Bananas, Bananas, Bananas...I Want To Buy Trees?

[ricardofel]

Any recommendations on where I can buy the longer variety (that we get in the US), not the typical smaller, fatter ones that I don't like....my thanks

[ignis]

No idea where to buy the tree up there, got rid of all mine as nothing but a pain..

Have you seen the baby ones, they are nice , big bunch at the local market is 5 baht, the long one not always easy to find are 15 - 20 baht per bunch..

If you have the tree you must water a lot every day to get a branch full all at the same time 1x year.. they do no keep + no way I could eat 1 or 2 bunches a day, so you end up giving most away, so to have bananas when you want them you would need at least 20 trees,, I had 10 and went months with non ready, even planting them every 5 weeks..

One or more babies shoot up from each tree.. after the main tree has given up its bananas then you have to cut it down.. The main truck rots down after time about a year, but not the leaves they take a lot longer, was forever cutting them up and putting in rubbish bags.

Edited January 6, 2011 by ignis

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

your after the Cavendish or Gros Michel type banana plant which are the most popular export type bananas. Gros Michel are more rare because the strain has been more or less wiped out by disease. I know they are grown in Thailand and sold but most varieties are the shorter fat shape.

If you can find someone growing them then get a planting. It's not a tree but a perennial herb which will give two to maybe 3 cycles before dying.

You could probably contact some of the larger banana vendors at one of the markets and arrange to get a planting from their suppliers.

Let us know how you do.

Edited January 6, 2011 by CobraSnakeNecktie

[LJW]

You can buy Gluay Hom at Kamtieng Market

[noise]

Kamtieng Market is so often that answer to any and all plant questions and expats spend so much money there that all the merchants should contribute a few baht and become one of the major Thai Visa sponsors. Or the land owner should become the sponsor (assuming all those merchants are renting, not owning, those small plots).

[Johpa]

One or more babies shoot up from each tree.. after the main tree has given up its bananas then you have to cut it down.. The main truck rots down after time about a year, but not the leaves they take a lot longer, was forever cutting them up and putting in rubbish bags.

Once you decide to harvest the bunch you should cut down the remaining stalk with a machete while the stalk is still solid and easily sliced. This will allow more sunlight to hit the daughter plants.

If you find a healthy banana tree (it is actually more closely related to grasses than trees) you can always cut off and replant one of the daughter stalks, which should be at least 1/2 meter tall, with a tool that looks like a very long chisel, a long bar with a flattened end. Just use the tool to sever the connection between the root balls and then just push the smaller daughter stalk apart and replant the daughter plant into a hole.