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View Full Version : Fertilizer - which one?


Mahi
06-03-2016, 04:58 PM
Is this good fertilizer for Ensete Maurelli and Ensete Glaucum and other?
Amazon.com : Banana Musa Ensete Liquid Fertilizer HighTech NPK, root soil foliar fertilizer - Plant Food : Patio, Lawn & Garden (http://www.amazon.com/Banana-Ensete-Fertilizer-HighTech-fertilizer/dp/B00HUZT95K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1464989733&sr=8-3&keywords=banana+fertilizer)
Many different recommendations: 5-3-3, 4-4-7, 6-2-12, 12-4-6, bla, bla, bla :ha:
I'm confused! :(

blue java ice cream
06-03-2016, 06:36 PM
Nursery Fertilizers
Banana Fuel: 15-5-30. Great for the tropics but in the U.S. (esp. the midwest) you'll need Nitrogen supplement.
Going Bananas: 9-3-27. An excellent Potash supplement.
Grow More or Scotts (Fruiting Bananas): 20-5-30 natural water soluble with minors; maximum of 5 lbs (8.5 cups) per year per plant in the ground. For example, in a 10-month growing season apply 3/4 cups of 20-5-30 per month. Dissolve in water before applying.
Grow More or Scotts (Ornamental Bananas): 28-8-18 natural water soluble with minors; maximum of 3.6 lbs (6 cups) per year per plant in the ground.
Potassium Nitrate, also known as Saltpetre in Europe: 13-0-38 natural water soluble in pure form. Excellent potash supplement, also strong enough to be used on tree stumps for removal.
Seaweed Extract: typically 0.1-0.1-1.5 plus significant quantity of the plant hormone gibberellic acid.
Stokes Tropicals Banana Blend: 3 months controlled released fertilizer 6-2-12 w/minors.
Sul-Po-Mag, also called K-Mag: 0-0-22 plus 10.5% Magnesium, 22% Sulfur, and less than 2.5% Chlorine. Careful, in addition to Potash it contains large amounts of Magnesium, Sulfur, and a significant amount of Chlorine. It is an excellent potash supplement and soil acidifier but I do not recommend applying more than 1 lb per year to bananas.

I copied this from the fertilizer wiki. Bananas are heavy potassium feeders and need quite a bit of it through out their life. The fertilizer that you posted above is 12-4-6. I personally use 6-3-16 at a rate of one pound per mat per month.

Mahi
06-04-2016, 06:13 AM
Thank you Blue Java, your post answer my question! :03:

Island Brah
07-11-2016, 07:20 PM
Nursery Fertilizers
Banana Fuel: 15-5-30. Great for the tropics but in the U.S. (esp. the midwest) you'll need Nitrogen supplement.

I personally use 6-3-16 at a rate of one pound per mat per month.

Blue Java Ice Cream, I'm trying to wrap my head around this fertilizer thing with the N-P-K and I live in the Atlanta, GA burbs.

If you say Banana Fuel is 15-5-30 and needs a Nitrogen supplement, Why does the fertilizer you use have only 6 for Nitrogen? Do you use a Nitrogen supplement? If you do, what is it(brand)?

Thanks for helping me understand this stuff!

blue java ice cream
07-12-2016, 05:30 PM
Blue Java Ice Cream, I'm trying to wrap my head around this fertilizer thing with the N-P-K and I live in the Atlanta, GA burbs.

If you say Banana Fuel is 15-5-30 and needs a Nitrogen supplement, Why does the fertilizer you use have only 6 for Nitrogen? Do you use a Nitrogen supplement? If you do, what is it(brand)?

Thanks for helping me understand this stuff!


Island Brah, The information that I posted was just copied and pasted from this website. I use 6-3-16 because the soil where I live is already high in phosphorus and has a decent amount of organics that provide the nitrogen. Bananas are heavy potassium feeders and need to be supplemented with fertilizers that are high in potassium in nearly every soil type.

I would highly recommend that you have a soil test done for your soil, that information alone will tell you more than anyone on here can give you. Being that you're in Georgia, you may have heavy clay near the surface which isn't always the best for drainage. Banana's use a lot of water during the heat of the Summer but be wary of any standing water near the corms. Standing water can quickly rot out your trees and cause a lot of headaches.