating fruit yielded from your own garden!! Hated papayas as a kid, but everyone had to fight me to get a piece of papaya that grew in our garden haha!! Hope your banana trees survive the winter man!!
Hehe, thanks for sharing that memory! So why did you stop gardening ? :P
I moved abroad for med school!! Planning to do a bit again once I go home, given I have enough time once I start working haha!!
Banana trees suitable for planting in tropical climates, with relatively high air humidity and relatively hot temperatures. But if your land is in the subtropical area it's settled into trouble, because banana trees can still live on cold areas. Banana trees can also grow in areas that have air limitations, because the stem can supply a lot of air.But it can be your banana tree does not grow to the maximum. How to plant the next banana tree, you must calculate the wind speed at the cultivation location. If the wind speed is high enough will damage the banana tree that you will be maximized. The location for planting banana trees should have good rainfall ranging from 1520-3800 mm to 1 times growing. This means that in 1 growing season, there are 2 months that do not rain. You must make a bundle so that no air is stagnant in your cultivated area.
Thanks!
Hi, @trumpman. It's very interesting to see that you are growing banana trees in Greece; I didn't really think that was possible. I'm looking forward to seeing if you get your first banana in the autumn :)
Best regards from @valth
Thanks for the support :D Nothing is impossible :P
If I don't get any this year too I will just start one indoors next winter!
With fantastic nature of your weather, care must be taken so that the new ones will not be affected. The most important thing is the courage and hope you have. Keep it up and don't forget me when it is fully matured.
I won't! Thanks for the support :D
I will come for your bananas... or not :D
You can have my banana any time!
Actually, after thinking, no thanks ^^
Very beautiful homesteading
I like banana
@trumpman is going to love this comment:)
you can have a banana too zest if you like!
Do you want my banana?
a magical banana leaf
very nice blog i appreciate this
To accelerate the process of fruiting, you need to cover the plant in a mini greenhouse, then you will definitely have bananas in your garden.
Global warming isn't all bad. I want a small year-round greenhouse so I can try cool stuff like bananas.