edwmax

Congratulations .... In Iowa, too. ... Great looking plants. Contrary to some other opinions, there is not a damn thing wrong with Orinoco bananas!


When is your first frost date? You might get a couple of hands to mature. Soak some potassium sulfate and a little nitrogen fertilizer in a bucket of water. Pour a gallon of this around the roots of each plant every 5 days. If the days are beginning to be cool, put a clear or white trash bag over the bunches. This will be a mini green house and keep the bugs off. I don't think you will have time to mature a full bunch, so about 8" to 10" below the 4th or 5th hand cut the bud off. Then cut off all the finger but one on the last hand. Orinoco takes about 90 days to mature a bunch, but you can push it to about 60 to 70 days.

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HMelendez

[quote=Iowa;317990]Now we have 4 Orinoco bloom's in a row.






Congrats Mike!......

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Iowa

When is your first frost date? You might get a couple of hands to mature. Soak some potassium sulfate and a little nitrogen fertilizer in a bucket of water. Pour a gallon of this around the roots of each plant every 5 days. If the days are beginning to be cool, put a clear or white trash bag over the bunches. This will be a mini green house and keep the bugs off. I don't think you will have time to mature a full bunch, so about 8" to 10" below the 4th or 5th hand cut the bud off. Then cut off all the finger but one on the last hand. Orinoco takes about 90 days to mature a bunch, but you can push it to about 60 to 70 days.[/quote]

Mid October for a frost date, but here you never know. I will be watching the forecast.

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Growing Musa Orinoco since 1993 - Added 2018-Basjoo, Zebrina' Rojo, Ensete Red Abyssinian - Added 2019-Goldfinger - Added 2020-Kokopo (Short Cycle), Double (Mahoi), Highgate, Super Dwarf Cavendish - Added 2021-Pisang Ceylon(Mysore), Musa Margarita, Ensete Ventricosum - Added 2023 - Siam Ruby

kaczercat

Finally I am able to post in this thread!
Musa Manzano

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Matt

edwmax

Mid October for a frost date, but here you never know. I will be watching the forecast.[/quote]


About 45 days. You might get the top two hands to maturity and then ripen inside after the first freeze.

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mari@adams.net

What does the potassium sulfate and nitrogen fertilizer do?

edwmax

Make plants grow! At least those that require extra potassium such as bananas, citrus, and grapes.


The roots of banana plants reduce their take up of nutrients when the plant buds. The fruit production then depends on the stored nutrients of the leaves and pstem. Thus the general recommendation and practice to stop all fertilizer when the plant buds. ... However, it has been shown by controlled research, that foliar spraying of the leaves and bunch with potassium along with a little bit of nitrogen will benefit fruit production.


While the banana roots uptake is reduced, it hasn't stopped completely. My recommendation to use liquid form of potassium is for quicker up take by the plant.


Our member TyTaylor has attested to these benefits of extra potassium several times to push the banana bunch to mature faster some as little as 45 days.

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edwmax

My preference for potassium sulfate is because the added sulfur will acidify the soil around the banana root and help with the break down of fertilizers.


The cheaper Murate of Potash (potassium chloride) had chlorides or chlorates. The extra chlorides can build up to toxic levels in soils and be a problem for chloride intolerant banana plants. This is a problem in soils which already have a high content of chloride or chlorate.


For most banana growers on the forum Murate of potash can be used without any problems. Just know how much chloride is already in your soil.

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mari@adams.net

Where do you buy Potassium Sulfate? Big box stores? I have a Schultz brand of soluble 14-24-24 and a 24-8-16 Expert brand of fertilizer, also a 15-30-15. I'm assuming that the 14-24-24 would be best for foliar spraying. Granular 10-10-10. I am limited as to where I can find fertilizers....big box stores. How often would I foliar spray? Probably too late in my season to think about doing this.

edwmax

yes, the big box stores and your local garden center should have these or at least the Murate of Potash. .... Check to see if there is a local Farm Center (other than Tractor Supply) dealing fertilizers or a local manufacturer. You should be able to get the best pricing from these. ... Walmart ... Use what ever is the most economical. You can easily calculate quantity and cost for the season and adjust as needed per the NPK.



... Those high phosphate & potassium fertilizers (usually special purpose) you named above tend to be very expensive when low cost triple NPK and supplement potassium is more economical.



Use a water soluble fertilizer or a liquid for foliar. I use Miracle Grow. Timing depends on the strengths of the mix. But every 2 weeks is normal farm field application.

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mari@adams.net

Thanks for your expert reply.....I am assuming the 14-24-24 would be best to spray.....1 tablespoon per gallon of water every two weeks. Does it make any difference what time of day to spray this? I could also apply this to the soil and spray it at the same time?

Nicolas Naranja

Williams


Pisang Raja

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

Nicolas Naranja

FHIA-17


FHIA-17


Williams badly affected by Black Sigatoka


Mysore, displaying an oddity where it reverts back to female flowers


Pisang Raja

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

robguz24

[quote=Nicolas Naranja;319610]

Mysore, displaying an oddity where it reverts back to female flowers


I got one just like that on a Mysore recently too.

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My micro-farm

Stay on my Big Island banana farm cottage

Tytaylor77

Rob,

Did the lower Mysore hands fill like the top ones (smaller of course)? Was they filled enough to eat? Or would it be better to chop the lower ones off to focus energy on the normal hands?

I’ve seen it happen on monthan (not mine) but never knew it occurred on Mysore! Very cool!

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150+ Varieties!!. See profile for list. Help me add more!

www.bananapups.com

robguz24

They were small, but worth eating.

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My micro-farm

Stay on my Big Island banana farm cottage

Island Brah

[quote=robguz24;319643]
That's awesome, Rob!

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Growing: Basjoo, Blue Java (The Real One), FHIA-01 American Goldfinger, Manzano, Tall Orinoco, Raja Puri (USDA TARS), Veinte Cohol (USDA TARS), Patupi, & SH-3640 High Noon (USDA TARS)

Island Brah

FHIA-01 American Goldfinger

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Growing: Basjoo, Blue Java (The Real One), FHIA-01 American Goldfinger, Manzano, Tall Orinoco, Raja Puri (USDA TARS), Veinte Cohol (USDA TARS), Patupi, & SH-3640 High Noon (USDA TARS)

Mark Dragt

Looks great! My Goldfinger should bloom next year. Can't wait!

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise

HMelendez

Congrats Nick!.....

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