Foliar spray for insects and other critters

JaredZone9a · 05-23-2021, 10:27 PM

Just curious if anybody is using a good Foliar spray or antifungals to keep the banana leaves protected and healthy. I'd like to minimize insect damage and other issues if possible.

Would love to see what everybody is using and if you can post a pic that would be fantastic.

I was looking at the IV Organics 3-in-1 Plant Guard Spray...sounds like pretty good stuff?

A lot of my flowers and leaves on various plants in the front and back have insect damage. :-(

edwmax · 05-24-2021, 08:32 AM

I just went through this for spray to use in my garden. ... For the past couple of years I used Sevin garden spray consentrate (32 oz; $15).. The price had a big increase this year from about $8 in the past to $15-$22 for a quart. A quart will make 8 gal of spray.

After doing a little research I settled on using malathion. A gal is $50 and can make 256 gal of spray. It is rain fast after it dries and effective for about 3 or 4 weeks.

To the spray I use/add copper sulfate at 1 tbsp per gal of mix. Copper sulfate is a very effective fungicide and in mUost off the shelf fungicides. ... and is labeled for organic use.

Also to the spray mixes, you can add water soluble fertilizers if need.

The malathion has already paid for its self this month and still have enough for about 240 gal of spray.

JaredZone9a · 05-24-2021, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwmax

I just went through this for spray to use in my garden. ... For the past couple of years I used Sevin garden spray consentrate (32 oz; $15).. The price had a big increase this year from about $8 in the past to $15-$22 for a quart. A quart will make 8 gal of spray.

After doing a little research I settled on using malathion. A gal is $50 and can make 256 gal of spray. It is rain fast after it dries and effective for about 3 or 4 weeks.

To the spray I use/add copper sulfate at 1 tbsp per gal of mix. Copper sulfate is a very effective fungicide and in mUost off the shelf fungicides. ... and is labeled for organic use.

Also to the spray mixes, you can add water soluble fertilizers if need.

The malathion has already paid for its self this month and still have enough for about 240 gal of spray.

Very nice! Is this spray organic? Can we eat our bananas if we spray them?

edwmax · 05-24-2021, 12:19 PM

No ... organic insecticides are derived from plant based materials. Malathion is a synthetic Manufactured chemical. .... But that doesn't mean the organic chemicals are any ~~less safe~~ more safe or safer than malathion and several are more dangerous.

For organic, you need to look for pyrethrins or rotenone. ...Scratch rotenone; it's removed from use in 2019. All of these must have direct contact with the insect at the time of application to be effective. There is little to no residual effect minutes after application for most all organic insecticides.

The official approved types of chemicals for organic farming/gardening: https://www.google.com/url?q=https:/...vzIdvOIMS2p7DF

JaredZone9a · 05-24-2021, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwmax

No ... organic insecticides are derived from plant based materials. Malathion is a synthetic Manufactured chemical. .... But that doesn't mean the organic chemicals are any ~~less safe~~ more safe or safer than malathion and several are more dangerous.

For organic, you need to look for pyrethrins or rotenone. ...Scratch rotenone; it's removed from use in 2019. All of these must have direct contact with the insect at the time of application to be effective. There is little to no residual effect minutes after application for most all organic insecticides.

The official approved types of chemicals for organic farming/gardening: https://www.google.com/url?q=https:/...vzIdvOIMS2p7DF

So what do most people use to treat and spray their bananas with?

Akula · 05-25-2021, 12:04 AM

I don't spray my bananas with anything. One year I had a lot of white flies/moth looking things on the leaves and I just sprayed them off with the garden hose. That's it. I don't have any problems with my banana plants. My citrus however is constantly under attack.

cincinnana · 05-25-2021, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaredZone9a

Just curious if anybody is using a good Foliar spray or antifungals to keep the banana leaves protected and healthy. I'd like to minimize insect damage and other issues if possible.

Would love to see what everybody is using and if you can post a pic that would be fantastic.

I was looking at the IV Organics 3-in-1 Plant Guard Spray...sounds like pretty good stuff?

A lot of my flowers and leaves on various plants in the front and back have insect damage. :-(

What folks are doing these days is spraying indiscriminately for normal insect wear and tear .....not knowing they are killing off most of the pollinators that visit the garden.

You might get an insect or two that will give your banana plant a taste but usually that is it for me.

We have a decent pollinator program locally which is open to all.
http://cincinnatizoo.org/horticultur...r-pollinators/.

edwmax · 05-25-2021, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaredZone9a

So what do most people use to treat and spray their bananas with?

