beam2050

I believe he means this by maintenance. and cultivation. dh= 15 ft. do= 18 ft..... I have a place in the backyard be perfect for this. namwa on the outside, kandarin in the middle?. thanks richard

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npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

CraigSS

Looks Great.
Two comments:
1- The Fig and Maple trees are too close together.
2- The mint will take over the area and get into your lawn in a few years.

Craig

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mackmccaleb

Thanks CraigSS!

1. I completely agree that the maple and fig are too close. I had two thoughts about that. Allow the maple to form a canopy layer and the fig be an understory (providing that the growth rates allow for that) or let them grow for a while, then remove whichever seems to be the weakest. The maple wasn't part of the original design, honestly I just stuck it in because it was free.

2. You're definitely right about the mint. I can see already that its growing far faster and sending out runners. I hadn't considered it getting into the yard, thanks for pointing that out. I wanted something with function to use as a ground cover, but in hindsight I think I would have been better to either leave out the mint or try to limit its growth by planting it in a container.

Richard

I like the idea of a homogeneous planting. As you know, corm locations will drift -- if not infiltrate nearby locations. Over time it will be hard to keep track of what is where. And it will no longer be a circle but one large plat -- a "banana disc" if you will.

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beam2050

yes. I can see that. make a perfect circle and as time goes on it won't be, as pups grow and mother dies. but I am dealing with over an acre here and where I am thinking of doing it is in the backyard I call the back 40. we have been letting it go for many years hoping to get the natural plants for this area growing. basically trees. it has not been working out mainly because we are on a sand hill. so for the last couple of years I have been cleaning it out and putting some plants of sorts. well I have this one area, about 15 ft square. nothing around it but small black jacks. heck I am not to concerned about being perfect about it all anyways, as far as a circle goes. I have this kandarin pup which is about ready to dig up. I had been planning to put her there anyways. I will start with that and then give every thing space to do their thing. I think that that [circle] will be perfect for that spot. a change in the way I have been planting. thanks again for the good advice.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

Em

Wouldn't the mulch pit prevent bananas growing over the centre?
A banana circle very specifically should have a roughly one metre deep pit in the centre, filled with mulch to around 1m above ground (maybe more).

I imagine then the task is to prevent the pups spreading out from the circle.
Is it relatively easy or difficult to transplant pups back onto the mounded circle?


I found the image to be unclear regarding maintenance. It states that because each banana plant has a shrinking root zone toward the centre of the circle, that planting in this fashion is high maintenance.
I was trying to get clarity on what kind of maintenance.

As I have touched on above, I am wondering if when people hear "banana circle" they think only of planting in a circle, where in fact it is the mulch pit that is the essential feature alowing for the circle to function.

Richard

It will quickly be invaded by rhizomes.

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CraigSS

Mack,
Understand about free plant. I also go by the theory that if it is free it is for me. Attach the mint invasion before it gets to far ahead of you. And even if the circle gets amalgamated into a big single plot, it will be a great are for your kids or grandchildren to play around.

Good luck,
Craig

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mackmccaleb

Banana circle update! Walkthrough videohttps://youtu.be/K6w7OaL4WvE

sputinc7

As for the pics in your posts, most people don't make the pics small enough to be uploaded here... Either crop or resize to work. If the big red PROCESS button doesn't come up, they didn't upload (Usually meaning one or more is still too big.). Once you get them loaded on the site, there is a BB code you copy / paste into your comment on the bulletin board. Hope it helps.

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Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

mackmccaleb

Things are really growing in my circle. The bananas are pushing out massive new leaves every few days. I decided to expand the circle a bit by adding three more smaller circles. I haven't planted anything yet, I'm letting the new beds rest for a while, but there are plenty of pups ready to separate and transplant. Please check out this video and give me some feedback!

https://youtu.be/J_F42O9Jo9c

cincinnana

r

Awesome creative project.

I watched your videos and I am impressed with the way things are panning out.

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beam2050

got my banana circle complete. I put it in back yard where we used to let it grow a-natural. nothing would grow there except for weeds and black berries so I mowed it down a couple of years ago. it does not seem to fertile there.

in the pic on the backside are six namwa, in the front three dwarf reds and in the center three Manzano. I picked those for the diversity in leaves and p-stems. its about 15 ft. in diameter. I have been throwing the leaves I have cut from bananas around the yard. I hope to keep the weeds down with this and also to catch leaves from the surrounding trees.

I like it so I believe I am going to another one about 20 ft. from this one. maybe ladyfinger and iholena and blue java or praying hands in the center for a start. see what the spring brings.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

mackmccaleb

Looks good! Banana circles are a lot of work to install, and maintain as I'm coming to find out. However they do provide a convenient central location for mulch and watering. Consider interplanting some biodiversity in the spring! I'm getting pretty good annual vegetable production from my circle and it doesn't seem to be negatively affecting my bananas. I had a lawn a year ago, now I'm getting close to a backyard tropical paradise using bananas as the pioneer canopy layer. Very satisfied with the system so far.

HMelendez

Master Beam,



Banana Circle looking good!.....Awesome job!.....Definitely it will pay off at the end!.....





*****A very good surprise!*****


The "supposedly" Dwarf Brazilian that I'm currently growing, turned out to be Praying Hands!.....Praying Hands approx. 11 ft. tall and keeps growing nicely!......As you mentioned, what a monster Nana Variety!......Woohooo!.....

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Akula

When planting in circles are the tallest plants in the middle with medium and shorties on the outside or tallest on the north side with medium and shorties on the south side? Or it doesn't matter?

beam2050

thank you guys. should look pretty good next year.

dr. hector my Brazilians look awesome but my praying hands is a hoss. 7 ft. so far and has 1 pup.

I just planted mine with dwarfs in the front as you walk up. and I planted the mat for the varying p-stem colors. keep the dead leaves off them and it should look pretty decent. will look better when I get tree leaves covering the banana leaves.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5