What I have learned growing bananas in the desert.
My soil is clay with a high ph, and with lots of salts.
I add iron, and the cheapest granulated fertilizer.
I think my successes is due to planting plants a little high in the soil and putting down a layer of compost then a thick layer of mulch. I do not mix amendments in with the native soil I just add to the top.
The battle for me is to keep my soil damp and getting the plants nitrogen.
All I can say is mulch the ground the soil stays cooler and conservers water.
Plant desert legume trees around your bananas and under plant with legumes.
Plant things close so they can shade each other and share resources.
I also plant things that are not as heat hardy next to my bananas and they tell me when to water.
Watering- I do drip with lots of laser line encircling the plants, so each plant gets about 20 to 30 emitters for good coverage. Water a lot at one time, to try to flush the salts out of the root zone. I also hand water a good portion of my plants, I enjoy it and works well for the plants, but I can not leave for more than 3 or so days at a time.
I still have problems with drainage, nutrient diff, and salt burn. and newly transplanted plants like to rot. But once the plants are established they have no big problems.
For my potted plants all are on my covered porch and only get an hour of direct sun. This is the only way most survive and look good threw the summer, in the sun I could not keep up with watering. The only potted plants I put in full sun are cactus, succulents, and desert palms.
most plants look good but Here are some pics of my problem plants
canna,I dug it up and put it in the garbage. I think it had the virus.
under watered banana
This banana has had problems with ruffled leafs it comes and goes.
april 15
june 8
