Quote:
Originally Posted by buzzwinder
Hi Chong, I read the earlier post about the high nitrogen push pupping, this is my second year growing bananas, I have been using Fish Emulsion (3-1-1) and rose food (24-8-16) and more recently a fert I got from Northern Tropics which is also (24-8-16), all my nanners pup like CRAZY!!!!! What would be a better ratio to promote a flower, my Dwarf Cav is going on its second wintering in Northern Illinois, I would Love to get a flower out of Ye Ol Bucket of DC's, Thanks  |
If you get an early spring, it would not be unusual to get flowering if you can set out your plant early. Preparations before you plant it would be required, though. And it would be where you can get the benefit of the heat from the sun. Prepare the area, 3ft x 3ft, you will plant the DC in, by putting a clear plastic enclosure, 3ft x 3ft x 2ft(minimum)high, over it, at least 1-month before. This will be like a hot cap and will trap the heat in the enclosure as well as the soil.
When you can maintain a steady daytime temperature of 60°F in the enclosure, and the ground is at least 55°F, you can plant the banana. You might need to increase the height of your enclosure, enough to accommodate your plant so it has at least a foot of clearance above the tip of the plant. cut or slit two 1" diameter holes on the sides, 6" below the top, and two holes 6" from the bottom for ventilation.
As long as the sun continue to shine, it will heat up the interior of the enclosure. Unfortunately, here in Seattle, we'd be so lucky if we get 4 hours of sunshine in late winter or early spring. I know that when I was in Chicago for a few months, every day the sun was shining brightly. And even when it's raining, the sky was still bright. Here, it's pretty gloomy before and after a rain. More so, when it's raining.
Or, you can plant your DCs in a 50-gallon pot and keep them in a heated area inside that has a lot of light during the winter and put the pot outside "when the coast is clear". There are a couple of nurseries in this area that has them in 50-gallon pots and several had produced fruits.
By the way, last weekend, Home Depot had MiracleGro All Purpose Fertilizer (24-8-16) on sale for $13.95 for the 10 lb, box. That would be an excellent maintenance fertilizer for bananas to get it growing fast from spring through early summer. Then at the height of summer you can switch to a 17-8-28 formula to encourage blooming.