Going bananas in the northeast

[Rocky]

In the center of our fair city is a 6.4 hectare (16 acre) Victorian garden known as the Public Gardens. It's a wonderful green space that hasn't been allowed to be encroached upon by developers or other development projects.
In the days when I had a job (pre retirement) I walked through there twice a day (in fine summer weather) on my way to and from my downtown office.
Music concerts are frequently held on the bandstand.

Although I had been through the gardens many dozens of times, these days I only visit occasionally - and what I didn't know is, there are palm, banana and pineapple trees growing there.

Hold on now! This is the frozen northeast! How can that be?
Well, the banana and pineapples do very well during the summer, but are dug up and moved into a greenhouse for the winter.
The poor old palms are left to fend for themselves and amazingly, are surviving very well.

I have seen plenty of these kinds of trees on my southern trips, Bermuda, Caribbean, etc., but I never envisioned seeing them here.
I doubt that there will be crops to harvest, but it's an interesting experiment and an attraction many people may never get to see otherwise.

 

[hemibee]

Pretty cool to see them that far north. I never woud have thought they would grown on the North Pole.. Whatelse y'all hiding from us?

 

[CarlS]

That is interesting and very cool! My banana trees and palms grow year round!

 

[Rocky]

That is interesting and very cool! My banana trees and palms grow year round!

Now you're just showing off
The first time I saw a banana orchard I was surprised that the bananas grew upside down

 

[DaveM]

I have tried many time to plant banana tree and have yet to get it right.

 

[triumph david]

I have a pineapple tree growing in a pot, i take it is during the winter. Do you mean that someone actually digs the pineapple plant up every year and puts it inside for the winter then replants it in the spring???

 

[Rocky]

I have a pineapple tree growing in a pot, i take it is during the winter. Do you mean that someone actually digs the pineapple plant up every year and puts it inside for the winter then replants it in the spring???

Yes, that's what happens.
The city maintains the gardens and have the machines and staff to easily do that without harming the trees.

 

[triumph david]

That is amazing to me, i have never tried that before but have al ays wondered if it was possible. Seems it would shock the plant, i bet the trick is to dig enough dirt with the plant to keep the shock factor down. Probably could not do it with a shovel by hand.

 

[Rocky]

That is amazing to me, i have never tried that before but have al ays wondered if it was possible. Seems it would shock the plant, i bet the trick is to dig enough dirt with the plant to keep the shock factor down. Probably could not do it with a shovel by hand.

Yes, I think they take a huge scoop out of the ground which doesn't shock the tree too much.
The root ball and earth are mostly intact. Probably not possible otherwise.
The tree may also be in some kind of large container set in the ground which makes it easier to move.
I only learned about the trees this year so don't really know much about it.

 

[CarlS]

Down here thay ha ve machines that can transplant huge mature oaks. The machines scoop up a massive root ball and they trim the tree way back. They have good survival rates. Disney does a lot of this.

 

[Qship]

Probably use something like this.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krjVVgmCXxE

 

[triumph david]

Thats quiet a machine! Makes things look simple!

 

[Rocky]

Amazing machines

 

[CarlS]

Yes that is the type of machine they use, but larger. It is amazing what those machines can do!