Originally Posted by PR-Giants

Substrate aeration is the most important part of a healthy plant and that's my main focus.

Figuring out a good substrate starts with determining what the plant does best in.

Because a banana plant has two distinct underground parts, the rhizome and the roots, should they be treated the same and if so which one should get preferential treatment. If not then what's an efficient way of giving both what they individually prefer.

Another way of looking at the balance of aeration and moisture in a substrate is which is easier to add or harder to remove as a plant becomes more established. Adding moisture is simple and lowering aeration is also very simple.

In the past I've tried explaining what I do but the problem with that is many hobbyist will substitute things without understanding how things function. There are hobbyists that don't understand the difference between BBQ charcoal and horticultural charcoal or pool filter sand and horticultural sand. When I saw members mixing pool filter sand with perlite it was clear I was wasting my time.