This picture is back in Sept of 06, but you can see how tall they were. Since then they've been cut back some.
Papaya 101 "My Experiences"
Wow! I can't imagine that many 'nanas! I guess we have about thirty plants and we were told that there were seven different varieties, although I don't know what they are - forgot to ask that!
Because of our climate they are replacing themselves even before we harvest off the mother plant. Our 'nanas average 35 - 50 pounds per hand and they ripen year long. Sometimes it becomes a problem - freezers full, friends run away from you, and we are all get sick of eating them fresh!
There is an old time saying in Hawaii that if you give someone unripe bananas you are truely a friend, ripe ones not so much because you are trying to get rid of the excess...
Many sailors here will not allow bananas on board ship, considered bad luck!
Bananas are also used here by friends from Micronesia as a medicine. Their nephew got caught between a rock wall and a backing truck, severely hurting and bruising him. They chopped down one of my plants and crushed the trunk in a bathtub of warm water and made him lie in it for a couple of hours three times a day. He also had to drink crushed trunk water. Believe it or not he had no aches and pains after two days! This cure came directly from their Mom in Micronesia, who is well versed in local herbal remedies, via telephone! They also use poltices made from coleus leaves for cuts, to avoid infection!
We only get a dozen or so bananas at one time....I wish we got more. Some of the trees do vary in type. Some of our bananas are not very good to eat. Some we only get 3-5 per tree. Do you know how to pollenate them?
We use aloe vera for cuts or blisters! Here is a picture of my hut....I think I have posted it before.....
No thanks..no nanners. no room.
But have you ever seen a banana tree like this? My friend has this tree down the street in his green house.
You Texas Tropikids just keep amazin me!
Jenny! You cheated! You looked in my Word files and found my next article! Micronesian Medicine!!!! That is just too weird! I'm serious, I have the Kamani and Banana paragraphs already done! Aren't they amazing?? I am meeting with several of the "aunties" on the 8th to get some more info...
Love those cheater gals...heheh
What a cool looking naner!!
Even more banana trees....with my Grandson...tallest...and the little boy from next door. My Grandson helped my son plant the banana trees. We were even given some by his other Grandmother, so he calls them his banana trees. It has about 12 good size green ones on it now. I'll have to get more pictures of the bananas.
I wish we had more fruit!
I still haven't learned the secret about bananas..except they don't like staying wet.
me either!
Lovely stand of 'nanas Jeanne! Do you have to baby them during the winter? Nice looking hut too!
RJ, I hope your friends greenhouse is going to be tall enough!
Ah Shari! You know what they say about great minds think alike (they also say foolish minds seldom differ, but we won't go there!) You didn't know I have little elves who get into other peoples computers and trump their articles before they are published did you?
No, we don't baby them whatsoever!
Elves, huh? Is that what the E stands for in ESP? Elves stealing property.....
I got it! LOL
What are they called in Hawaiian?
You know that old saying about not carrying pork over the Pali mountain.....well maybe not, that was on Oahu. (It predicted that evil would get you)
LOL! That was a really good one!
Don't know about taking pork over the Pali, sounds like a crazy Oahu one to me - now have I told you about our Menehuni (see, we are sane on THIS Island!)
I though it was Menehuni! LOL Yeah, see, I remember a few things.....that's surprising....and I haven't even taken my herbal remedies for that this week....
What are they called? LOL
Bananas ! Acually I think it's mai'a....don't quote me - I could be saying something off color for all I know!
It might be earlier in the day for you two, but it's really early here....12:51 AM, and I have errands to run later in the day.....so as Chrissy says "Have a good one!"
It's been fun girls....see ya later!
Sleep tight!
Jenny, as long as the elves are nice, they are welcome. Gremlins on the other hand get et by my pooter dragon. I'll warn him your guys are there, so they don't get et by mistake!☺
LoL. That is my cats nick name...Pooter..
Lol!! Mine are Bogie and Cagney. Cagney is the laziest cat in the world, he even lays down to drink!
I think I must have upset my kitty when I was busy sweeping the deck, and cutting the hole around the tree bigger, because an offering lay on the front door step in the form of a dead mouse. He takes it so personally sometimes...LOL
Felinem caticus sleeperondom pooter kitty (the latin name)
I think that generally means that they are "thanking" you....bringing food to the family. You must have done something he liked!
