View Full Version : Thin or Fertilize more or ?
BananaRob
05-03-2019, 09:15 PM
I have 5 different varieties of bananas, but when they fruit they only produce a few hands. Should I be thinning the pups or am I not fertilizing or perhaps watering enough?
I maintain 2 to 3 pups to one fruiting plant.
I fertilize with high nitrogen, higher potassium fertilizer, 8 3 9 and additional potassium. I dump lots of banana peels and other compost at base of banana plants.
What's your experience?
Thanks,
Rob :08:
Akula
05-03-2019, 11:23 PM
I keep my plants thinned to one replacement pup per parent plant as advised by many on this site. My first year I kept two pups on one plant and one pup on another plant. The one pup-one parent combo grew much faster and taller than the two pup-one parent pairing.
Some people think its higher maintenance to regularly cull the little pups and peepers but I would rather cull the little ones, get a big bunch, then chop up one large plant then get four little bunches and then have to chop up four medium size adults.
pitangadiego
05-04-2019, 11:06 PM
Sounds like more fert and water are needed.
You didn't mention the varieties, but some have small fruit, and some have only a few hands, particularly the reds and Orinocco.
raygrogan
05-05-2019, 06:18 AM
A fourth thing you might try is adding fresh dirt. I had a patch that would not respond much to the usual big 3 you mentioned - culling, fertilizing, and water. It was in a very rocky area. I started adding buckets of dirt, mixed with good high K fert, and finally got a good response.
BananaRob
05-08-2019, 08:04 PM
Varieties I have are Praying hands, Ice Cream, Apple Banana and Dwarf Finger. Thanks.
fisherking73
05-08-2019, 08:37 PM
My bunches have gotten bigger and better with less pups. Use to leave 3 or 4 pups, last year started culling to one. Also fertilize every month and watering more than before. So far so good
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