Those bananas looked happy after that first watering ! Liked your links !

Thanks. I wonder if I'll get a flower this summer from the California Gold

Hopefully it will.I have read they flower when they feel like it. I waited patiently all summer last year for my mature Ice Cream to flower and it did nothing but grow. My others flowered but not my Ice Cream.

I've heard a number of conflicting (and likely real) stories on Blue Java. It's either extremely considerate, throwing out pups left and right, growing to a great height, and then flowering like clockwork, or, it just grows and grows and never gives you anything extra lol.

My Ice Cream was good to me last year except for the flowering. It was probably my tallest at 12-15ft and a half dozen stalks but no bananas. A couple of my largest pseudostems/stalks did not make the winter and have fallen over. However it is pupping but would like some continued growth from at least one or two stalks and maybe get some bananas.

What's your fertilizing regiment like?

Last year it was Sunniland & Bandini Palm granular fertilizer every month until my local sources decided not to replenish it. 8-6-6 I beleive then Mircle Grow liquid once a week or every two weeks.No paticular amount. My local Publix Grocery store sold the Sunniland Palm last year( strange this far north! ) I purchased some generic 13-13-13 this year. However seeing other bananas on the web and in person I beleive the soil preparation is the key. A nice,deep loomy soil/compost seems to make them happy and give them room to expand and grow. I use a lot of pine mulch which breaks down real nice in a short period of time.