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Main Banana Discussion This is where we discuss our banana collections; tips on growing bananas, tips on harvesting bananas, sharing our banana photos and stories.


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Old 08-31-2013, 08:35 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Default Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

Hello

After watching Rmplmnz Garden Tour Video and seeing what looks like mulch or cypress shavings he used to make a floor under his nanna and other plants if wood chips would be OK/beneficial/harmful ?

I have two mounds of wood chips that I received from a local tree service approximately 5 months ago. The chips are from various type of native La trees. Pine, Oak, Hickory etc.

Where I placed the chipped material around some of my large live oak trees the chips seem to be breaking down.

Was wondering if it would be ok to place between and around my plants to control grass and weeds and eventually feed my banana plants?

Thanks in advance for your comments...
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Old 08-31-2013, 08:47 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

I just posted about this method, it's called Back To Eden. Google it or search here.
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Old 08-31-2013, 09:19 PM   #3 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

I used wood chips long before they were accepted; I used them around my figs and herbs which did well. (The argument against is/was that fresh ones rob nitrogen.) I don't know about bananas but I am hoping to finally have a few loads here (been trying to find a source since April) and my banana will be mulched with them. They break down very quickly in FL; in DC and Akron you could expect them to last 3 years.
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Old 08-31-2013, 09:59 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

They break down real quick.. Hope you have an augmentation plan.. Cause your going to need more. :^)
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Old 08-31-2013, 10:14 PM   #5 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

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They break down real quick.. Hope you have an augmentation plan.. Cause your going to need more. :^)
IMO more is always better but the "dirt" they leave behind is very fluffy so pulling/raking/hoeing out weeds is very easy. Until you get more chips.
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Old 08-31-2013, 10:31 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

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I used wood chips long before they were accepted; I used them around my figs and herbs which did well. (The argument against is/was that fresh ones rob nitrogen.) I don't know about bananas but I am hoping to finally have a few loads here (been trying to find a source since April) and my banana will be mulched with them. They break down very quickly in FL; in DC and Akron you could expect them to last 3 years.
From what I've read they only rob nitrogen if mixed into the soil. Leave them on top to decay like a forest floor and you're money!
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Old 08-31-2013, 10:47 PM   #7 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

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From what I've read they only rob nitrogen if mixed into the soil. Leave them on top to decay like a forest floor and you're money!
Yep. That's why the great masters changed their minds. I always tucked about 4 layers of newspaper (at least) so I never mixed them in. I wanted weed control not compost. Weeds dying under them fed everything quickly and then came the benefits of the chips just above them breaking down.

I battled my mother for years to let me put them in the beds I maintained for her; she relented around 2002 and passed in 2005. Her flowers were great! As I said, up north they take forever to break down but in the south they're gone pretty fast.

Spread your chips. If you see any issues, pull them away from your plants but leave them in the paths. I doubt you'll have any problems.

ETA: I had no issues getting free chips in MD but in Ohio the tree services sold them to companies who turned them into that icky red and black mulch. I like natural and free.
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Old 08-31-2013, 11:01 PM   #8 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

I'm sure it's not necessarily the best or right thing to do, but personally I would just mix them in with my compost pile and let 'em break down for a while. It sounds like some of the other members have some better ideas, but I just assume break stuff down into delicious soil.
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Old 08-31-2013, 11:15 PM   #9 (permalink)
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

Everybody should visit Unbelievable Acres. When Gene Joyner started his 2 acre tropical rain forest in West Palm Beach he used to do weed removal and use fertilizer. Over the years he kept building up wood chip mulch until all the plantings and the walkways are many inches deep. It's like walking on a sponge. When the wood mulch breaks down it gets replaced. Tons of earthworms and myco colonies and he no longer needs to use fertilizer.
And no friggin Azomite!
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Old 08-31-2013, 11:31 PM   #10 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

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I'm sure it's not necessarily the best or right thing to do, but personally I would just mix them in with my compost pile and let 'em break down for a while. It sounds like some of the other members have some better ideas, but I just assume break stuff down into delicious soil.
Years ago I was living in the city where there were rats. (Neighbors at rear had 3 dogs--3 outside dogs--she never had to clean up--rats were happy--'nuff said.)

Ex did not allow me to compost so I started burying kitchen waste in my beds; my tiny garden thrived! (Ex was ill informed; I grew figs, apricots, grapes, cherries, raspberries and blackberries which the rats probably liked better than my veggie leftovers but that's another thread.) I had chips in my paths; after a few years, I put that new dirt in my beds and added fresh chips to the paths. After 25 years I had 2' of black gold over white clay where my crops grew. Composting does not require a designated bed/area; it's just natural.
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Old 08-31-2013, 11:49 PM   #11 (permalink)
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

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And no friggin Azomite!
Or Tony and friends will make fun of you.
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Old 09-01-2013, 12:02 AM   #12 (permalink)
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

Wood chips, mushroom mycelium, and Azomite. It may not have helped but it sure didn't hurt.

