Transplanted northerner trying to grow bananas
Hi everyone....I'm Ray from SC. I'm a Home Inspector and trying desperately to grow some decent size bananas. Im a northerner and I moved here a couple years ag. A friend gave me a banana tree or.....a small clump of 4-5 trees that were 18" tall when I planted them. The first year they grew to maybe 5 ft....no sign of fruit. As he directed me, I cut them down in the fall when the plants turned brown, to within 6" of the ground and covered them with the cuttings to protect the clump for the winter months. This year...2nd growing season...they grew to 8 feet tall and I now have approx. 15-20 trees in the 'clump'. They produced perhaps15 beautiful purple blossoms and later this summer a few very small bananas at the base of each blossom's stem. The bananas were perhaps 1" long and immature. Now it is fall and I'm thinking of reducing the clump to just a couple trees (more nutrition for fewer trees...right?) Can I reduce the clump and move it a couple feet this fall?....or spring? What nutrients do banana trees like? Should the trees be cut down again this fall and the stumps protected for the winter? I don't have clue what I'm doing here....PLEASE HELP! Thanks
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