Phoenix Tropicals Gardening

[Bkaus]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and just getting back into gardening. Had a Banana plant 15 years ago and it grew and had bananas but the stock bent over and that was it. The pups lived for a few more years but never sent up another flower.

So the plan this time is the same as before dig a hole the gets through the caliche and back fill with 100% mulch. It took about 6 cubic feet to fill the hole. The tree has two new leafs on it already planted on 7-8-2012

[phoenixtropicals]

My experience is that Rajapuri is the best variety for here. You won't have the problem of the stalk bending over because it is so thick. July is a really tough time for a banana to be planted but if its made it this far it will probably be fine.

I'm not sure planting a tree in mulch is necessarily the best thing to do. Buried mulch can deprive a tree of nitrogen and delay its establishment in the native soil. These days I stick with native soil for the back fill and then mulch the surface. Looks like your tree is doing fine though and that subsurface mulch will eventually turn into native soil. You might want to put down some fish emulsion 5-1-1 to make up for the wood chips sucking up nitrogen below the soil surface. Whatever you do though, do not dig your tree up! It is making progress and digging it up this time of year would most likely kill it.

Good drainage is not that necessary for a banana. They don't mind being in damp soil in hot weather. However, in winter you are best cutting off the water to it and just hand watering it a couple of times.

Good luck.

[Bkaus]

I wasn't accurate about the back fill mulch I meant compost not mulch and also added a bag of steer manure and 1/2 cup of slow release fertilizer.

The soil is so bad in this part of the yard that every tree has died that was planted in this corner of the yard so i just wanted to get below the caliche. When the hole got deep enough the caliche gave way to a dry powdery sand and clay mixture. It looked like at this depth the yard hadn't seen any moisture. When the sandy clay had water added it didn't look like the caliche in color and seems to have more sand in it then clay. Most of my back yard had OK soil except for this corner of my yard.

[Bkaus]

The Banana plant has been doing great getting a new leaf every week and now that it rained the leaves are getting huge. The shade cloth is 6 1/2 feet high.

[Bkaus]

The pup is almost the size of the mother plant when planted.

[phoenixtropicals]

Looks good!

[MKIVRYAN]

How often are you watering? I cant keep a banana alive to save my life if its in the ground. If its in a pot no problem. They seem to do fine until August then they slow down on growth and then the stem rots out.

[phoenixtropicals]

I cut off the water completely in winter.

[Bkaus]

[MKIVRYAN]

Did it make it thru the summer? Like clock work mine in the ground died in late August. Hoping you had better luck.

[Bkaus]

It's crazy that your plants die in august.


It gets water every other day with the grass sprinkler and it has a shade cloth over it that will be removed it in a week or two. Right now it's still getting a new leaf every week and now the leaves are even getting bigger.

I'm now worried about the cold taking it down will have to make sure no to little water when it stops growing for the winter.

[MKIVRYAN]

Glad to hear yours is doing good. I will keep trying

[Bkaus]

updated picture

[phoenixtropicals]

Looking good. Don't forget to cut way back on the water during winter.

[myamberdog]

Bkaus - whatever your doing is doing the trick!

Want to see some bananas NEXT year!!!!!!!



mDog