Blue Java Ice Cream Banana Growing Guide
The Blue Java banana has become one of the most sought-after varieties among home growers, thanks to its remarkable vanilla custard flavor. This guide covers everything specific to growing Blue Java successfully.
Getting Started
Blue Java is available from specialty nurseries as pups or tissue culture plants. Start with the largest pup you can get — this variety is slower to fruit than Cavendish types, so a head start helps.
Climate
Blue Java is one of the more cold-tolerant fruiting bananas, handling brief dips to about 20°F. In zone 9, it fruits reliably outdoors. In zone 8, you may get fruit if the pseudostem is protected through winter (see Overwintering). In cooler zones, greenhouse growing is the best path to fruit.
Care
Full sun, rich soil, heavy watering and feeding. Blue Java is a large plant (12-20 feet) so it needs space and wind protection (see Wind Damage). The waxy leaf coating gives it slightly better wind tolerance than most. See Watering, Fertilizing, and Soil and pH.
Fruiting
Expect 15-24 months from a good pup to first harvest. The unripe fruit is distinctively blue-silver, turning pale yellow when ripe. Harvest when the fruit starts to lighten and the ridges begin to round (see When to Harvest). Ripen at room temperature (see Ripening After Harvest).
The Flavor
When fully ripe (yellow with some brown spots), the flesh is creamy — almost ice cream-like in texture — with a flavor widely described as vanilla or vanilla custard. It is best eaten fresh. The experience is different enough from a standard banana that people who try it rarely forget it.