Minimally edible cold hardy bananas?

General Fruit Growing
#21

13 years ago I saw the unthinkable a Banana with fruit growing in the front yard of someone’s house in Washington DC.

For the past 12 years I have been trying and failing to grow my own. I have no problem with over wintering in the basement but when I try protecting them they usually die.

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(Thanks google maps)

I usually try with Dwarf Orinoco and Dwarf Cavendesh. Since I moved to Jersey I picked up the bakers creek dwarf collection. I lost all the tags and have no idea what they are at this point. I put them all in grow bags and they all grew very well but in the last two years I never gave them any time in ground. I will have to plant them out somewhere next year.

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#22

Sometimes i get the really bad idea of planting the blue java ice cream banana and building a enclosure for it

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#23

In my view it’s a bad idea because the true Blue Java is not a top-tier tasting banana. Further, most people who think they have blue java are actually growing Namwa.

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#24

Are they any good for banana hearts? Would it be possible to get a few of those that are good for cooking, even if you get no good fruit? I’d be interested in growing bananas more for the “vegetable” than for the fruit.

#25

If you were someone who was just full of bad ideas and in a zone 5 location with good sun year round what is the shortest best tasting banana that could handle cold? And how tall would it be?

#26

@RichardRoundTree - there are no seedless bananas that fit that criteria. The few seeded bananas that might work there only have ornamental value.

#27

That was a better answer that helped me with a full stop. I was thinking of building a mini solarium with those temperature openeing windows for greenhouses!

Ok better questions what month do i have to be in southern california or hawaii to get a fresh banana?

#28

Bananas are bulbs, not trees. They do not have a harvest month. I’ve harvested bananas here in all months except Jan., Feb., and possibly March.

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#29

I Have never eaten a fresh banana, I do get that the warm places i visit are almost too cold for them however

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#30

Next year I’ll have a perfect chance to harvest my dwarf Orinico (finally). It’s ready to flag early next spring.

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#31

Updated link:

Fruiting Banana Cultivation In Non-Tropical Climates

#32

so you’re saying in 6b I’ll need a 30 foot tall greenhouse.

(I’m joking, I’m just jealous of places that can get fresh bananas)

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#33

I planted Dwarf Cavendish (not Super Dwarf) in my greenhouse that’s about 12’ 8" at the peak, but I did strategically plant it under the roof hatch “just in case” I need to let it grow out the top… :joy:

It’s currently about 5’ to the top of the p-stem, it was about 2’ tall or less when I planted it a year ago… I’ll report back in a couple years about whether it flowers before running out of space!

(I’m in Seattle, so not z6, but that just means you need to spend more to heat a similar sized greenhouse than I do)

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#34

I have a hoophouse that’s 8’ tall. I am overwintering figs and olives in there it stays at 40° in the coldest months. I know, I know that a banana will not make bananas in it. but my heart wants them to.

I have a dwarf Cavendish that’s 3 feet tall and 4 years old. it’s a houseplant.

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