Plantain 'Pacific' fruit at LCG (photo credit: Graham Bond)
Plantain 'Pacific'
Musa paradisiaca
Musaceae family
Plantains are related to Bananas and look very similar. While Bananas are sweet, Plantains are starchy and are almost always cooked before being eaten. It is a staple food in many tropical areas of the world.
The fruit is ready to be harvested once the Plantains lose their ridges, become more rounded, and when the black withered remains of the flowers at the end of the fruit are dry and crumbly. They may also start to show dark spots or streaks. Plantains will turn yellow when fully ripe but are generally cooked and eaten when still green. Choose between harvesting the whole bunch at once, or stagger the harvest over time by cutting hands from the bottom of the bunch.
Peel doesn't come off easily - use a knife to cut the peel. There are several ways to cook Plantains; one method tried and recommended by our members is to cut off the peel, slice into rounds about 1/2 cm thick and shallow fry in coconut oil.
Tree Maintenance
Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV)
BBTV is the most devastating viral disease of Bananas worldwide (including Plantain), spread by the Banana Aphid. Using a magnifying glass, regularly inspect the back of the leaves for darker lines hooking into the ribs. When the disease is more advanced each new leaf becomes shorter, narrower and stands more upright giving a bunched-leaf appearance. Detection of BBTV is required to be notified to the Department of Primary Industries – if unsure, call the Bunchy Top Hotline on 1800 068 371.
Musa paradisiaca
Musaceae family
Plantains are related to Bananas and look very similar. While Bananas are sweet, Plantains are starchy and are almost always cooked before being eaten. It is a staple food in many tropical areas of the world.
The fruit is ready to be harvested once the Plantains lose their ridges, become more rounded, and when the black withered remains of the flowers at the end of the fruit are dry and crumbly. They may also start to show dark spots or streaks. Plantains will turn yellow when fully ripe but are generally cooked and eaten when still green. Choose between harvesting the whole bunch at once, or stagger the harvest over time by cutting hands from the bottom of the bunch.
Peel doesn't come off easily - use a knife to cut the peel. There are several ways to cook Plantains; one method tried and recommended by our members is to cut off the peel, slice into rounds about 1/2 cm thick and shallow fry in coconut oil.
Tree Maintenance
- After the fruit has been harvested the main stem should be cut down to around 2m high (it will continue to feed the rest of the plant). Once the stem has started to disintegrate, cut it off close to the ground.
- Cull all suckers close to the ground except one to two ‘sword suckers’ to replace the main stem (a ‘sword sucker’ will have narrower leaves than the broad leaf suckers). This means the plant will put energy into fruit production instead of excess leafy suckers, as well as ensuring succession of stems.
- Remove dead and yellowing leaves (a sign of fungus) regularly.
- Plants are heavy feeders; use a balanced organic fertiliser, compost or slow release chicken manure every few months during the spring and summer months.
- Bagging the bunches is optional but will help keep the birds and bats off, keep the bananas clean, and will enable quicker ripening.
- Plantain needs lots of water and they should be watered every day during periods of extreme heat or drought.
Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV)
BBTV is the most devastating viral disease of Bananas worldwide (including Plantain), spread by the Banana Aphid. Using a magnifying glass, regularly inspect the back of the leaves for darker lines hooking into the ribs. When the disease is more advanced each new leaf becomes shorter, narrower and stands more upright giving a bunched-leaf appearance. Detection of BBTV is required to be notified to the Department of Primary Industries – if unsure, call the Bunchy Top Hotline on 1800 068 371.
Plantain 'Pacific' at LCG November 2023 (photo credit: Graham Bond)
