A few members asked about the banana trees I grow. I wish I have the climate and the collection that Jon has. 

Great pictures Bass.  Thanks.

It actually gets pretty cold here in the North Georgia Piedmont (zone 7b), with snow and ice storms so fruiting bananas are definately out, but I have seen a lot of people growing bananas here ornamentally.

I'm far too pragmatic to grow them just for decoration, but using the leaves for cooking asian food is a great idea.

You have just given me an excuse to grow a banana tree!  Thanks!

Best wishes.

John

Thanks for the banana post.
I was wondering about growing bananas today, as I came across an advert for a "hardy" banana, good to -29 C I think it said. I am leary of the supplier so will see if I can find one elsewhere.

Grant

I used to work with a woman that lives here in southern Indiana, zone 6. She grew dwarf bananas for years. She planted them in her garden in the spring after last frost and they would produce bananas each year. She said that they tasted great. In the fall she would dig them up and store them like cannas in her cellar. I guess they multiply each year and she said she gave them away to people all over her county. I think they were likely Cavendish but she didn't know.

Susan

Thanks for the info Susan,
sounds great

Grant

Grant, I forgot to mention that Raintree Nursery has a couple of dwarf bananas.

Hey John - there is a lot of work being done in Savannah for bananas.  I think you may be very surprised by what will be coming out in the next 5-10 years.

There was a huge piece on Gardening in Georgia (Walter Reeves' show) last year or year before from a banana form/hort farm of some sort discussing them.

Thanks again Susan,
as far as I know RainTree does not ship to Canada,
I'll probably get seeds,when they have them in stock again, from a store based in Montreal. http://www.rarexoticseeds.com/

Grant

Hi Jason.  Hope all is well with you my friend.

That sounds very exciting.  Growing bananas would be great fun.

People watch the news, and it's rarely good news, and become very negative.

To the contrary.  There is much to be thankful for, and even more to look forward to.

The days of easy credit and mass consumerism may be coming to an end, but for those of us who love to garden, grow, be more self-sufficient, and share with our community and neighbors, the fun is just beginning. 

More and more people are becoming serious about better ways to live and thrive based on real things, like gardens, orchards, and helping your neighbors, so I am very optimistic that most anything is possible.  Including growing some bananas locally.

Take care good friend.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

Bass, nice banana trees. Here in zn 9 it takes two years of growth to produce bananas. I'm not sure if all varieties do, but if the winter is mild enough and the trunks don't freeze, they will produce bananas that are very tasty, but must be left on the tree until quite over-ripe looking to be edible and still are firm and green tasting inside. I don't know the variety, but they get very tall with medium size bananas. After flowering/producing, the entire stalk dies but sends up suckers from the base. This past winter, they all froze to the ground here. I killed off a large stand I had to make room for more figs,lol.

@John,

You can watch the shows online - there are two.  You will find them both here:

http://www.yoursoutherngarden.com/gig_archives.phtml

Search the page for "banana".  You will find one show on ornamental bananas and another on cold-hardy bananas. 

If you search the page for "fig" you will also find 2 shows - 3 showings - of fig episodes, I believe both are with Ray Givan, who is our NAFEX fruit guru, he lives over near Savannah.

We have a lot of good folks here in Georgia!  Lots of fig trees, lots of fig junkies ;)

Hello,

Hello Ingevald,
the link to the german site seems to not be working

I have been trying similar method, but this guy is really into it. 

Hello,