BananaRob

I have 5 different varieties of bananas, but when they fruit they only produce a few hands. Should I be thinning the pups or am I not fertilizing or perhaps watering enough?


I maintain 2 to 3 pups to one fruiting plant.
I fertilize with high nitrogen, higher potassium fertilizer, 8 3 9 and additional potassium. I dump lots of banana peels and other compost at base of banana plants.

What's your experience?

Thanks,
Rob

Akula

I keep my plants thinned to one replacement pup per parent plant as advised by many on this site. My first year I kept two pups on one plant and one pup on another plant. The one pup-one parent combo grew much faster and taller than the two pup-one parent pairing.

Some people think its higher maintenance to regularly cull the little pups and peepers but I would rather cull the little ones, get a big bunch, then chop up one large plant then get four little bunches and then have to chop up four medium size adults.

pitangadiego

Sounds like more fert and water are needed.

You didn't mention the varieties, but some have small fruit, and some have only a few hands, particularly the reds and Orinocco.

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raygrogan

A fourth thing you might try is adding fresh dirt. I had a patch that would not respond much to the usual big 3 you mentioned - culling, fertilizing, and water. It was in a very rocky area. I started adding buckets of dirt, mixed with good high K fert, and finally got a good response.

BananaRob

Varieties I have are Praying hands, Ice Cream, Apple Banana and Dwarf Finger. Thanks.

fisherking73

My bunches have gotten bigger and better with less pups. Use to leave 3 or 4 pups, last year started culling to one. Also fertilize every month and watering more than before. So far so good