Since this is a first time post, I just want to say, as a hobby I like to see how far I can get with plants grown right from a grocery store so far ive done great, but Im stumped on this one. After alot of research on bananas, what a seed should look like etc i went to my local loblaws and got a bushel of bananas. and out of it got a few seeds for planting. I know that bananas can take 2 weeks to over a year to germinate my problem is the seeds were nice and stiff, perfect but when i put them for germination, after 5 days they all turned a JET BLACK! very very black color. they dont seem to be rotting, theres no evidence of it and they are still very solid by touch. Just wondering if anyone has advice on banana seeds If thier turning black like this is normal. etc Thanks in advance - Tom
If you bought a packet of seeds, they would be black. Moisture and heat. What kind of banana was it? Treat it like its in the tropics.
The banana type is unknown. what I do know is the seed is a common commercial veriety. The seeds where being germinated on a very damp spot, in the dark, and using a heating pad. The seeds have also gone very soft. the guide on germinating this has said nothing about the seeds going soft. I think Ive ruined them "banana is very hard, live and learn" Will have to wait up to a year to find out lol
You are probably going to be out of luck getting those seeds to germinate. Grocery store bananas in North America are almost exclusively 'Cavendish'. One of the popular features of the Cavendish clone is it's very small seeds which has rendered it STERILE. This has proven a bit of a liability now that Panama disease is targeting the Cavendish and Agricultural Scientists are having trouble developing new varieties based on Cavendish because it produces very few viable seeds (far less then one/banana). So I would stop trying to grow a banana....might have better luck with Plantains?
Wow thanks. The sticker on the banana said cavendish something or other actually. Im going to just toss this stuff in the garbage. thanks for saving me a year :D I may just order some banana seeds from an internet source. Would you have any recommendations on a strain with edible banana? - Tom
