Sarah Brubacker

I'm still learning and I'm not even sure what I'll do this year but last year I bare rooted than kinda dug it in the soil, they were too big to put in pots. I'll probably do something like that again but it's a lot of work and super heavy hauling plants that size.
My fertilizer I use is 4-18-38, I also give them another one with more N and lower P.

mari@adams.net

Thanks for all your help, Sarah.

mari@adams.net

Do you think the plant will support the stem/bloom without some kind of bracing....I would hate to see it break off from the bloom weight? I'm sure the bloom will get a lot heavier.[IMG][/IMG]

geissene

From my limited experience, I've never seen heavy fruit be an issue for Zone 6.
But I wish it was a problem

People usually limit the number of hands that can mature and remove the flower so that a few bananas have an opportunity to ripen before frost comes.

mari@adams.net

Basjoos in Illinois...these were over-wintered outside (mulched)last winter....they have really grown since end of April. Leaves have gotten very big, I'm guessing 6-7' long. Still have a lot of growing to do, can't imagine how tall they are going to get. So glad I left them out last winter.
The plant on the right is a Dwarf Cavendish...the others are basjoos.[IMG][/IMG]

mari@adams.net

The blooming Orinoco has a large and a small pup. Should these be left on now or taken off? If the pups should be left on, when the blooming Orinoco has to be dug up in the fall, should the pups be left on or taken off while digging up.

Akula

I would not remove any pups until all the bananas from the flower have appeared. Wait till the bud is extended about 6 inches below the last banana then remove the bud and carefully remove the pups without hitting any roots.

I maintain one pup on each fruiting plant but in your Zone 6 I would remove them from the fruiting plant if I was going for fruit. Pups are too much of an energy/nutrient draw from the fruiting plant.

mari@adams.net

That is what I was wondering...if the pup/pups, (there are two a large one and a small one), are taking nutrients from the mother plant that it should have to finish out the bloom as much as it can before the weather starts going cool here. When it comes time to dig and take mother/bloom in, that part of the plant will be very heavy without an added large pup.

cincinnana

In the past my container grown Orinocos that flower late in the season will lose the flower and fruit by Jan/Feb.

I think any pup removal is more damaging at this stage in the cycle.
Maybe if we were in a better grow zone like 10 the plant would recover enough to continue.
As soon as the plants roots are disturbed for the moving process the plant will immediately decline.

The plant has a large footprint so it will prove difficult to keep under lights.

Give this learning expierience a chance to play out it will be worth it.

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mari@adams.net

Little nanners were being made as I was sleeping last night. What a surprise to wake up to.[IMG][/IMG]

mari@adams.net

How much water (with soluble fertilizer) should this plant be getting? I don't want to root rot it. It put out it's second hand of bananas this morning (last night?). I used a moisture meter and the soil around it shows it is 'wet'. We are in our high 80*'s here day and high 60*'s to 75* at night. Have had a little rain, but now looks like a dry spell.

mari@adams.net

I tried to post another picture and got a message "exceeds space limitation'. Does that mean that I can no longer post a picture?

beam2050

you have to delete some of your pics from old threads to post from now on or do something like using flickr.

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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

mari@adams.net

We had heavy rain today and it knocked the purple petal off a couple of the hands of bananas....hope they will be okay. It seems it puts out another hand of bananas every day. Fascinating to get up every morning and see what was happening while I was sleeping.[IMG][/IMG]

mari@adams.net

Any info appreciated on why the edges of the Orinoco leaves have a yelo edging....this plant is the one that has the bloom/bananas on it. Is this a nutrient deficiency? I usually add Epson salts to the fertilizing solution when watering. and it has had plenty of rain water. My moisture meter says is is 'wet'. Was wondering if the nutrients are going now to the bloom/bananas and not leaves.[IMG][/IMG]

mari@adams.net

[IMG][/IMG]
The Dwarf Cavendish has two large pups on it. I want to take them off and get them established in pots before taking them in for the winter......are they too big to do so or should I leave all 3 together..

cincinnana

My first guess is that your days are getting a few minutes shorter..

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mari@adams.net

Yes, it is getting shorter very rapidly...I can feel Fall in the air. Days are still in the 80*'s but nights are going down to 60's. Thanks for the reply....didn't realize loss of daylight hours would do this. Haven't noticed this yet on the other banana plants.

cincinnana

Fall is here...
That is what plants do.
No matter what you do....your plants know to shut it down for the season .
Some may shut down before others.
Plant are amazing.....
Keep posting ..

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mari@adams.net

[IMG][/IMG]
Since we are late in the season, our temps are now in the 70's-80's days and 60's and some high 50's nights, I'm wondering if I should cut the smallest bananas above the bud (and including the bud) off so the growth can go to the bigger bananas. Or is the bud providing some nutrients for the bigger bananas. There is 3 hands of very small bananas below the bigger ones.