BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Kassaundra]

We use snap traps for mice and all of them get "disposed of" in the chickens yard. The chickens love them, extra protein no mice left, win, win, win.

 

[lpatelski]

My last pineapple of the season. Fall is here.

 

[GabrielBane]

Looks great! What're your plans for a fall/winter garden? We were thinking of getting one started once we got settled.

 

[Kev]

My last pineapple of the season. Fall is here.

Nice pineapple! I did not know Georgia had winter areas mild enough for mango, bananas? I cannot grow them due to the summer being extremely hot and too long but my father grows macadamia nut, mango, avocado and banana varieties. The banana varieties especially taste SO much better than the store ones..

 

[lpatelski]

Nice pineapple! I did not know Georgia had winter areas mild enough for mango, bananas? I cannot grow them due to the summer being extremely hot and too long but my father grows macadamia nut, mango, avocado and banana varieties. The banana varieties especially taste SO much better than the store ones..

What growing zone are you? Notice my Mango is in a pot? It has been left outside until it starts getting below 45 degrees. It has been brought in on super freezing nights.

We live in zone 8b. My Bananas are Orinoco, Dwarf Namwah, Raja Puri.

 

[Kev]

What growing zone are you? Notice my Mango is in a pot? It has been left outside until it starts getting below 45 degrees. It has been brought in on super freezing nights.

We live in zone 8b. My Bananas are Orinoco, Dwarf Namwah, Raja Puri.

The problem with zoning is it goes for winter temps and does not really take summer temps into acct-110-120F days for two months with 90-100+F for couple months before and after the super hot months of Aug and Sept. Winter is 9a or 9b if I remember the zoning.. hard frosts are rare- none some years but typical year there are a few nights dipping into 33-30F for short periods.

My dad has Orinoco, Raja puri, Ice cream, and a dwarf Cavendish(yeah yeah.. told dad that one is a waste, it is the same as store banana flavored cardboard... ) two varieties of mango, in ground. I don't remember the mango names.

did not catch yours being in a pot..

 

[lpatelski]

The problem with zoning is it goes for winter temps and does not really take summer temps into acct-110-120F days for two months with 90-100+F for couple months before and after the super hot months of Aug and Sept. Winter is 9a or 9b if I remember the zoning.. hard frosts are rare- none some years but typical year there are a few nights dipping into 33-30F for short periods.

My dad has Orinoco, Raja puri, Ice cream, and a dwarf Cavendish(yeah yeah.. told dad that one is a waste, it is the same as store banana flavored cardboard... ) two varieties of mango, in ground. I don't remember the mango names.

did not catch yours being in a pot..

http://www.plantmaps.com/92585 looks like 9a

I would go with Orinoco. They freeze well for banana smoothies!

Common Name: banana
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Musaceae
Zone: 7 to 10
Height: 10.00 to 16.00 feet
Spread: 10.00 to 16.00 feet
Bloom Time: Seasonal bloomer
Bloom Description: Pink to cream
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flower: Showy
Fruit: Showy, Edible
Culture

Winter hardy to USDA Zones 8-10 (Zone 7 with protection) where it is best grown in organically rich, fertile, consistently moist but not wet, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Fertilize plants regularly during the growing season. Best growth occurs in full sun, but plants tolerate and sometimes appreciate part shade or light filtered sun in the heat of the day. Site in locations protected from strong winds. Bananas are typically grown from suckers (pups) that are planted outdoors or in containers.
Bananas are monocarpic (each trunk-like pseudostem sets fruit only one time and then dies), with the plant surviving from year to year by the suckers (known as pups) which develop at the base. It is best to allow 2-3 suckers to develop around the pseudostem each year. When the main pseudostem produces fruit and dies, the largest of the suckers develops into a replacement pseudostem.
Banana culture is relatively simple in frost free winter climates. In colder winter climates, the culture becomes more complicated, particularly if harvesting fruit is a goal as opposed to growing the plants for ornamental purposes only. Banana plant growth stops when temperatures consistently dip below 50 degrees F. Fall frost will kill the leaves. Trim leaves back to the pseudostem after the first fall frost. It is important to keep the pseudostem as tall and protected as possible over winter to promote good fruit for the following year. It is less important to retain tall pseudostems in winter if fruiting is not a primary concern. If the pseudostem is cut back significantly or dies to the ground, the plant may survive winter but no fruit will appear the following year.
Regardless of climate, bananas can always be grown in containers as tender perennials which must be overwintered indoors where winter temperatures dip below freezing.
In USDA Zones 9-10, ‘Oronoco’ is basically evergreen and may be grown outdoors year round without employing significant winter protective measures.
In USDA Zones 8 and 7, ‘Orinoco’ will usually survive winter outdoors if given adequate winter protection (burlap or frost cloth on pseudostems, thick root mulch and surround the pseudostems with fencing filled with leaves to 3-4’ tall). Pseudostems containing unripened fruit may be cut before the first fall frost and brought inside for placement in a bucket of water until the fruit ripens.
North of USDA Zone 7, which includes the St. Louis area, ‘Orinoco’ will not survive winter outdoors. Plants must be brought indoors in containers as houseplants or forced into dormancy and stored in a cool but frost free area over winter. It should be noted that fruit production is rarely obtained when overwintering plants indoors. For plants growing in the ground, dig up the entire plant at the time of first fall frost, trim back the foliage and stems, wrap the roots in plastic and store plants in a cool, dark, frost-free corner of the basement until spring. For container plants, options include (a) bring container indoors in fall before first frost and place container in a large sunny room for overwintering as a houseplant with reduced water and fertilization; (b) if plant is too large to bring indoors as a houseplant, cut foliage back in fall after first frost, and store the container in a cool, dark, frost-free corner of the basement until spring providing just a touch of moisture as needed in winter to prevent the soils from totally drying out; or (c) if container is too heavy to move indoors, remove plant from the container and store in a dark corner of the basement in the same manner as if the plant were growing directly in the ground.
Noteworthy Characteristics

