Originally Posted by Akula

Yeah, this was perplexing to me too! Everything I have read and/or instructions emphasize organic content of soil and then Hector shows up with beautuful, healthy, full size plants grown in pool filter sand!!

I guess the pool filter sand allows the roots to branch out faster in addition to allowing water to drain better to counteract the large volume of rainfall we get in Florida. I have noticed some of my plants in soil with high organic content have "floated" up over the season due to soil saturation which makes them vulnerable to toppling by wind.

I wonder if Hector's technique works in soil that is highly acidic or salty i.e. main corn planted in a hole of his mix but with surrouding soil highly acidic or salty?

Originally Posted by Kanana

Ok, well I must have missed or didnt read yet in that lengthy thread, that you used your own soiless mix of sphagnum peat moss, perlite and silica sand. I was under the impression you used ONLY 100% silica sand.

So do you first start the smaller pots in YOUR soiless mix and let it grow in that, until it needs repotting, then add it to those much larger pots with 100% silica sand? Reason I ask is those large pots look like 100% silica sand as it is pure white. Perhaps you just cover the tops of those large pots with 100% silica sand instead of your mix?

Lastly, with your mix, do you use 1/3 of each part for your mix? Thanks so much. Your success with your bananas is something I'd like to duplicate.