Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

I recently obtained a Banana fertilizer that is high in K, and it has loads of minor nutrients too: S, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn, etc...

It is the 6-20-20XB lawn starter fertilizer from BEST. I got mine for just $16 for a 50 lb bag. Although we don't need much P, it doesn't affect the bananas that much (except perhaps encourage it to pup more). K is more crucial for bananas than N, especially if you want fruits. If you need more N to encourage growth and pupping, simply add ammonium sulfate (another very cheap fertilizer) to the 6-20-20XB fertilizer.

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

Bump

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

:woohoonaner:

How to save a Nickel and Pollute your community.


STATE LAWS BANNING PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZER USE

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

I find it interesting that all states prohibit use on non porous surfaces and some are picky about when you can apply it, if you're allowed to do so, to frozen ground. Hello? Why would anyone waste money trying to green up their driveway or feed sleeping plants? Chemicals applied with common sense should not result in substantial runoff problems; the plant needs the "bad stuff" and will use that if the proper quantity is applied. (Saving the Bay in MD was/is a huge deal; large scale chicken farms/houses deposited manure for years too close to waterways and caused major issues.)

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

Based on how bananas were fertilized in Central America, I introduced 20-5-30 "banana fuel" about 6 years ago. Since that time, experience showed that plants grown in less than tropical environments needed more phosphate and to make it a complete fertilizer for fruiting plants, a better complement of secondary and micronutrients. But notice in the new 16-8-24 formula that none of the specialists I consulted saw any reason to increase the phosphate to more than a 2:1:3 ratio. So we managed to design a high-concentrate fertilizer with a balance that meets the requirements of most fruiting plants into a reasonably priced product. So for example, a big box store will sell you a fruit tree fertilizer at about 1/3 the concentration for about the same price that the Grow More 16-8-24 is offered.

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

Try plain old 10-20-10. Cheap and works, a couple cups per plant. Water in. Good luck!
Al

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

8-2-12 +4Mg is available throughout most of Florida. I use 10-0-30 with 1/3rd of the product being slow release. I pay $0.31/lb. I have a lot of available P in my soils.

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

That's right. Here in S FL we have plenty of P in the ground already I have been using Diamond R super fruiter 6-3-16 with minors with great results.

Price varies but it's around $20 for a 50 lb bag. Nobody can beat that.

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

In southern FL (south of the panhandle) you also have a lot of atmospheric Nitrogen. Pretty stiff competition for what is already in the atmosphere and soil!!! I endorse your approach to producing fruits from bananas in your region.

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

Groovy....

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

Last year at our old house a mile from the ocean so of course soil was very sandy. I used 8-0-24. Had large plants after two years an several fruited. Moved into another house this past Febuary further from the ocean but near a large river that dumps into the ocean. Soil is somewhat sandy,dirt and black somewhat stiff dirt. Plants did okay considering being trimmed to the ground, split an laying in my garage bare rotted. Then planted in April. I bought some 10-10-10 to apply with the 8-0-24 which both are pellet forms. This growing season what should I look for that might be better? 50lb bags of these are $14.00 at Famers Supply. PS I'm not using any mulch here as don't want any cockroaches around. They love mulch down here.

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

Your choice of fertilizers look good to me. If you can buy for $14.00/bag, I would stock up.

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

i just picked some of this stuff up. do you also use this on your other fruit trees (mango, avocado, etc)? if not, do you use another diamond r product? also, do you recommend any of their foliar sprays? there were so many options, i couldn't decide what to get.

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

I use it on everything that fruits or flowers.




These are my foliage sprayer essentials

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

That is a great price. Considering the higher amount of K in the product, I computed this as a reasonable limit to avoid potassium toxicity:
9.375 Lbs per plant with 1 cubic yard root ball per year -- to be applied incrementally -- not all at once.

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

^sweet! thank you both!!

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

LOL!

Good info on the link though, thanks.

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

Hey Snookie, I like your name. The first time I saw it, I wasn't paying attention and said "That's not my pic," LOL!

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

what about the relatively low nitrogen levels in the diamond r super fruiter? does that work for your other trees or do you supplement? i'm just curious if i should look for an 8-3-9 mix for my other plants, like papaya, and dedicate the 6-3-16 to my bananas. what are your thoughts?

Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.
 

Right now I am making compost for the bananas to supplement the fertilizer with old paper, cardboard, papaya fruit, avocado skins, paper towels, water melon rinds, pulled weeds, old banana stems and leaves, banana skins etc.