Musa is a genus of 40 species of evergreen, suckering, herbaceous perennial plants from Northeast India and Bangladesh and from Southeast Asia to Japan and North Australia. Species, hybrids and cultivars are grown for their edible fruits as well as their showy, tropical foliage.

Genus name honors Antonia Musa, Roman physician of the 1st century B.C.

‘Orinoco’ typically grows to 10-16’ (infrequently to 20’) tall. It is noted for having good winter hardiness to Zone 7 and is often cultivated in warm winter climates for its tasty fruit (bananas). It is commonly grown outdoors in southern Florida and along the Gulf coast. It is named for the Orinoco River Valley in Venezuela. Green fruit (8-10” long) appears in clusters. Fruit can ripen on the plant, be brought inside to ripen or be picked green and fried or boiled. This cultivar was introduced into Southern Florida in 1610.
Gardeners in warm winter climates often grow these plants for their edible fruit, but in colder climates they are usually grown for ornamental purposes since fruit usually will not form. The foliage lends an exotic and tropical aura to the landscape.
Plants produce huge paddle-shaped leaves that grow to 2' wide and to 6’ long. Leaf sheathes overlap to form a trunk-like pseudostem (false stem). Pink flowers may appear in summer on mature plants followed by green fruit. Container plants cut close to the ground in fall each year may never flower. It takes four months for fruit to ripen, which means that in cold winter climates it is unlikely any fruit which does begin to develop will ripen prior to first fall frost.
Fruit-bearing pseudostems will die after fruit appears, so it is best to cut the pseudostems containing unripe fruit prior to first fall frost and bring them indoors in a bucket of water for ripening.
Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Grasshoppers, borers and root nematodes may attack outdoor plants. Susceptible to anthracnose, wilt and mosiac virus. Watch for aphids, spider mites, mealybugs and scale on houseplants.
Garden Uses

Whether grown outdoors in the landscape or indoors as a houseplant, bananas need lots of space. They not only provide excellent edible fruit but are classic foliage plants. Can be effective as a garden centerpiece or for tropical flair near patios or bodies of water.

 

[GabrielBane]

Mmmmmm.... Banana smoothies sound good right now.




We're still letting our pigs turn the winter garden up a bit. We're doing Potatoes, Turnips, Maybe some cabbages, with a bunch of other things in the "considerations" list. Right now we're waiting for turkey day to pass before starting seeds. The SO out-did me on the brinsea purchase and came to me grinning cheerfully about how they ordered 8 Barbezieux chicks. (this is already going to be a busy week for us....We have the rest of our legbars *and* our NNs hatching....) Soooooooooooo, another weekend of building in store for me.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Mmmmmm.... Banana smoothies sound good right now.




We're still letting our pigs turn the winter garden up a bit. We're doing Potatoes, Turnips, Maybe some cabbages, with a bunch of other things in the "considerations" list. Right now we're waiting for turkey day to pass before starting seeds. The SO out-did me on the brinsea purchase and came to me grinning cheerfully about how they ordered 8 Barbezieux chicks. (this is already going to be a busy week for us....We have the rest of our legbars *and* our NNs hatching....) Soooooooooooo, another weekend of building in store for me.

Isn't that always the case - the constant struggle to have enough housing for our chicken dreams...

- Ant Farm

 

[Kusanar]

I just had an idea, might be a dumb one, but, I used to work at a greenhouse, all of our seedlings and cuttings were kept on a bottom heated table to stimulate root growth. The system was PVC pipe running in serpentine patterns across the bottom of the table (well, top, but it had a lip around the edge), and this was hooked up with a small water heater so that the water came out of the heater, through the pipes, and back in the heater. We had perlite on ours, but couldn't you do the same thing with sand or sweet PDZ for an area of brooder pen, maybe build a small dog house type structure above it? Seems like it would be safer than heat lamps and even a heating pad because there is no wiring other than the water heater and that could be in another room. Also, it worked off of a thermostat, it wasn't constantly running, so you could easily turn their temp down a few degrees a week until they aren't sleeping in there or it's off.