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View Full Version : Does manure does a banana good?


musaboru
06-06-2009, 01:39 PM
Well, I know you're not suppose to plant anything in straight manure. Rather, its used as an amendment right?

Has anyone ever noticed a a considerable advantage more vigorous growth (maybe even more fruit) from bananas when using steer manure? As opposed to using any other type of fertilizer....

harveyc
06-06-2009, 03:14 PM
I use aged/composted steer manure as well as chemical fertilizers and have never done a comparison with/without, but like to use it as it adds organic matter to my moderately heavy soil (silty clay loam) and nitrogen at the same time. I don't believe there is enough nitrogen to be the sole sore of nitrogen. Since my soil has high levels of phosphorus (bananas don't need much anyways), I've been fertilizing with potassium nitrate. I think the price has gone up a lot since the last time I bought it, it cost me $88 for 100 pounds a couple of weeks ago from my ag supplier. While nitrogen costs have come down some, potassium remains very high.

lorax
06-06-2009, 04:48 PM
Steer and chicken manures (properly aged, of course) are my only concession to fertilizer here. The bananas seem to grow a bit taller with them than without them, but I've never done a controlled trial.