microfarmer

I bought this (can't remember where) as a Double Mahoi and was hoping it would get taller. It's been planted since April, spent the winter in the garage dormant, and grew from May the previous year. I'm beginning to suspect it's a SDC and not Double. What do you all think? Sorry, no bloom yet, but it is pupping. The glass is a standard 16 oz. tumbler for comparison (and a homebrew).

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Dean W.

Nice photos whatever it is. Good looking soil by the way. Do you mix your own?

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microfarmer

Well, yes and no. Most of it is just garden soil mixed with lots of composted horse manure. I wish I could say that I've got my soil just as I'd like it, but...sadly, no. I don't want to disturb the developing roots, so I'm in topdressing mode. Each layer is a bit different, depending what I have on hand that looks like it is good for the nannas. That layer just happened to be from a transplanted banana and was left over, so I spread it around.

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Dean W.

If you don't mind me asking how much do you topdress with (compost)? I've read 12" on other threads. That would bury pups on some of my bananas.

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mskitty38583

im sure that the pups would push through the topdressings and mulch. i put 8 inches of chopped up trees in my yard( to keep from mowing) and i have a ornata brnze that popped up 2 ft away from the mom into the tree mulch i had put down. great looking nana trees you have there!

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Gabe15

Its still so small, but doesn't really look an SDC to me. SDC does stay small, but it gets much larger and stockier than your plant, yours just looks like a young DC. Is it growing well, or is it slower than your other plants?

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microfarmer

I put 6-8 inches of chipped trees on my front planter by the driveway, but that was more to insulate the corms against cold, than for nutrition. I did not remove it this spring, and it should decompose nicely. I'll most likely do it again this winter.

It does seem to be growing a little more slowly, about a leaf a week or less. It just doesn't seem to be elongating the P-stem like the others. I was expecting it to be aroun 4-5 feet tall by the end of last year, but it only got this big. It has added about 3" of growth when the plant next to it added about 3'. The were about the same size when I planted them. I treat them all the same. It does get the late afternoon sun, but so does the one next to it.

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