The Great Banana Harvest

View from back door - bananas on tree.

Tree chopped - Bananas on ground and read to hang.

Well, it's been almost a year since we planted some banana trees on our property. We've waited and watched as the tree grew, and grew, and grew. Looked like more than 20 feet tall. Made for quite a beautiful site from the back door. Then the exotic flower came. And we waited. Then the bananas started to form and grow. And we waited. Finally, we had a huge stalk of good-sized bananas and it was harvest day. Gordie got the machete out and chopped down the tree. Yes, that's how you get the bananas. You chop down the whole tree.


Once they are on the ground you string them up and hang them somewhere where the critters cannot reach them. It can take several more weeks for the bananas to totally ripen to a rich yellow. And once they start to yellow they ALL ripen within days. This is when you start contacting your friends and neighbors to see how many they would like. The waiting is over. For now. Before the original tree is ready for harvest it sends out at least one "pup" that takes its place and delivers the next generation of fruit. Bananas for Life. Pura Vida.