We got to visit Belize and we fell in love with the APPLE BANANAs there! Not sure if they are the same as in Hawaii but these are fat, smaller in length than a normal banana, and more angular shapped peel. Didn't even like bananas that much but absolutely loved these!!
We decided to grow them back home! Planted in NOV of 2015! They are finally having BANANAS! They are heavy feeders but you can trim the dead leaves and lay them around the trunk. Chicken manure is a good fertilizer for them also. Need lots of water. Their roots are not very deep or wide. Took awhile to fruit, but we don't live in tropical paradise. We have a mini orchard/garden also but these banana plants are beautiful and most amazing how they grow! They produce suckers and after they bloom the mother dies! But the suckers will take over.
12 leaves/plant is a sign they are getting enough fertilizer. 40 leaves total usually is when they can start fruiting! Leaves can be damaged by the wind but as long as they are getting enough nutrients they will still produce. Right now on our fruiting tree, there's only 6 leaves left! due to spring winds!
The flower is totally amazing. Humming birds love the flowers. Found out you can eat the flowers and also the heart of the trunk like palm hearts. But IT WAS NOT WORTH IT IMHO!! Don't even bother! Its like eating banana peels!! And it was a lot of work! I read you can soak in vinegar or salt or lemon. I did it overnight! STILL tasted horrid. And I am very adventurous! only if I was starving. Have to cut the flower off later so the energy goes towards the fruit. Make sure you don't get the sap in your eyes. Its very sticky and will stain your clothes.
They grow very fast but we love them and the bananas! : )Will let you know maybe in a month if we got the correct variety. I hope they get bigger! Still very small! And hope before FULL BLOWN WINTER HERE! Fortunately can still have hot days NOV/DEC.
Turns out you can even grow in a cold climate where you get below frost! There's a youtube...you just trim them down and cover sky high in compost. They will come back next year!
