Automatic misters for your banana.

[JoeReal]

Automatic misters for your banana: Can be made from a timer and a mister.

The cheap misters can be obtained from Home Depot or WalMart. There are several types. The cheap ones that work are the Cobra Mist Stand ($7) by Arizona Mist. For $6 more, I recommend that you get the "Arizona Mist Cooling Stand", which is higher capacity and adjustable. If you have several bananas, you can buy several of these misters and connect them unto a garden hose, you can also buy wyes (Y-connectors for garden hoses) to split the hose into several branches to accomodate several misters. You can secure these misters on top of a frame to mist directly over your banana leaves.

Sprinkler Timer. One of the thing that throws people off are the timers that would seem very expensive or complicated. These are really cheap and easy to install. But don't get any ordinary timers, as you need something that will have built-in misting mode or can be made to run 8 hours continuously, or perhaps with 2 hours maximum running time but can be made to run 4 times in a day. The "Melnor Electronic Water Timer-6 Cycle", sells for $40. This timer has a built-in misting program. Set the timer to run the built-in misting program from about a couple hours after sunrise to an hour before sunset. This turns the water on for 7 seconds every 2 minutes. Due to the residual water pressure in the hose, this keeps the mist flowing constantly. Basically, the timer can be programmed to turn on for any duration you choose, and can have up to 6 different start times per day. During those times that you have programmed the water to be on, the timer can operate in one of two modes. In normal mode, the water is turned on continuously during the programmed time frame, just as you would expect. In "misting mode", instead of being on constantly, it cycles the water on for 7 seconds every two minutes. This setup ended up using only 4 - 5 gallons a day per mister.

Other timers can be used as long as they provide at least an option for 8 hour running time.

[JoeReal]

Here's a timer that is operated by two alakaline AA batteries that could last one season of watering. There are no complex wiring to use, simply attach to your garden faucet and garden hose. This one has a misting program if you read the manual. This is really convenient for those who doesn't like to install wiring and solenoid valves.


Sells for $39.99 and FREE shipping from amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...=hi&vi=reviews
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...10426?v=glance

Here's the manual:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/re...&append-uid=no

[GATrops]

JoeReal-I have about a dozen of that type of timer I use for my misters in the greenhouses and drip irrigation systems. I have used them for about 3 years now with great results. I highly recommend them. A Very Good Choice.

[bananalover]

Humm, I am curious as to what conditions you have in your greenhouses or whatever that cause you to need misters? My greenhouse stays so damp in the winter(I thought it would be a lot dryer with the heater and all but it is very wet) that if I water too much everything rots and dries. Why do you need misters? I am just really curious as to your conditions compaired to mine, doesn't hurt to learn all you can.

[JoeReal]

I don't have a greenhouse, but certainly if temperature is hot, you can mist the air. But if temperature is cool, like cooler than 70 deg F and you mist it, it will be inducive to rot. If I have a greenhouse, I would only mist if air is drier than 50% and temperature hovers above 80 deg F, regardless of season. If air is cooler than 70 deg F, even if air is dry, I would not mist at all. The in-between temperature 70-80 I will mist only if the variety has active growth. Notice that most bananas actively grow when temperature is between 80 to 95 deg F.

The misting setup is designed for outside and are meant to help mist the bananas during the summer time using a cheap, easy to install timer and misters. This should help bananas tide over the blistering California summers.

[GATrops]

Bananalover-You are right that there is a fine line between misting and root rot in the winter. I use the misters in the greenhouses mostly in the fall and spring when it is too cool for the plants to be outside at night. (The greenhouses are empty from May until November.) I grow mostly tropicals and keep the houses at 65 degrees min. (At least I have in the past, the high cost of propane may change that this year.) I only run the misters as needed during the winter (mid-December to mid-February). Both of my greenhouses get full sun most of the day and can get pretty hot even during those months. I remove the shade cloths when the plants go in for the winter (early-mid November). One reason I try to keep the humidty up during the winter is to help with the spider mite problem. One of my greenhouses (a hoop type house) gets converted into a shade house in mid-May and I run the misters under it to help keep the humidty up and the heat down.