"Going Bananas" need help...

Here is my pride & joy...but I dont know what kind of banana it is....Is it good eats? When do I harvest? I've never seen banana trees produce! We were given these trees by a friend, I didn't think they would live thru the last bad freeze, but they kept sending out new shoots....and now....bananas!!!!
Each day a new layer opens from the giant pod, and reveils a new bunch of bananas...there are 4 now, and it looks likes it wants to keep going.....should I give it something special? I was thinking about chopping up old banana skins and putting in the soil...sounds crazy I know, I'm just so excited, I don't want to screw this up...thanks in advance I'm sure someone out there knows what to do....

Wouldn't that be cannibalism if you fed it banana peels? LOL Just kidding, I really don't know how to take care of these, just thought that was funny!

ecrane3:
Nothing like a good chuckle over morning coffee....thanks.....but if you think about it...in the wild they would end up there...hey...here's another thought...maybe a monkey hanging from the tree could make my tree feel right at home...

Aloha LisaLu,

Lovely looking banana, I am sorry that I can't identify it, but about the peels - YES!

Here in Hawaii folks throw their banana peels all over the garden! After our bananas have been picked, we cut down the plant and leave it lying on the ground for a time for all the juices to soak back into the earth and feed the babies that come up around the mother stump. Our bananas give only one hand of bananas and then they are finished, they won't produce any more banana fuit, but do produce lots of baby plants which are the next crop...

We also take off the blossom end when the hand is a good size, which helps with the ripening of the fruit. We pick the bananas when the edges of the fruit become more rounded and get a slightly yellowish cast to them, then they are hung up in a cool shady place to ripen.

Good luck with your plant, you are sure going to enjoy those fruit!

Jenny

Jenny:
Thanks for the encouraging words. How wonderful that you live in Hawaii. What else do you grow? I have some Kona coffee seeds I was thinking of soaking them and planting them out by the bananas, do you have any suggestions? I also have papaya seeds and mango. I never thought these would grow out here, but I guess the north side of the property is protected from the sun and winds. I've been planting more tropical plants there, and they love it!
I mostly grow vegetables, and now flowers. My garden is big, it's a dream come true. It started out about 400 sq ft, now it's over 5000sq ft. I have a beautiful view of the mountains all around, and a horse ranch next door, so I can watch the horses run while working in the dirt. It a work in progress, I have so much to learn.
So back to the bananas...after all the bananas are exposed (out of the pod), how long do they stay on the tree? Do I just wait until then, remove the blossom ends and wait until they look ripe? Are we talking weeks, days? These bananas are only 5" long and 1" thick. (They are only 1 week old). So far there are 5 "hands".
Thanks for your help!
Lisa

Just a couple of things we've found out over the years here (Gulf coast of Texas just below Galveston). Let the bloom stay on until there is no more development and the fingers start to fall off the last couple of sets. Then cut the remaining bloom stalk off just below the last "hand" of bananas. Leave the stalk on the tree until, as said above, they just start turning color. Placed in the house or a shed, the fruit will ripen over a few days and you cannot believe the taste compared to store bought. I've learned here on DG that bananas need lots of potassium, and the old, dying leaves are full of it. So it stands to reason that instead of throwing the old leaves away, shred them up and put them at the base of the tree (just like Mother Nature does - what a concept, eh?) Enjoy your 'nanners

Karlae:
Thanks for the info, this has to be the most interesting plant I've ever grown. I wish I had the time to sit and watch as the leaves pull back and expose yet another hand. Everyday a new bunch appears, it's amazing! I'll post another photo this weekend. Thanks again!

Lisa, good luck with your bananas. :)