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View Full Version : small bunches last couple years, why?


sddarkman619
07-19-2017, 07:27 PM
I lanted my gold fingers about 4 years ago and had large bunches first year, maybe 2 years.

Seems like last couple years have had small bunches and wondering what it could be?
Lack of watering?
Lack of fertilizer?
too many pups?

I know I cut back on watering last year and then this year I started watering again several times a week and immediately had new flower and then the bunches formed but now the bunches aren't putting out the bananas anymore it's Male Part(?) of the flower?

So again I started watering more, fertilizing almost weekly, and I have pups.

Just wondering how to get larger bunches again.

Richard
07-19-2017, 07:31 PM
http://growingfruit-images.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/original/3X/e/d/ed06524584a2fa19133ea8396b49af11a1825ad1.pdf

sddarkman619
07-20-2017, 02:43 AM
thanks Richard!

edwmax
07-20-2017, 04:34 AM
Can high temps be stressing the plant during fruit development?

sputinc7
07-20-2017, 10:02 AM
The part explaining about the large root canopy may be something to look into. When you water, do you water everything for ten feet around the plant? Also, watering leeches nutrients, so keep that in mind. I recently had a similar issue and found the problem to be a combination of the two. I tended to only water close to the plant, 2-3 feet radius around it, as well as utilizing fresh horse manure then not fertilizing for several months to let it fade, causing a double whammy effect, I wasn't keeping the root canopy alive during the drought simply because I was watering by hand and didn't have the time but eventually I got a sprinkler head for my hose that did good enough. Too little too late, though. Either lack of fertilizer or widely available water or possibly both contributed to me having a plant that normally fruits at about 11 feet flowering at 9 feet with a short bunch. Both problems have since been rectified.

Gabe15
07-20-2017, 10:39 AM
When you actually see the fruit bunch emerging from the plant, it has already been growing hidden inside for months, 3-6 months in the tropics, and I would assume longer in colder climates. What this means is that the total number of fruit is predetermined way before you ever see them, and that adequate water and fertilizer is required for the entire duration of the growth cycle, not just towards when you see the flowers emerge. The size of the fruit can still be influenced to some degree, but the number of hands and number of fingers per hand cannot change. It has been shown that lack of water and nutrients in the first 3 months of growth will have negative effects on productivity when it fruits, even if water and fertilizer increases afterwards.

sddarkman619
08-02-2017, 12:27 PM
Gabe, what is your opinion on cuttiing all pups down except for 1 when the plants are growing?

Gabe15
08-02-2017, 02:00 PM
Not sure exactly what you mean, aren't they always growing? Are you talking about thinning an old mat or managing a new mat?

Botanical_Bryce
08-02-2017, 02:33 PM
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cigy-hOgp2o

sddarkman619
08-02-2017, 02:50 PM
Not sure exactly what you mean, aren't they always growing? Are you talking about thinning an old mat or managing a new mat?

plantations I believe only let 1 pup grow per mat so as to potentiate the growth of larger bunches. From what I've read. True?

They take all the pups off except for 1 so that the energy goes to the adult plant that will produce a bunch. then when it's done they cut it downa dn let the one pup grow from there.

Botanical_Bryce
08-02-2017, 03:41 PM
ECHO Global claims they they found one parent three pups optimum

sddarkman619
08-02-2017, 05:08 PM
ECHO Global claims they they found one parent three pups optimum

that video was pretty cool but they don't explain the WHY of some of the things they do.

Tytaylor77
08-02-2017, 10:53 PM
I see it as less pups = more energy for mom to put into fruiting. On my fruiting plants I remove ALL pups as fast as possible.
On cold hardy types I plan to keep a pstem over winter I let 1 pup grow around this time of year.
On Single season/short cycle varieties I keep NO pups all year to get mother to bloom/fill as fast as possible! I'm not in the tropics. I have a deadline called winter coming. So I need that mom at full speed for any chance at fruit.