New Banana grower and questions
 

Hello,I live in NE Oklahoma and roughly 3 weeks ago I planted six 3’ tall Basjoo trees. I was experiencing good growth on the basjoo for the first week and then after fertilizing them with 10-10-10, most growth has slowed way down . The Basjoo were planted in good loose top soil with commercial cow manure blended in, so maybe I over fertilized since the soil was already hot. I did also fertilize a red banana but it was planted in existing soil so maybe it needed the fertilizer, thus it’s outstanding growth. Sorry for the long baseline but here are my questions.
1. How often should I water, do they need to stay moist
2. With the low flow rate,is 4 hours too long when using a round soaker hose
3. What is the visual clues between over and under watering
5. They middle plants have grown around 12” in 3 weeks, is this a normal rate of growth for newly transplanted Basjoo
6 . Why are the plants on both ends of the row only growing much slower
7. Can I use liquid Sevin for pests

I really appreciate the help and sorry for the long post. I would have included pics but I have not used gallery yet.

Re: New Banana grower and questions
 

1. April-October water frequently and soil should always be at least moist to 12-16" depth. In the winter just enough water to keep soil damp.

2. Depending on soil type a soaker hose may not work. You want thorough watering in the root zone in about a 6' diameter circle. Consider a berm and flood irrigation. Sandy, or fast draining soils will not spread the water out.

3. Bananas are slow to show signs of stress. That is why consistent care is a necessity. Under watering will lead to slower growth and eventually to wilting. Over watering will lead to root rot which will display as sudden, fast yellowing of leaves.

5. haven't grown Basjoo. In general, bananas grow quickly in warm weather and slowly in cool weather.

6. Could be a watering issue.

7. I don't use anything on my bananas, They have few if any pest issues. Most things can be hosed off.

See webebananas.com, then go to Growing Tips.