Oh look! Pooter and Cagney look much more like brothers, than Cagney and Bogie do! Bogie has black markings, while Cagney has the ginger like Pooter!
Okay...aaaaah...that is the first good tip I've heard on bananas! Thankyou, I knew there was something to it. I don't even water mine here because they're not happy..
Do they like any sort of particular nutrient...?
Cagney and Pooter...tonight on NBC...hehehehe
Good enough for me...(black gold) the name of the cow manure and mulch I buy..
Which reminds me I have to get busy..and start mulching for winter.
Not NBC...DGTV! We don't have any local manure, but I keep thinking that the marina - especially where they clean the fish, should provide a wealth of nutrients. Unfortunately, they throw all the detrius to the nurse sharks that hang around the marina when the fishing boats come in. Whadayathink? It the idea worth persuing?
Shari, taking food from a hungry shark? What are you thinking? LOL
Sure, go for it!
Do you have seaweed? We have to buy it by the bottle! Fish would surely be good if properly used, I guess, but how to control the smell? Definitely worth investigating, I think.
Curly loves holes that are full of potting soil or have little niches to play in. We had a rock pile on the property line that I took apart to use them to line the iris bed and he was in the acting like a dog. He was rolling around and sticking his face into crevices and attacking the grass everytime it moved. And the rocks too. If I threw them out of the way he would jump over to them and sniff and pounce. LOL. He's crazy sometimes. Whiskers is just plain lazy and loves to sleep the day away.
Shari, it can't hurt to ask for fish leftovers for the yard. They might be nice and say yes.
Jeanne - those nurse sharks are about as tame as Pepper's Curly! But, I still think I would try to collect it before they got it in their jaws! I've been concerned about the smell too.
K - no seaweed here, darn the luck!
Pepper - I can just see him! My Bogie used to be like that, but they are both getting so old that they are "too cool" to play much anymore. Cagney not at all, and Bogie only when he thinks no one is looking, if you laugh, or he realizes he's been caught playing, he stops immediately and assumes the "Mr. Cool - meant to do that" stance. I miss the kitten in them. Enjoy Curly while you can.
Curly gets bored easily. lol. Eats bugs, hummers, mice, birds, whatever he can catch. He has bad breath because of it too. LOL. I think he will always be an active cat. Probably not as active as now but still running around. Whiskers always was somewhat lazy. lol
Shari, really? WOW!
What????
The nurse sharks as tame as Pepper's cat.......Are they real sharks? Or is that a name for a particular fish.......got a picture?
I've done homework again...this article suggests that the fish leftovers was the ticket.
Article is called: Terra preta: unearthing an agricultural goldmine
This is a link about a man made soil composition made in the amazon some 1000 years ago that scientist are trying to unravel it/s composition. It emphasises charcoal and fish products which continues as a theme throughout the article. Apparently the soils have survived through the years continuing to retain its viability.
Link
http://deltafarmpress.com/news/051114-terra-preta/
Some fast quotes
-Among the most important properties are high nutrient concentrations (especially for calcium and phosphorus). Most likely, this is linked to a unique utilization of agricultural and fishery waste products
We believe that fish residues are an important portion of the high phosphorus concentrations. Phosphorus is really the number one limiting nutrient in the central Amazon.
“Another interesting aspect of terra preta’s high fertility is the char (charcoal) content of the soil. This was deliberately put into the soil by the Indians and doesn’t only create a higher organic matter — and therefore higher fertility through better nutrient-retention capacity — but this special type of carbon is more efficient in creating these properties.
“You can have the same amount of carbon in terra preta and adjacent soils and the infertile soil won’t change. Terra preta’s abilities don’t just rely on more carbon, but the fact that its char and humus is somehow more efficient in creating beneficial properties. That’s the truly unique aspect.”
Well there you go Shari....better get some fish! Yum Yum for the plants!!!!!
Wow Randy, you are really good at that research stuff! From now on we'll just ask you, cause you are so quick to find the answer! Now calling Prof. Randy.....do you have any experience with avacodo seeds?
Have you tried to grow any other trees from seeds from the grocery store, or plants in general?
Question....how on earth do you water so many plants?
This message was edited Oct 3, 2007 8:45 PM