Sugar Bananas (forum)

Brendan starts with ...
Some pics of my bananas. Now that they are nearly $1 each doesn't worry me, I've got 6 bunches on :-)
Pic 1 is a bunch of Sugar bananas, with about 150 bananas on.
Pic 2 is the 'other sort', it's got 130 on.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 8th April 2011 8:33am

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John Mc says...
Brendan that's a job well done mate, good on you. My sugar banana bunches are small compared to your beauties. I'm in a much cooler part of the country which doesn't help me either.
What and how are you feeding them? Maybe I can get mine to fatten up a little so to speak.

Time: 8th April 2011 8:40am

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Brendan says...
Hi John Mc,
I use Super Growth fertilizer from Katek(?), and some extra 'P' & 'K' fert. I try to feed them once a month, but the rain washes a lot away.
Lots of mulch and cow manure if I can get it. The cattle next door seemed to have vanished?

Time: 9th April 2011 7:50am

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amanda says...
Nice one Brendan - they look great! Sugar bananas make the best smoothies - yum! Can't afford to buy them at present - now $12/kilo :-(

Time: 9th April 2011 10:46am

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About the Author amanda19
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snottiegobble says...
They are superb Brendan, & youll be sick of eating bananas soon, OK Im just jealous!
Is that the official name of the tree ( sugar bananas)?

Time: 9th April 2011 1:11pm

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Brendan says...
Hi amanda & sg,
They are $15 a kilo here now! Yeah, some people don't like Sugar bananas because they are super sweet, but I love em, especially in smoothies.

Yeah sg, I'm sure that's their name. Don't think I'll get sick of eating them, heard on ABC radio they'll stay that price until Sep / Oct!!!

There's a banana grower about 10kms from me, not affected by cyclones or floods, he must be making a small fortune!

Time: 10th April 2011 7:46am

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Ady says...
I never liked bananas until I had sugar bananas in Thailand , havent ever seen them for sale down this way .
Has anyone tried to grow them in Victoria before ?

Time: 13th April 2011 7:46pm

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trikus says...
Ducasse taste very sweet I think it is what we usually call 'Sugar'
Ladyfinger is another that tastes very sweet , as is Sucrier or 'Monkey Finger' aka Pisang Mas .

Experienced Vic grower has mentioned that dwarf Ducasse is not as cold tolerant as the normal very high Ducasse .

btw I still have about 30 k or so of dried bananas I enjoy eating while waiting for some bunches to come .
Have a Bluggoe out already , and see many bags on local plantations .

Time: 14th April 2011 5:01pm

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About the Author Trikus
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trikus says...
clip from Country Matters site ....
"The Ducasse, also known as the "sugar banana", is a native banana to Thailand. It was first introduced into northern Australia in the 1880's and since then it has been recognised as a more adaptable banana than its Cavendish counterpart.

The Ducasse's ability to maintain its golden colour and shape when cut and after refrigeration make it very useful in the food industry. The Ducasse banana lasts much longer on the shelf than normal bananas and it is also full of highly nutritious fibre. Most notably, the Ducasse is resistant to many tropical fungal plant diseases. This is important because the importation of bananas from countries like the Phillippines is becoming more likely." figjam


Time: 14th April 2011 5:06pm

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trikus says...
YIPPEE !!! just spotted 2 bunches coming out 1 Ducasse and 1 Mona Lisa , so now for the count-down for some edible bananas . Been getting some cavendish from blown over bunches and they are nearly tasteless YUK .. Has really put me off commercial fruit . How are those extreme southerly bunches going ?

Time: 5th May 2011 8:10pm

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John Mc says...
Picked up a Musa Rajapuri at a nursery today. Suppose to be a very sweet, low temp, dwarf variety to 3m. Leaves are wider than most cv's, up to 1m wide. Could be a good variety for Melbourne? Native to India and Pakistan.

Also picked a nice bunch of Ladyfingers this arvo. Nice and sweet.


Time: 5th May 2011 8:43pm

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Glory says...
Hi any one tell me how long it takes to ripe the sugar banana?
Thanks
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 6th May 2011 12:02am

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trikus says...
It depends on how warm it is . Up here they can ripen in 2 months in summer , but take longer now its cooling down . Yours may take much longer as growth nearly stops with much colder temps.

Time: 6th May 2011 7:20am

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trikus says...
Still a few weeks more for this bunch .. its been hanging for 2 months already .
btw the bottom of the bunch is at least 4m high so very hard to harvest a few hands at a time unles I get a bigger ladder .
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 7th July 2011 7:08pm

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Brendan says...
Hi trikus,
You don't cut the bell (flower) off to get bigger bananas? The pro grower down here does :-)

Time: 8th July 2011 7:05am

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trikus says...
best bells for eating , and way to high to cut off .

Time: 8th July 2011 9:13am

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Bananas says...
Hi guys,
I would love to grow some sugar bananas, could any of you help me. First I need to know were to purchase them, I would like to buy four of them and make a banana circle. If any of you can help me please email me. Cheers Bananas.

