cincinnana

Nice...,

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Akula

I pruned my 4th Namwa bunch today. The bunch consisted of 11 hands pre-pruning and 6 hands post-pruning. Painful! This plant was located a bit deep into the corner of my patch and doesn't get the best light hence I only got 11 hands on this one. Sunlight is important!

I have one more Namwa that should flower in a week or so.

Namwa (No. 4) September 22, 2019


Pruned fingers (sad face)

Backyard Banana Joe

It’s always sad 😞 to prune baby 👶 bananas 🍌 but necessary

mari@adams.net

What fertilizer are you using to get such big bunches of bananas.

HMelendez

Looking good Donald!....At least you will be able to taste some nice Namwah bananas!....

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Akula

Hello Mari!

I fertilize monthly using urea for nitrogen and potassium sulfate or muriate of potash for potassium. I apply postassium sulfate during the first half of the season and then switch to murate of potash after getting a flower. I apply my fertilizers based on a 8 month season. I also heavily mulch with St. Augustine grass on a weekly basis.

If my plants show signs of overfertilization then I skip a month to let the plant sort it self out. I've noticed that different plants can take different amounts of fertilizer. Namwa's eat it up! Others not so much so I pay attention to how the plants are growing.

mari@adams.net

Thanks, where to buy your 'stuff'? I can't seem to find anything like what you use around here (big box stores).

Akula

Mari,

I get my "stuff" from a local supplier to the landscape and lawn service industry (Ewing Irrigation) but any Farm and Tractor Supply store will have urea and muriate of potash in 50 lb bags. I order the potassium sulfate in 5 lb bags from the internet.

In previous years I used a blended Palm Fertilizer that was perfect and included all the minors which I got from my supplier at a super price but sadly they sold out and didn't restock.

mari@adams.net

Thanks for the info, there is a Farm & Tractor Supply store near here that I will check out tomorrow.

Tytaylor77

Any feed and farm store usually had it. Places that sell farming equipment. Especially mom and pop type stores. Sadly Tractor Supply doesn’t have any.

If you absolutely can’t get any! Watch the greenhouse megastore sales. They often give free shipping! Then you can buy it from them!

Looking awesome Donald! You always have some amazing bunches! Amazing work my friend!

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Katie Thompson

Awesome fertilizer info. Thank you!

Do you prune off the hands to get larger remaining bananas? Are there other reasons?

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What?? I'm bananas??
Thank you.

Akula

Yes but in addition to larger finger size I believe the remaining fingers develop slightly faster since more resources are available per banana finger after pruning. I'm not sure if that last part is a fact or "bro science".

Katie Thompson

Hahah awesome, 'bro science'.

I have read the commercial growers do this pruning too, so for whatever reason, it must be effective at improving the 'last bananas standing'. The plantations would surely only do it if the payoff was good.

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What?? I'm bananas??
Thank you.

mari@adams.net

Neither Tractor Store nor Farm & Home Store here has any gardening products...it has all been put away for Christmas 'stuff'. Since viewing your pruning.....I'm wondering if I should go ahead and cut off the male blossom and the very small hand of fingers on the Orinoco plant. I will soon be taking this up and putting in basement for winter. Someone mentioned to leave it alone cause cutting might introduce a disease to the bunch. I'm wondering if a lot of needed nutrients for the small bunch of bananas are going into the little fingers and male bud.[IMG][/IMG]

Backyard Banana Joe

It should be fine to cut the bloom as long as it is cut 10-12 inches away from the bunch. And I would remove the last hand of hermaphrodite flowers as well

Akula

There should be a few places within your area that sell fertilizer stuff. Farm supply stores in the country or landscaping supply stores in the city. Urea and Muriate of Potash are very common fertilizers. Keep looking! Good luck!

I always cut off the flower a minimum of 6" below the last hand. Be warned the cut will drip latex staining sap like crazy for fifteen minutes or so.

mari@adams.net

I think the weather forecast for next Thursday (week from today) has answered my questions...….the temps are okay through next week but Thursday is a high of 66* and a nite low of 50*. Think out nice warm days are soon gone. I looked back at last years picture and it was about this time (10/10/2018) that I had taken my non-hardys in. I think I have a couple weeks yet, so will start root pruning and cutting the leaves back half...…...What are you talking about 'hermaphroite' flowers?, are you talking about the 'very small bananas' at the end of the bigger bunch? Do I just snip each off since I am leaving a foot+ of the stock above the bud?

mari@adams.net

Is this small 'bunch' of bananas what you call "hermaphrodite" ? Are these what I should cut off?[IMG][/IMG]

Akula

I have never removed those hermaphrodite/transition bananas from the bunch. They are a little to too close to the good bananas. Others might though.

Katie Thompson

My neighbor has been awarded the rights to cut off the blossom from each of my banana bunches here, after the rachis is done. She cooks them, a lovely Filipino dish with coconut milk.

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What?? I'm bananas??
Thank you.