All Choked Up :-(

My Dwarf Cavendish is suffering from choke. I decided to try to do surgery to liberate the lower portion of the inflorescence. I had to sacrifice two leaves in the process, and the remaining leaves have weakened petioles. I have tied them up to help them withstand the stress. We'll see what happens.

Big Bubba Bud

The dwarf Cavendish plant is putting out, what I consider to be, a large bud. I have only had 3 banana plants flower thus far, and this is the healthiest looking inflorescence to date. On a side note, I checked my outdoor, mulched and wrapped over-wintered bananas. They seem to be alive. Our lowest temperature this winter was 19 degrees. Still lots more winter left. I hope they make it.

Dwarf cavendish

lights camera action

Banana flower

The banana flower is looking pretty inpressive.

Progress

the dwarf Cavendish inflorescences coming along.

over wintering outdoors

this is the first year I have plenty of bananas in the ground. I hope that they make it through the winter. if they survive and thrive, I will put more plants in the ground.

A watched plant never flowers

I'm still hoping for flower from my dwarf Cavendish banana plant. I attempted to move it to a sunnier spot to encourage her.  the next leaf should be the flag leaf.

Over-wintering

I've got a variety of over-wintering strategies in effect: plants in the house, plants on the porch, plants in the greenhouse, and plants covered with hay.

flower?

I do believe my dwarf Cavendish is about to flower. the cigar leave lacks concentric circles. compare the two cigar leafs shown. notice one leaf has a lot of concentric circles at the top, and the other leaf does not.

Truly tiny flanked by super dwarf Cavendish

Looking good!

Banana fruit

Only one hand this time.  Beautiful!

Cavendish anyone?

These are my three big Cavendish plants.  I had hoped they would produce a flower by now. Since its so late in the summer season, I now hope they wait until spring of 2014.  I'm not going to cut the pseudostems in half this time.