williambhadley

I think what I really want to do is the banana circle. Everything I have read indicates one of the most important steps is the ground prep, so I figure I need to do it right because it will be more difficult later or my plants will be dead. I found someone that I may get a few Orinoco plants from so I will have 6-7 to go around the circle.

The center will have a compost pile; however, my wife may require me to use a composter so it's not open for the dogs and critters of the world. I did find one on Amazon that has an open bottom, so I figure that should allow the plants to get the nutrients they so desire. I will add lemon grass, sweet potatoes and something else to the raised outer ring.

Speaking of the outer ring, I think I will use some of the clay I dig out from the center pit; however, I will mix it thoroughly with some sand, perlite, and manure. This way, it should drain relatively well where the roots are. I will cover the ring with a good layer of compost. I emailed someone that has some good videos on YouTube, and he told me banana plants are unlike regular trees and that you can pile up compost along their pseudo stem without it causing any problems.

I like your idea for a french drain. The only problem for me right now with that is I don't have anywhere good to run it to. The side of my yard is part of the natural runoff for where I live, so when it rains heavily, it will pool up to about 7-9" of water spread out over a 1/4 of the yard. My brother is a soil scientist in PA, so I've been bouncing ideas off him to take care of that problem without giving my neighbors my runoff.

Oh the joys! Thank you for the ideas and everyone else for welcoming me to the nana thread!