Bananas.org - howdy

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Hello. I am wandering about and peeking here and there. I heard about you in another garden site and thought that I would come take a look. I just ordered my first 3 bananas this week and have a lot to learn before they arrive. I live in south central Missouri and gardening is my passion. In winter, I have so many plants brought indoors that it seems I am living in a jungle and I like it!

Welcome aboard! Our other Missouri members will have a wealth of good info for you. You can start building your knowledge base by checking out the threads in the Soils and Fertilization Forum, and the stuff in the Banana Plant Health Forum should also prove useful. Cold Hardy Bananas will also help you when you decide to order more.

Best of luck - and you should know that it's likely you'll be pulling up your lawn to plant more bananas after your first year with them!

Yo Kathy and welcome to the board! :ha: Though there's lots to learn.. but most importantly, enjoy your plants. All the best. :0517:

Thank you for the warm welcome. I am always tearing up lawn to plant more stuff that is not grass. LOL Weeding is more fun than mowing. I have 20 acres I can fill if I want, I do not want. I do not like weeding that much.

So Kathy what three bananas types did you order? I think 20 acres of bananas would be great.

Welcome to the fray, kiddo. You will find that raising these critters can be a test of will, patience, a constant quest for knowlege and, if you are one of the lucky ones, absolutely one of the easiest things you have ever done. ( I, however have not been one of the latter.) I live in ice planet Wisconsin, probably known as siberia to any banana plant, and pretty much am restricted to container stuff, having to bring them inside except for those 3 snow free days of the year, however the first seed I had sprout is my pride and joy ( a darjeeling giant ) that in one year is at four feet and climbing. After battling spider mites, too much water, not enough, wrong fertilizer, has somehow made it through and has kept the dream alive. I hope you have fun! It is an adventure, and at this website, you have friends! Welcome!

banajack, congrats on the four foot baby. Sounds wonderful.
Michael, I ordered 3 dwarf orninoco from an agristarts co-op. Hoping that I can get at least one of three to actually survive. What is the best thing to do when they arrive besides give them a drink?

:2200:Welcome to the organization Kathy65468!!!

I also try to maintain a jungle!!! Many people on this site can give you good applicable information. I hope you find it here.!!!:2239:

The poor little guys will probably arrive in some form of panic, so the best thing to do is give them some brightly lit stable spot. As far as the drink, check the soil they arrive in. If it feels dry to the touch, give them a drink of rain water if you can, so that the soil is damp but definitely not wet, as the small guys are incredibly sensitive to over watering, usually indicated by brown patches, or edges on the leaves. Do not put them near a heat vent or a really dry place as it doesn't take much to dry out the leaves. (if you can mist the leaves on a regular basis or keep them in a moderately humid environment, that is best.) As I have no experience with orinocos, you might want to check with some members here about fertilizing them. Bananas tend to be heavy feeders when established but when they are babies, they are very sensitive to the type, and frequency of fertilizer. Also, read the threads about the best soil types when it comes time to transplant. I have been growing mine in a combination of bird seed mulch, "worked off" manure and citrus soil, but generally stay away from potting soils and the like because they are too heavy, retain too much water and do not allow the corm and roots to breathe. They will do the best in warm temeratures, again with a moderate amount of humidity, and seem to do ok if allowed to drop into the 60s at night. (again, check with the experts as most of mine are cold hardy types). I hope this helps, and hope the little guys do well for you. As I mentioned before, the members of this organization will bend over backwards to help you out, all you have to do is ask questions! Good luck!!! Banana Jack.

Kathy the mistake you see most often (ask me how I know) is to over water. I don't think you can over water a banana growing outside in the middle of summer. But these seedlings are very susceptible to wet feet especially when they are small and in somewhat of shock. Having a VERY well draining mix to plat in is a big plus. Here is a link to a discussion on different mixes:

http://www.bananas.org/f15/what-best...sjoo-6070.html

I use an idea that patty told us about and that is to use a wooden stick to see how wet the soil is. Another trick is to wait till the top 2 inches is dry before watering.

Welcome kathy. A lot of our houses could be described as the jungle at this point. I'm looking forward to getting mine back and being outdoors with my plants where we all belong. You'll find lots of help here so explore the site and ask away. Every one here is pretty cool with plants. Good luck.

Welcome to the site, Kathy! Glad to have more Missouri people on here! I'm from Iowa originally, but am currently attending graduate school at UMSL for optometry. Enjoy the site...it's full of helpful/knowledgeable people, so ask all the questions you have. Good luck with your bananas! You'll love them, trust me!

Hi, kathy65468 I'm new to Bananas.org also.
Welcome from a newbie. :moonwalknaner:

Lilriver, I am also from Iowa. I have been in MO since 82 and love it!
Bananajack, and everyone else, thanks for the advice. I was not sure how to handle my new babies on arrival. I figured a good drink but really never thought it may be possible to over water right from the start. I have a lot to learn. I have wanted to try bananas for a long time. I finally have the opportunity and am looking forward to their arrival.