Most likely I'll use Malathion spray. In the past I have used carbaryl or Hot Shot Flying Insect spray (permethrin & organic) mostly for white flies as I have citrus trees near by.

JaredZone9a · 05-25-2021, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cincinnana

What folks are doing these days is spraying indiscriminately for normal insect wear and tear .....not knowing they are killing off most of the pollinators that visit the garden.

You might get an insect or two that will give your banana plant a taste but usually that is it for me.

We have a decent pollinator program locally which is open to all.
http://cincinnatizoo.org/horticultur...r-pollinators/.

Yeah, I definitely want to avoid killing the pollinators. :-)

Hey quick question since I believe you told me you’re a pot guy. What do you mix for your medium. Do they fruit just as well in pots?

cincinnana · 05-26-2021, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaredZone9a

Yeah, I definitely want to avoid killing the pollinators. :-)

Hey quick question since I believe you told me you’re a pot guy. What do you mix for your medium. Do they fruit just as well in pots?

Bananas in your zone will flower more readily than in my short 170 day growing season.
There are forum members in warmer zones similar to yours that exclusively grow in containers from flower to fruit.

Containers should be large but not too large if you have to move them indoors during inclement weather.
Start at 50 gal containers on up....the larger the better.
Some fellas recommend 200-400 gal which is a decent size for a plant.

For your Insect control spot treat your problem plants or use a systemic to treat your specific insects.🐝

The internet has some great recipes for some decent soilless mix's.
Youtube has some great takeaways also.
I make my own.
Pick and choose what you can afford or make.

Some gardeners have fantastic luck with MiracleGrow mix right out of the bag and others kill everything they plant in it

If you plant inground just make sure you amend your soil using good gardening practices.

cincinnana · 05-26-2021, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaredZone9a

Yeah, I definitely want to avoid killing the pollinators. :-)

Hey quick question since I believe you told me you’re a pot guy. What do you mix for your medium. Do they fruit just as well in pots?

Bananas in your zone will flower more readily than in my short 170 day growing season.
There are forum members in warmer zones similar to yours that exclusively grow in containers from flower to fruit.

Containers should be large but not too large if you have to move them indoors during inclement weather.
Start at 50 gal containers on up....the larger the better.
Some fellas recommend 200-400 gal which is a decent size for a plant.

For your Insect control spot treat your problem plants or use a systemic to treat your specific insects.🐝

The internet has some great recipes for some decent soilless mix's.
Youtube has some great takeaways also.
I make my own.
Pick and choose what you can afford or make.

Some gardeners have fantastic luck with MiracleGrow mix right out of the bag and others kill everything they plant in it

If you plant in ground just make sure you amend your soil using good gardening practices.
There is a good YouTube video for that also.
Have fun with the journey.
Single click the photo to see more pics.

JaredZone9a · 05-26-2021, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cincinnana

Bananas in your zone will flower more readily than in my short 170 day growing season.
There are forum members in warmer zones similar to yours that exclusively grow in containers from flower to fruit.

Containers should be large but not too large if you have to move them indoors during inclement weather.
Start at 50 gal containers on up....the larger the better.
Some fellas recommend 200-400 gal which is a decent size for a plant.

For your Insect control spot treat your problem plants or use a systemic to treat your specific insects.🐝

The internet has some great recipes for some decent soilless mix's.
Youtube has some great takeaways also.
I make my own.
Pick and choose what you can afford or make.

Some gardeners have fantastic luck with MiracleGrow mix right out of the bag and others kill everything they plant in it

If you plant inground just make sure you amend your soil using good gardening practices.

I’ve seen a lot of potting videos and it seems everybody does something different. I will say I’m a believer in Perlite because I’ve never used it until recently. Talk about a MAJOR difference. I can see how it would definitely help with soil compaction, drainage, and aeration. I always wondered what the white things were in pots and now I know.

Really thinking about putting one of my Dwarf Namwa into a large container because I know it will take until next season to fruit it. I’ll over winterize the others.

Is organic cedar mulch any good? I found some of that at Lowe’s. I know some of the other mulch will float off when you get heavy rains.

JaredZone9a · 05-26-2021, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cincinnana

Bananas in your zone will flower more readily than in my short 170 day growing season.
There are forum members in warmer zones similar to yours that exclusively grow in containers from flower to fruit.

Containers should be large but not too large if you have to move them indoors during inclement weather.
Start at 50 gal containers on up....the larger the better.
Some fellas recommend 200-400 gal which is a decent size for a plant.

