Good morning! Not a cloud in the blue sky today. Hello from Chicken Paradise! Today a friend brought us some bananas.
How our bananas have grown
We planted the thinner banana plant near the entrance. Its leaves are thin, but it has grown so tall that I have to look up at it. A storm came through and tore the leaves to shreds. A bunch has started to form. It looks a bit like corn, but this part isn’t the fruit.
And our big banana has grown this tall. How tall is it now? Maybe about 5 meters. And guess what: it has flowered! Way, way up high, a huge flower has bloomed, and little baby bananas are lining up in rows.
A banana plant isn’t actually a tree; it’s a kind of grass, so it grows in this unusual way. The middle part comes out, then the little bananas grow out from the sides.
I picked up something that fell from it. I’m not sure whether it’s a petal or a sepal (the leafy part around a flower), but it’s enormous, and it smells like flowers. Let’s keep watching until the bananas are ready!
Bananas in danger
The bananas are multiplying quickly. This is how bananas grow. The leaves tear to shreds so the plant doesn’t get blown over in the wind, but they can still photosynthesize just fine. Clever design!
Bananas are cheap to buy, but it takes more than a year for a plant to bear fruit. And a disease called new Panama disease is spreading, so bananas are apparently in danger of dying out. From the time the fruit sets to the time you can eat it takes six months, so our harvest will probably be in August. Just a little more patience!
Meanwhile, in the coop
The feed boxes were a little clogged. Gin-chan, you’re looking lively! Rex loves being on camera and keeps marching right up to it. Purin, how are you? That’s a lot of pressure. What a magnificent tail! Purin seems to be in a bad mood today and keeps saying something. Are you okay? I have no idea what you’re saying.
I can’t wait for those bananas! Thank you for watching Chicken Paradise. See you next time.