Time: 5th March 2012 9:34am

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kate says...
Hi Brendan,

I've been told that I cannot eat 'sugar bananas' and have done some internet research but there isn't much about them. You however have two different kinds, a pic of 'normal' and of sugar. Would you be so kind as to tell me the difference and how I can spot them? Are the normal sort the ones most commonly found in supermarkets? I would really appreciate it!! Your bananas look great btw :)

Time: 12th March 2012 10:10pm

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About the Author kate12
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snottiegobble says...
Kate do I sense that a type of diabetes or IBS maybe your challenge??

Time: 12th March 2012 10:14pm

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Brendan says...
Hi kate, yes, same as in supermarkets.

To Bananas, try here: http://www.backyardbananas.com.au/

Time: 13th March 2012 9:27am

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trikus says...
Hopefully Blue Sky has plants ready , one of the owners bumped into me and thanked us for 'pimping' her business . Any local supplier of a great, diverse range of hard to get plants deserves our support .
Kate , I would question your doctors advice .. Sugar bananas are just smaller much sweeter fruits , and should be easily available . Correctly called Ducasse , and the dwarf cultivar would have to be the best backyard banana of them all imho.

Here is one of my recently picked Ducasse resting on top of a gift of 2 enormous Pacific Plantains .
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 14th March 2012 9:58am

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Brendan says...
Did you grow the plantains trikus?

Time: 14th March 2012 10:28am

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trikus says...
Did not grow those plantains Brendan , a mate who works at a large farm further down the road got them for me . These are around , usually grown by Islanders.
Know that they are grown around Childers . Anywhere they had 'kanakas' help with cane harvesting usually have some stands hidden around somewhere. Trunks are very distinctive black in colour , more so than any other type I have ever seen .


Time: 14th March 2012 5:43pm

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8ZRD11R says...
Can you eat Plantains as is I thought they had to be cooked?

Time: 29th March 2012 8:42pm

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trikus says...
If left to fully ripen Pacific Plantains taste excellent . They almost taste if they have been dipped in passionfruit juice.

Time: 30th March 2012 6:49pm

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8ZRD11R says...
Thankyou I didn't know that!!

Time: 30th March 2012 8:12pm

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Brendan says...
Picked yesterday :-) Tree was about 5m tall!
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 18th February 2013 10:41am

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trikus says...
Nice little bunch Brendan . Not the sort of bunch you can just pick a hand or 2 from .. at least not until the invent anti-gravity belts or hover boards .

Time: 18th February 2013 1:50pm

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Jason says...
Nice job, I've got a dwarf ducasse pushing a flower at the moment. Will be interesting to see if I can beat my 10 banana record I got from a lady finger that was out in the paddock. The ducasse is beside the house and a much stronger plant

Time: 18th February 2013 2:08pm

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John Mc says...
My first Pisang Ceylon is pushing out a massive bell, much larger than Cavendish. Now that one's got me excited, and under 18months. Apparently they are suitable for cooler conditions, might even get to taste it before winter. I've got around 5 months before the ground temps get down to 15

Time: 18th February 2013 9:23pm

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Jantina says...
I'm jealous!

Time: 18th February 2013 10:08pm

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amanda says...
Me too Jantina! I'd love to see some of these varieties in our shops...the range over here is poor/boring and not very flavoursome :-(


Time: 20th February 2013 10:20am

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Brendan says...
My giant Ducasse (aka sugar bananas), ripening beautifully :-)

(sorry amanda & Jantina, just rubbing it in :-)
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 20th February 2013 10:38am

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Jantina says...
Ggggrrr!

Time: 20th February 2013 10:09pm

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MaryT says...
OK Brendan, we crown you the King (Kong) of Bananas :)

Time: 20th February 2013 10:18pm

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Brendan says...
Thanks MaryT!
Friend of mine says to peel excess bananas, slice them up and freeze them in a plastic bag. When you want 'banana ice-cream', take some out and blend them :-) Have to try that as they're all ripening at once!

Time: 21st February 2013 9:29am

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MaryT says...
You can mash them first then put them in freezer bags, first flattening the bag (squeezing the air out) before twisting the opening and tying them so they stack nicely.

Time: 21st February 2013 10:05am

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trikus says...
Gave away several very ripe Java Blue bananas to curious tourists and locals at local Tully street market . All were very surprised and impressed with flavour . One couple from Melb. so impressed they insisted I take money . Big fat Red Dacca fruits always catch peoples eye and make them stop , enabling to go on my spiel about the many different superior cvs around . 'did you know there are 200 different dessert type bananas in cultivation , and nearly as many plantains...'

Time: 24th February 2013 12:40pm

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MaryT says...
You're a great banana ambassador, trikus. Java Blue sounds great; I'll look out for it. :)

Time: 24th February 2013 2:21pm

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Edward3 says...
Does anyone have a dwarf ducasse banana growing in Sydney? If so, I would be interested in buying a pup which I could pick up.

Time: 1st July 2021 10:36pm

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