For your Insect control spot treat your problem plants or use a systemic to treat your specific insects.��

The internet has some great recipes for some decent soilless mix's.
Youtube has some great takeaways also.
I make my own.
Pick and choose what you can afford or make.

Some gardeners have fantastic luck with MiracleGrow mix right out of the bag and others kill everything they plant in it

If you plant in ground just make sure you amend your soil using good gardening practices.
There is a good YouTube video for that also.
Have fun with the journey.
Single click the photo to see more pics.

I always feel weird using the perlite and peat moss together. It seems like they would work against each other. One is for better drainage and the other is to hold moisture. How much peat do you typically mix in?

cincinnana · 05-27-2021, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaredZone9a

I always feel weird using the perlite and peat moss together. It seems like they would work against each other. One is for better drainage and the other is to hold moisture. How much peat do you typically mix in?

05-23-2021, 10:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
JaredZone9a Location: Bacliff, Texas Find me on the map! Zone: 9a Join Date: May 2021 Posts: 244 BananaBucks : 20,579 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 410 Times Was Thanked 159 Times in 107 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Foliar spray for insects and other critters Just curious if anybody is using a good Foliar spray or antifungals to keep the banana leaves protected and healthy. I'd like to minimize insect damage and other issues if possible. Would love to see what everybody is using and if you can post a pic that would be fantastic. I was looking at the IV Organics 3-in-1 Plant Guard Spray...sounds like pretty good stuff? A lot of my flowers and leaves on various plants in the front and back have insect damage. :-(

05-24-2021, 08:32 AM	#2 (permalink)
edwmax Location: Cairo, Ga Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 2,891 BananaBucks : 89,073 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,741 Times Was Thanked 4,440 Times in 2,095 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 414 Times	Re: Foliar spray for insects and other critters I just went through this for spray to use in my garden. ... For the past couple of years I used Sevin garden spray consentrate (32 oz; $15).. The price had a big increase this year from about $8 in the past to $15-$22 for a quart. A quart will make 8 gal of spray. After doing a little research I settled on using malathion. A gal is $50 and can make 256 gal of spray. It is rain fast after it dries and effective for about 3 or 4 weeks. To the spray I use/add copper sulfate at 1 tbsp per gal of mix. Copper sulfate is a very effective fungicide and in mUost off the shelf fungicides. ... and is labeled for organic use. Also to the spray mixes, you can add water soluble fertilizers if need. The malathion has already paid for its self this month and still have enough for about 240 gal of spray. __________________ Last edited by edwmax : 05-24-2021 at 08:39 AM.

05-24-2021, 12:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
edwmax Location: Cairo, Ga Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 2,891 BananaBucks : 89,073 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,741 Times Was Thanked 4,440 Times in 2,095 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 414 Times	Re: Foliar spray for insects and other critters No ... organic insecticides are derived from plant based materials. Malathion is a synthetic Manufactured chemical. .... But that doesn't mean the organic chemicals are any ~~less safe~~ more safe or safer than malathion and several are more dangerous. For organic, you need to look for pyrethrins or rotenone. ...Scratch rotenone; it's removed from use in 2019. All of these must have direct contact with the insect at the time of application to be effective. There is little to no residual effect minutes after application for most all organic insecticides. The official approved types of chemicals for organic farming/gardening: https://www.google.com/url?q=https:/...vzIdvOIMS2p7DF __________________ Last edited by edwmax : 05-24-2021 at 07:15 PM.

05-25-2021, 12:04 AM	#6 (permalink)
Akula Location: Pensacola, Florida Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 9a Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 1,236 BananaBucks : 71,094 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,540 Times Was Thanked 2,381 Times in 809 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 128 Times	Re: Foliar spray for insects and other critters I don't spray my bananas with anything. One year I had a lot of white flies/moth looking things on the leaves and I just sprayed them off with the garden hose. That's it. I don't have any problems with my banana plants. My citrus however is constantly under attack.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Foliar Spray Mixes for Bananas	edwmax	Banana Plant Soil, Additives, and Fertilizer	45	08-28-2020 05:48 PM
Insects	Casper Jansen	Banana Plant Health And Maintenance Topics	3	03-03-2017 06:55 PM
Epsom Salt Foliar Spray	servatusprime	Banana Plant Soil, Additives, and Fertilizer	2	07-22-2012 09:19 PM
Backyard Critters doing damage	Patty in Wisc	Tiki Hut	350	11-02-2010 07:57 AM
Neighbor pics of common Fla critters	bananimal	Tiki Hut	13	06-29-2009 04:20 PM

Members currently in the chatroom: 0
	The most chatters online in one day was 17, 09-06-2009. No one is currently using the chat.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)