Banana Plantation at Margarita Ville

Photo by J. Walker

Although bananas are big business in Ecuador, here in the Pastaza Valley at 1,200 meters in elevation they are not what you would call a cash crop. Here on the property we have about 50 plants which provide more fruit than we could ever eat.

Learning about the care of these prolific plants has been challenging. Knowing when to cut the bunches has been trial and error and I hope by next year I will know a little of what I am doing. If, among the readers of this blog are any banana growers, I would really appreciate any information you are willing to give.

I have learned that in order to have healthy plants you need to separate the shoots. I read where you should to this when they are around one meter high. We have cleared an area where we intend to use for our small plantation. How far apart, I am not sure, but will start with about six feet.

At the present time we have many bunches hanging and are just waiting for the right time to cut them down, which is still hit and miss. I have been told that you should cut the bunch when the sharp edges have become rounded. This is sometimes hard to judge when the bunch is almost 20 feet above the ground, so as a result I have cut several bunches too early and they never did ripen.



Photo by J. Walker

The appearance of the bloom happens overnight it seems. One day there is nothing and the next you have this giant pod. A few days later, the flower starts to open and the individual hands appear one by one. From what I have heard, from this point it takes about four months for the bananas to mature.


Photo by J. Walker

At this point you may now have more information about bananas then you care to know, however I have found it a fascinating process.