I really enjoy all of you guys.

I just wanted to post a message title to that effect.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Thanks. Group hug.
.
How do you kill a banana plant? They are taking over my backyard. Everything I've tried so far just makes them spread.
I want to "Roundup" them but I am afraid they all share a collective root system/ I want to keep the original fence border plants but need to stop their march across our yard. Attack of the banana trees, help!!

It is called a shovel. Dig up the root ball. Each stalk has its own. Once all the stalks are gone they will not spread any longer. Then you can re-plant as you want them for control purposes as your property boder. It sounds like they have been there for many years. I once thought of starting a Banana Tree removal service.

Those trees sure do like that Louisiana Mud. Many locations over there have huge out of control groves.

I once had several hundred in my backyard. I Dug up each root ball and separated the trees into in nice neat rows, like corn. This occured over here in Pensacola. We have to irrigate to grow in this sand, so we all have wells and in ground piping which runs on a timer. I have to water every three days.

In the spring when they leafed out, I placed an ad in the Thirfty Nickel.

"Banana Trees For Sales 5 - 6 feet tall $15.00 from my backyard Banana Grove, you pick, I dig"

What a fun weekend I had, it was a cash crop. I sold over 200! that weekend.

Over three thousand dollars from the backyard. Hey how many do you have?

I had gotten all of mine from New Orleans. I was taking my wife to Tulane Medical once a month for a year. I knew of a grove, towed my trailer, and filled it up each trip.

I now have a much smaller backyard and can not maintain a large grove in it, so I only have about 50 trees around the property.

But you may wish to turn the unwanted into wanted cash.
One mans trash is another mans gold. And when doing this you are clasified as a farmer for taxing and licenseing purposes.

I would get many calls, are your plants in a pot? I would say no, they would hang up. I first thought I was losing sales because they were not in a pot. So when asked again, I said - No, but I can make that happen, and they would still hang up. Then one person called and asked if I was licensed. I said no, and they said they were going to report me. I ran around the corner to the tax office and said I wanted a licese to sell Banana Trees. I was asked "Are they in the ground - or in a pot? Boy had I heard that before.

I said in the ground, she said you do not need a license to be a farmer, but if I sold them in pots, I would need one, which would cost $15.00. So that is why my add read as it did.

Maybe you need to farm them.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Edited: 09/15/2007 at 02:15:56 PM by BananaTom

I thoroughly enjoy the Ted and Tom show. You guys add a lot of interest to the site. Sort of like that cartalk show on PBS. Am I eggagerating? Yes, but hope you guys keep it coming, as is always interesting and provocative reading.

I have also wondered about those banana trees in Louisiana. I recently bought a shack down there with some little banana trees, or at least that is what my Acadian neighbor calls them. He sneaks over and chops them down as he hates them so much, so I never have had a chance to see if they actually grow bananas. I was thinking of letting some of them grow when I move in. After reading about the little venture, it sounds like a possibility of bringing some by houseboat to my other venue in Maryland to sell.

So I have to ask, how big do they get? Are they real banana producers? Do they provide some shade from that brutally hot climate? Why does everybody hate them so much?

-------------------------
lookin' for adventure and the next wild engine!

They will grow 20 - 25 feet, not much shade though, unless you have allot of them. They do work well for planting around HVAC condensors to shade them.

And yes they do produce bananas, however; I have not been able grow large ones. I am not a book expert on them,( I have never studied or read about them) but have been interested in them for more than 30 years. I am sure I could google and read allot, but I just like the knowledge of my own expierances and interest.

I carried a root ball in my suitcase and flew to my sisters in Dallas for her birthday. That was my present to her. When she opened it, her nose rinkled upward.

I convinced her to put into the ground. She fell in love with it, it has mulitplied many times over and she really enjoys watching it grow to 25 fett. It has been there for for several years now.

I believe the winters have something to do with the size of the product. Normally it takes two years for a tree to grow to the right size and then produce. Once it does, it wil never produce again. Then you cut it down to the ground. Next spring 4 - 6 more will sprout up from the root ball from the one you choppped.

