ShipOfFools

Hello. I am new to the forum, as I had been spending the past couple years planting fruit trees. Lately, I have caught a bad case of the banana bug.

The question that I couldn't find an answer to is: Is there any downside/danger in planting taller varieties such as Blue Java, Pisang Raja, and Aiuri Fe'i in deep holes?

I live near Hollywood, FL (Zone 10B, sugar sand soil)

Thanks.

edwmax

Why do you want deep holes? ... The banana corm and it's roots need air thus the banana root system is usually just under the soil surface and roots may extend down to about 24 inches if needed to reach water. The corn neck ( dividing line between the green pstem & white corm top) should be at the soil surface

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ShipOfFools

Thanks. Yeah, I do not mean bury the corms deep. I want to dig out a pit, 3-4 feet deep to try to keep the taller bananas from shading out other trees.

edwmax

Actually, in the burning sun banana plants need shade. ... The Mother plant shades the new pups until they get big enough to take full sun. I've read a comment describing a typical banana plantations that the outer banana plants preform poorly due to lack of shading when compared to the interior plants of the orchard.



My plants in South Georgia gets afternoon shade to keep from burning up in 100+ degrees of radiant heat of the sun when the ambient temp is only 89 or 90 deg. F. ... It is a natural defense of the plant to grow so close together in mats to shade each other. I can attest that on a hot day under a well developed banana mat it feels like sitting under an air conditioner.

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cincinnana

Ask the nursery near you......Welcome to Going Bananas of Homestead, Florida!
They are the best source of local information and have an extensive inventory of plants.

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Mikemooreflorida

Have you ever dug down that far before? not sure how your side of the state is but on the gulf of mexico side here if I dug down 3-4 feet i'd have a pond in the summer lol... i'd guess if you did that you'd also get similar results for sure in the rainy season.

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Current varieties:
Dwarf Cavendish Fruited , Apple Mansano TC unconfirmed, Rajapuri TC Fruited, Gold Finger TC unconfirmed, Dwarf Namwa TC Fruited, Dwarf Orinoco TC Fruited, Sweetheart FHIA-03 Fruited, Tall Red banana Fruited, Blue Java Fruited, Tall Namwa Fruited, Pisang Raja Fruited, Hua Moa TC Stunted, Dwarf Brazilian Fruited, High Gate unconfirmed, Tall Brazilian Fruited, Kokopo unconfirmed, FHIA-17 Fruited, Dwarf Plantain Fruited.

Akula

There is a member who grew bananas in a pit in a marginal zone in order to keep them warm through the winter. Mostly dwarf varieties as I recall. Can't remember his name unfortunately. He was pretty successful however the pit/hole was designed with a rain/flooding solution.

I have also read of people planting the corns of some plants a bit deeper in the soil for some benefit (to provide extra protection against wind toppling/leaning?) but my understanding is that the extra depth was a few inches (maybe 6") deeper than normally recommended and it was with varieties that are not as susceptible to corm rot.

There is a lot of coral not too far below the surface in many areas around Miami which could make excavation difficult plus the water table is pretty high which would lead to the hole filling up with very every rain event so a pump or other solution would be necessary. Roots would get too wet and rot if in standing water.

Maybe plant so that the tall banana plants are on the east side of the shorter plants so as the sun moves west they don't block it?

Good luck!

ShipOfFools

Fortunately for digging, most of my yard is sand.

I appreciate the advice regarding corm rot. Maybe If I dig the hole and then have a ring around it that is deeper than the soil level but not as deep as the center, that'd be better.

But... I probably won't do it as it seems like creating/inviting trouble just for trouble's sake and while I like to take risks, the risk/reward ratio is not to my liking.

Thanks

Mikemooreflorida

you'd really just have to dig a couple test holes to know for sure. just a shovel width holes at different depths to test water table. If you see water in the bottom the next day its to deep of a hole. Summer rainy season that water table with get higher also. standing water where roots would be will rot them.

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Current varieties:
Dwarf Cavendish Fruited , Apple Mansano TC unconfirmed, Rajapuri TC Fruited, Gold Finger TC unconfirmed, Dwarf Namwa TC Fruited, Dwarf Orinoco TC Fruited, Sweetheart FHIA-03 Fruited, Tall Red banana Fruited, Blue Java Fruited, Tall Namwa Fruited, Pisang Raja Fruited, Hua Moa TC Stunted, Dwarf Brazilian Fruited, High Gate unconfirmed, Tall Brazilian Fruited, Kokopo unconfirmed, FHIA-17 Fruited, Dwarf Plantain Fruited.