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Originally Posted by plantman532000
I was just wondering if anyone is growing bananas in hydroponics and how you are doing it. I do have just a few (5) varieties and only one (Little Prince) is in a hydro system. I have it in a 7.5 inch Interior Water Gardens pot.
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IMHO growing 'little prince' in hydro is missing out on the real benefits of hydro, namely immediate and massive availability of nutrients. Having said that the interior water gardens system is low tech though and is prolly a good choice for that cultivar, my little prince plants don't do anything in a massive way.
If you really want to do bananas in hydroponics I would go with a dwarf fruiting variety, dwarf cav, dwarf brazillion, mahoi etc. and stick it in:
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/ge.../megafarm.html
You might get by with
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/ge...wergrower.html but it will get tight.
I had a super swarf in a similar system but instead of using an air lift to deliver nutrient it had a small aquarium pump. (here it is at a website that is 11 years old:
http://www.geocities.com/k2benson/Ba.../Hydroban.html - rough and unfinished I know) Man that thing delivered the nutrient. I used maxigrow nutrients.
http://www.generalhydroponics.com/ge...igro_1.5lb.pdf
Just watch the nutrient solution, bananas can strip it down to almost pure water in 4-7 days depending on their size and speed of growth.
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Any tips on how to grow them well in a cold, northern (northern Pa., USA) area without a greenhouse would be welcome.
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It can be done. You will need some HID lighting. Many hydroponics stores have a banana in a bucket system just to show you how well the things work. You could make such a system by nesting a 3 gallon bucket inside a 5 gallon bucket and fiddling with a pump and asome tubing. Heck, you could link them and use a singel nutrient resevoir. I would be thinking 400 watts of metal halide light minimum once a banana gets some size. For that smaller one, a 150 or 200 wat bulb should do.
Keith
PS:
http://www.growingedge.com/community...p3?s=yes&q=703
http://www.growingedge.com/magazine/...php3?AID=30317 I have a copy of this is you want it. It is a nice article, but not mandatory.
http://www.growingedge.com/magazine/...php3?AID=10321
http://www.growingedge.com/magazine/...php3?AID=70456
http://www.uk-hydroponic.com/blog.html