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Old 09-01-2013, 12:14 AM   #13 (permalink)
 
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Or Tony and friends will make fun of you.
I am so going to get in trouble for this but I have never had my soil tested and I've been gardening for over 30 years. Until now I just added something "composted" and waited to see what happened; I am too cheap and lazy to spray so I let the beneficials and nature work.

I am new to FL and bananas; so far my banana is my only success here and I have had to buy Sevin and Miracle Gro or I would have only sticks. (Okay, I've propagated some rosemary and gardenias and picked a few banana peppers but my tomatoes have done nothing.)

This is my DC (?) banana plant 4.5 months in the ground--1 small dose of Miracle Gro and that's all. My neighbors here have never seen a banana up close--they're enthralled and fascinated as am I. We think she's a very pretty lady.
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Old 09-01-2013, 10:47 AM   #14 (permalink)
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Smile Gene Joyner's Unbelievable Acres Botanic Garden

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I used wood chips long before they were accepted;

Wow..you are old:-)..j/k....wood chips have been accepted for Centuries as Gardening help....we get them for free and it is a good use of a commonly discarded by-product. The tree services pay a dump fee to get rid of them. They smile ear to ear when they are in my neighborhood and I request they drop them in my driveway.

In 1992 I visited Gene Joyner’s Unbelievable Acres. Gene had a location for tree services to drop loads (with a big sign “No Black Olive Mulch”.
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A Botanical Hidden Gem: Gene Joyner's Unbelievable Acres

If you're in West Palm Beach and craving a relaxing afternoon walk through a quiet, secluded botanical rainforest, then Gene Joyner's Unbelievable Acres Botanic Garden is for you. Located at 470 63rd Trail North, this private, non-profit, man-made reproduction of a rainforest is a wonderfully "hands on" way to learn about and experience a real rainforest.

Gene Joyner began the Garden from an empty pasture containing only two pine trees and all plants currently seen in Unbelievable Acres were planted since July, 1970. No trees were over 6 feet tall when first planted and Gene personally wheelbarrows in mulch and new plant specimens because the paths are too narrow for a tractor. You can sense and appreciate this personal touch as your guide describes the natural wonders found here, Unbelievable Acres is truly an accomplishment.

During the tour our friendly guide pointed out countless species of plants, trees and fruits while sharing a sometimes amusing history of them along with ways some species can be used in food preparation. Praying bananas trees, angel trumpets, sausage trees, starfruit… the sights and smells are sure to please the senses. If you are interested in a rainforest experience where you can nibble on lemony hibiscus flowers or spicy allspice leaves while taking in the beauty and wonder of nature, Unbelievable Acres is the place to go.

The tour runs every second Saturday of the month in groups of ten and the cost per person is $10. For more information please call 561-242-1686.
A Botanical Hidden Gem: Gene Joyner's Unbelievable Acres - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com
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Old 09-01-2013, 10:56 AM   #15 (permalink)
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Default Link to a nice tour of Gene Joyner's Unbelievable Acres

many photos of 'Gene Joyner's Unbelievable Acres' - Florida Gardening Forum - GardenWeb

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Old 09-01-2013, 11:14 AM   #16 (permalink)
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

Thanks folks I'll take it as a YES IT"S OK:}

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Old 09-01-2013, 06:21 PM   #17 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Gene Joyner's Unbelievable Acres Botanic Garden

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Wow..you are old:-)..j/k....wood chips have been accepted for Centuries as Gardening help....
Yes I am old. I don't believe all gardeners accept the value of fresh, free chips. I've given up defending them on other forums though it is cool that one of my most vehement opponents from back in the 90s now advocates their use. (I recall my mentioning them and him, a true expert of plants, telling me "No" so I never posted about them again but just used them quietly.) And that the OP here asked IMO means the matter isn't really settled. (I do believe the compost issue has finally been put to rest; I hope.)

Sometimes I wonder if the fact that they're usually free and considered "trash" is part of the problem. It's safer to spend a lot of money on bagged mulch, right?
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Old 09-01-2013, 07:25 PM   #18 (permalink)
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Default Re: Gene Joyner's Unbelievable Acres Botanic Garden

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Yes I am old. I don't believe all gardeners accept the value of fresh, free chips. I've given up defending them on other forums though it is cool that one of my most vehement opponents from back in the 90s now advocates their use. (I recall my mentioning them and him, a true expert of plants, telling me "No" so I never posted about them again but just used them quietly.) And that the OP here asked IMO means the matter isn't really settled. (I do believe the compost issue has finally been put to rest; I hope.)

Sometimes I wonder if the fact that they're usually free and considered "trash" is part of the problem. It's safer to spend a lot of money on bagged mulch, right?
Yep...all gardeners know best...we focus on reduce and reuse....then recycle:-)
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Old 09-01-2013, 07:35 PM   #19 (permalink)
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Yep...all gardeners know best...we focus on reduce and reuse....then recycle:-)
Year after year your garden is amazing. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 09-01-2013, 07:40 PM   #20 (permalink)
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Default Re: Wood Chips & Bananas Your thoughts..

Again thanks folks....Think I'm going to have my soil tested and them amend the soil this fall then once I finish planting the rest of my bananas and other plants in the spring then introduce the wood chips on top of them

What you think? Kind of late in the season to place them now?
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