Very nice HG! Do you think I may get some fruit from mine Dwf. Orinoco with 5 ft. of trunk this year? Here's a pic...

Do you have any pictures of the full plant?

Cheers,
Austin

Here is a link that might be useful: http://community.webshots.com/photo/220417194/354421133lqFfdb

if the d.o. is 5' now, i don't see any reason not to..!

if you get a bloom, may need to leave them till before first
frost and cut them and hang in a cool airy place to ripen..

once these fruits plump up and top hand fruit is app. 6" long, they're good to go..
you don't really need to wait till they turn yellow, but is best.
check out link below and look at the d.o. pics., as you'll find the color of a ripen d.o. fruit..

happy growin,

hg

Here is a link that might be useful: banana pics

Hydro, I know I asked you this in another thread, but you must live in a zone where it gets frost? I am strongly considering getting a dwarf orinoco plant and maybe an ice cream variety as well. Can you elaborate a little more on how you wintered your dwarf orinoco? Did you put any grow lights on it, or put it facing a window that has sunlight? I currently have super dwarf cavendish and the main plant ALWAYS dies back in the winter time ( plant is in pot ) and sends up many small pups.

here ya go

ga. 7b-8 depends on what map you look at..

plants that are going in greenhouse are app. 5-6' tall which are possibly going to fruit, if they fruit i'll keep them in buckets like the Dwarf Orinoco (pic below)and keep my fingers crossed. love these buckets as they're short and big around, this will help keep it from being top heavy. notice all leaves have been cut off except growing leaf. these leaves will yellow and die off after plant has been pulled, take a bit but will start to grow again in gh..




Dwarf Orinoco




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i've already pulled pups and potted up in 3 gal containers. these pups are about 12-14" with corm formed, they'll go to gh.




plants that have fruit haven't been touched, as the bunches will be cut down before first frost to ripen inside.



the ones that are expected to fruit in gh, pups are being cut down even with soil line.. this should give you a great big corm on pup next year.. mainly to help it fruit and ripen quicker.

my tall fruiters will be dug up and all leaves are cut except growing leaf then stored under house. i don't cover, water or bother during winter . i do keep them off ground, they're stacked on top of old tires and one heat vent from house heating ..

example of what you can get in 2 years growing tall plant, carries 5 bunches app. 7-9 fruits per hand.




Tall Orinoco ?




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pic below has one d.o. in back middle with fruit, bunches will be cut before frost, to house to ripen. two 5' pups in front will be seperated and put into big wash pans like above and placed in gh for winter. the smaller pups will be potted up and put in gh.




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gh will only be kept just above freezing and will dip below

at times, for short periods. gh is kinda like a moist zone 9 winter without the frost..

d.o. carried fruit last year to ripen this spring..

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How can one differentiate between an Orinoco and a Dwarf Orinoco? I have an orinoco that is just over a year old and it just over 4 feet. I overwintered it in a pot getting nearly full sun in a warm room. It is now planted in the ground. I had an Ice Cream that grew to nearly 8 foot in the same conditions. Could this orinoco be a dwarf?

i can't tell except the size of plant..

4' in a season is good growing, if planted this year should fruit at 5-6'.. if it ends up going over that and planted outside, poss could be a tall orinoco. check fruits, look for 6" top hand and angular.

check link above and click on d.o. for pics you'll find fruits from a dwarf and tall orinoco.

my tall orinocos fruited @ 9.5' and they can grow taller
in perfect climate.

hope it helps,

hg

Hydro, thanks a bunch for all the pics! You mentioned that before the winter, you cut all the leaves off, except for the main one growing out the top. Is this so that you can force the plant into hibernation? Also, I was thinking of keeping my bananas in pots in front of a sunny window over the winter.( I plan on getting a dwarf orinoco and an ice cream banana ) Would this be helpful at all or is it best to just "store" the banana away for the winter?

You mentioned that before the winter, you cut all the leaves off, except for the main one growing out the top. Is this so that you can force the plant into hibernation?

no, that's to reduce stress that plant goes through during transplant. it's best to come out of winter with a nice growing leaf. it's kinda like turning on a switch when sun & heat hit's it, they just start growing.

keeping my bananas in pots Would this be helpful at all or is it best to just "store" the banana away for the winter?

i believe in doing least as possible (convenient) way to keep plant going through winter. it's always best to keep plant growing if you can . that would depend on space and size of plant.

if you keep indoors just watch the mites.

hope it helps,

hg

My guess is that it's the temperature causing your dieback, not the pot or how may leaves have been cut back. And if you want fruit, fertilize heavily and be sure to provide direct sunlight on your leaves. I've used liquid fertilizer through a cup on automatic sprinkler valve with terrific results. My recommendation is to also know your solar exposure and do not force grow (by fertilizing) too late in the season because once that sun drops, fruit development stops and half-developed flowers rot. I just bought a dwarf orinoco for next year (they say it goes to 12 feet). But I'm a big fan of Dwarf Cavendish. See pic and my page for more info.

Here is a link that might be useful: pics of bananas fruiting in pots

harvested the d.o. this evening..

52 fruits from 4 hands
top hand 7"x4" last 6"x3"

guess it's cooking time.. LOL

got spoiled on raja puri..

happy growin,

hg

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Here is a link that might be useful: Pics