Akula

I understand how much fertilizer a single banana plant requires annually per various threads and the wiki however how do you fertilize multiple plants grown from a single corn in practice? I have three plants growing out of a corn at various stages of development i.e. namwa corn contains a 12', 7', and a 3' pstem. I maintain 3 plants per corn to help in anchoring. During the 2017 growing season I treated it as if it was one plant i.e. 1 lb of N and 1.5 lb of K annually applied proportionately over an 8 month season. What about this year taking into account the number of plants from the corn and potential for a flower? Thanks!

Edit: Realized I posted this up in the wrong section. Apologies should be in the fertilizer section.

Darkman

Yes and you will undoubtedly gain 5 - 7 pups.

Remember that if you are seriously looking for production in your area you should have only one pup in the 5 - 6 foot range at spring wake up. Then remove all pups till late May. Pick one strong pup and let it grow till first frost. You will protect that pup from Winter and in spring it will be 5 - 6 feet tall. Around June July it will bloom and have time to ripen by Winter.

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Darkman in Pensacola

AS ALWAYS IMHO AND YOUR MILEAGE MAY DIFFER!!!!!!!!

Life - Some assembly required, As is no warranty, Batteries not included, Instructions shipped separately and are frequently wrong!

Kentucky Bourbon - It may not solve the problem but it helps to make it tolerable!

Statistics - Data that analyst twist to support the insane opinions of those that pay them.

hydroid

Hey Darkman, clean your PM's, your inbox is full. I'm looking forward to seeing ya'll soon.

Akula

Darkman thanks for the above comment. I would like to clarify one point about removal/separation. I have three groupings of plants and each group consists of a 12' momma which has a 7'-8' pup and a 3'-5' pup.

Do I understand that the pups should be cut and removed from the area of the mother so there is no competition for resources. Is it not adequate to just cut the connection between the mother and the pup so that resources are not draining from the mother to the pup but leave the pup in the ground next to the mother? I kind of like where everybody is positioned in the mat and would rather not disturb. I'm not shy about fertilizer and water. Plenty of that stuff for everybody.

This is my first "second season" with these plants so I don't know at what height they flower.

Definitely no more pups until July. That is clear.

Thanks.

Darkman

If Momma pushes four or five leaves before she pushes a bloom you should get fruit this year and in time to bloom. You should get a bloom off the mid size pup. It's even possible to get the small pup to bloom this year.

My recommendations were if you just have to have the bloom. To me in our climate we can just let nature take its course. Remember my large mats. The big one by the driveway fruited five p-stems last year and there were probably thirty pups. My Saba in the back fruits three p-stems and there were around fifteen pupils on it. Your mat is still small.

It's a individual decision. If you have to have a mature bunch every year then use the strict instructions but it's more fun and more visually appealing to just fertilize, water and let it go.

You should be fine leaving or separating. You give it enough food to keep them all happy. I don't manage mine and the only food they see is what spills over from the blueberries, citrus and muscadines. Like wise on the water.

Hope that helps.

__________________
Darkman in Pensacola

AS ALWAYS IMHO AND YOUR MILEAGE MAY DIFFER!!!!!!!!

Life - Some assembly required, As is no warranty, Batteries not included, Instructions shipped separately and are frequently wrong!

Kentucky Bourbon - It may not solve the problem but it helps to make it tolerable!

Statistics - Data that analyst twist to support the insane opinions of those that pay them.

Akula

Thanks for helping me think it through.

I will wait to see what develops in the patch and give all the plants a chance to get a good quality pair of leaves out and then separate the medium size and the big one. If the big one fails/chokes, etc. or doesn't put out enough leaves (less than four) before a flower then I will cut it back to about five feet or so and use it to power the little one to the finish line. If the big one puts out four leaves I will cut off the little one. I think that's a reasonable action plan.

" I don't manage mine and the only food they see is what spills over from the blueberries, citrus and muscadines."

You have a lot more stuff going on in your property and are at a different scale. I just have a little yard and plenty of time so micro-manage to the maximum. Haha.

hydroid

+1 what Darkman said. I never thin the matts unless they are crowding or giving away pups and I never have a problem with fruiting. Oh yeah, if we have a get together I have given truckloads of nanners to members here. I look forward to the meet this summer Charles.

Akula

If you guys meet this summer give me a heads up!