Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Hey from south Georgia,

We own a property that has a 1.4 acre swamp on it. The water level during the rainy season is right at 18" - inches not feet, just dig a hole and it fills with water.
My question:
Will the bananas love it or hate it?
Soil is sandy, some blue clay, peat. Oh yeah and my horses add some horsey manure daily.

Okay, will the roots rot or grow like crazy?

:2118:

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Bananas don't like waterlogged soil, but if the water table is 18 inches below then it shouldn't be much of a problem. Banana roots only extend to 2 feet below the surface. It may be beneficial to pile up some soil on top and plant them in that though.

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Plant them on mounds

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

I grow bananas next to Lake Okeechobee. My water table comes up higher than 18" every summer.Rt

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Ipatelski,

I am breeding bananas suited for low effective depth soils -especially the high water table and clay soil combo (about the worst that you can get!).

Bananas can work.


Use close parallel ditches into the water table. Six foot ditch spacing is adequate. Mulch heavily with aged clippings etc. Bananas are surface Feeders.

AAs, AAAs, AAAAS, AABs do well... the key is to allow the upper water table to be oxygenated.

I have Silk, Mysore, Thousand Fingers, 168-12, 3405-1, Pisang Mas, Musa acuminata malaccensis, Red Banana and Musa laterita doing exceptionally well.

Under those conditions of well oxygenated upper water table even Musa balbisiana is growing and fruiting.

I also have recently put in Ney Poovan and it seems to be fine. Monthan, Pelipita, Saba and Orinoco seem to need a bit more coaxing... but your soil is lighter than mine (by far!)... bananas appreciate low-bulk-density soils (not clays, like I have).

Leaf-prune religiously. Fungal and bacterial banana pathogens thrive in moist environments...so please space your plants!

hope this helps!

shannon

shannon.di.corse@gmail.com

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

I think being in zone 8 you will have problems come winter. Wet and warm is much different than wet and cold

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Hydroids property experiences high water tables and his bananas grow like crazy. I believe that his is seasonal but some times of the year if you walk across some of his yard where he is growing bananas you will get wet feet and the water level is very close to the surface. I'd guess less than a foot but he'd have to say for sure.

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Ipatel --- how many days a year do you have temps below 32 F? We are talking GA, right?

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

We are 18 miles from Florida on the Northern Mid Border. There were several days we hit 32 and below, but not for sustained periods of time like in the past. I mulched my bananas with loads of horse manure and hay. The leaves died back and then came back every time. Our swamp land seems to get colder because there is a lack of concrete and houses.

Linda Patelski:2715:

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

I'm with Tony, I think the wetness is going to be a problem during winter given your climate. During summer, I bet they'll thrive.

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

One of the things that I've noticed is that bananas grown under wet conditions seem to make themselves a little hill as suckers start coming up higher and higher. 18" Is not something I would really worry about.

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

That explains why some of my mats seem to be growing higher exposing corms and roots. Will correct by reducing emitter outputs.

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

:pics::woohoonaner:

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Hi Dan,

I'm not sure that is going to help. I think it will just slow it (growth) down. As the corm grows and it produces pups it's mass increases. As a result it has to do one of two things. Compress (sink) the soil or push the soil off it's top as it swells in volume and the top of the corm gets closer to the soil level. The corm not a root doesn't lengthen as much as it swells. All of my older mats appear as if I planted them on little mounds. I know that it isn't the mulch as it breaks down into almost nothing. I'd leave the water flow as is if it is working for you.

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Hey Charles --- makes sense.

So when are you gonna post pics of your backyard again?

How's Hydroids and your PK doing?

Dan

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Shrek ?

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

How about this for swampy conditions...

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

I'm on higher ground.. but still have crawfish in the yard.. :^)

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Nicolas,

Is that banana plant in the pic "Mysore"?


Thanks,

shannon


shannon.di.corse@mail.com

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Many land living crayfish typically burrow down to the water table. I do not say all since I have no way of ascertaining that without a lot of study. I have seen burrows go to almost four feet.
I have a banana growing near the course of creek. I built up a mound of soil about 14 inches higher than ground for the nana and no problems with disease or illness to the plant.

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

LOL all my nanna's live in D swamp

That's why I planted mine in mounds with a moat to hold D water so it could soak to the ruuts lol

Meh Ya

Swamp and Swamp Pop music I like DAT me!

Listen:



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Now if the Nutria rat's don't get them I'll be having Bananas Foster for Christmas:}

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Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Isn't that Nutria Étouffée a little raw?:lurk:

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

The plant in my picture is african rhino horn

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Yes Sir

Many of us Cajuns down here in south Louisiana like our big squirrels (Nutria) cooked on the rare side lol

We like our Lizards here in Lizard Creek large too!

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And plenty of them:}

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Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Good Evening Mayor,

Looks like you'll have a freezer full of "taste like Chicken".

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

There was a restaurant in the next town over called "Gator Tales". I love gator tail. Every little gator we got we popped out at the lake by that restaurant. You could drop hush puppies over the rail to the babies. They loved em'. We miss that place.

:lurk:

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Here in the tropics bananas grow fine in wet mud. When planting suckers, plant in a mound so they are a bit above the water line, but once they get going they can spread out into the waterlogged mud.

Re: Is anyone growing near a swamp?
 

Here in SE FL the slopes of the drainage canals are a great place to plant naners. You never have to water. The roots will extend down to the water line and spread out. The soil is moist further up. I don't have one in my backyard though.