In the winter, they will turn brown and not look nice. If I am trying to produce bananas, I just cut the leaves off and leave the stalk. If the winter is harsh, like, if it gets to freezing and stay there for 24 hours, the stalk will freeze and fall over. But if you make it through the winter and the stalk still stands, you will get sweet tasting little bananas.

The people who do not like them have had them in their yard before. The trees are just dying to grow. They mulitply and are impossible to kill. It can be labor intense to control them, once they have been there for sometime.

As Ted states, they are marching across his yard. The grow fast and cutting them down only makes them multiply. Cut one and next thing you know you have 5 in its place. So the only way to irradicate them is with a shovel.

But, you can plant one, and watch it grow every day. It does so with such great speed that changes in size are noticed daily. I found a dried up root ball once on the trash pile of a home.

I knew what it was, took it home, threw it in the garden area and forgot about it. I did not put dirt on it. It was hit by the irrigation system. It grew 20 feet before I looked again.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

So, enginetamer, what are you doing awake at the hour you are?? Getting ready to drop the lines. A cold front just hit here, first break in the heat this year, awesome day for a cruise.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Wow! That means it'll be HERE in a day or so if I'm lucky... and most of the lunatics will be at work!

-------------------------
Willie
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw

Tuesday for us stmbwle.

BT, you'll learn to hate those cold fronts in another couple of months, they bring lots of wind with them.

Tom,
I know at on time you offered Banana Trees to the loyal followers but do you know of any outlets a little closer to Atlanta.. Thanks

-------------------------
Rick
1994 Sumerset 80'
Lake Lanier, Ga.

Dave, I am quite familier with the North wind of the winter. Actually it is not bad for the surf conditions, just cold for a couple of months.

Here, when the North wind blows it pushes the water out into the Gulf of Mexico and the water level is low on the inside. By several feet, oposed to the rest of the year. It is a great time of year to sail.

Houseboating will not be in season during the months of January and Febuary, but October and November are some of the best months here, besides spring. I know the winter treats you guys great, most of the time.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Rick, I know of none in Hotlanta, but I have seen websites that send them by mail. They will send the root ball to you for planting. I imagine it will be dried up and ready for spring, maybe.

But if you do want a few, I can send them by mail. PM me with your address, I will mail a few.

It appears Ted has many he wants to get rid of.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Edited: 09/17/2007 at 09:51:40 PM by BananaTom

Willie and Dave,

The front just dropped the temp by about 10 degrees during the day, the lack of humidity is great these past few days.

Finally, I can not cook on the deck, but now have to light the barbeque pit. But it is still warm, coming into the best time here.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Hello, you do not know me, but I am a fan of digging in the dirt and putting things there that are unusual.  I do not believe I have ever seen a Banana tree in the state of Idaho.  Even when I leave I do not believe my landlord would be angered with the addition though I will get his permission first.

Newbie to the list.

Dolphindani    

e-mail ladyofidaho@cableone.net

Please respond for home address and expenses.

Thank you.

Welcome Aboard! dolphindani

You can click on most of persons avatar here and then send a private email if so desired. I tried on yours but you have not enabled that feature.

I will send you one now to the address you have displayed.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

When we lived in Ohio, we kept a banana tree reasonably happy in our south-facing two-story sunroom for quite a few years. It never bloomed, but grew in a half whiskey barrel, and its delusion of tropical splendor made our sub-zero winters bearable. Now we have four or five banana trees shading our coastal NC windows. We'll dig 'em up in a few weeks and toss 'em in the crawl space to keep from freezing, and plant 'em again next year. Last year one tree bloomed, but didn't get around to it until October, so our little inch-long bananas were doomed. A fun thing to have, if you don't live where they'll take over.

-------------------------
Amelia
Edenton, NC

Amelia,

This is Banana Tom's wife, Deb. I really liked the phrase "its delusion of tropical splendor". Sounds like something from a good book. Maybe you should be an author. I read the threads Tom points out to me and get a charge out of them. Thanks for the entertainment.

-------------------------
Banana Tom

Edited: 11/03/2007 at 07:19:58 PM by BananaTom