Bananas.org - Watering

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How often should I water my banana tree

I'd say that depends on the size, the soil conditions (clay, loam, sand), whether potted or not, the weather, time of day, the season, if you have any constant breeze drawing away moisture, etc. I know that is probably not much help, but that is how I judge it. If I'm not sure, I look to see if the blades of the leaf (the ones that are mostly horizontal) are kind of hanging limp from the midrib so it appears flat and folded in half - if they are just hanging, I water; if they are sticking out more, then I generally water sparingly, or just leave them alone. Early in the day, though, they have had time to absorb some moisture from the surrrounding media all night so they tend to look more perky, but after a long hot day they will droop before night due to water loss through the leaves. I don't like to water in the evening since, for my orchids, this can promote growth of fungus, and I treat the 'nanners the same. If it was getting on toward evening, and I had to water an obviously dry 'nanner, I'd water sparingly around the base, but would want to avoid getting any on the leaves and the base of the p-stem to prevent any fungus probs. In other words, I would not just spray the entire plant. Is this too cautious? I don't know.

I also agree that it really depends. Some of my bananas ask for more water than others. And humidity, soil type, temperature, etc is a huge factor. During the summer I soak all of my bananas once a day and since my ice cream banana is in full sun, it still tends to wilt a little even with daily watering in the July heat (keep in mind that summers are very humid here so plants dont need as much water during hot spells as they would on the west coast where it is a little drier). This time of the year with all the rain we have been getting, I haven't been watering at all, but 80s are in the forecast for the weekend with lots of sun, so I will be soaking all my plants including the bananas.

When I was in San Diego, I found the weather to be kind of cool so I think soaking it once every 2 days when established in the ground is good enough. If you get a heatwave, make sure it stays moist. When you notice the bananas leaf growth slowing down during the winter, slow down on watering so it can go semi-dormant. Dont let it wilt though.

Water when the soil/potting mix is dry. :ha:

DO NOT keep the mix soaking wet. Push your index finger down into the soil as near to where the roots would be as possible. If when you remove your finger there is any moisture at all, DO NOT water. Also do not allow the soil to dry out completely for too long of a time between waterings>>the water would just run straight through and out the bottom as it would be too dry to absorb much water. Its useful to provide a saucer and after the initial thorough watering, water the plant when needed by adding it to the saucer and allowing it to soak up into the potting mix from below. ALWAYS use a potting MIX with PERLITE to allow drainage and air to the root system. Garden soil or potting soil cakes up and hardens like cement and does not promote good drainage OR allow air to the root system.
IF you are watering an in-ground plant, I'll assume you arent getting much rain in San Diego? IF your soil drains water off fairly quickly, does not retain it for long, and the temps are HOT daily and its DRY, you could pretty much keep a 24 hour drip going onto it without any problems! Realistically, you will have to gauge the amount of time it takes for the soil within a foot or 2 away from the plant (depending on the size of the plant) to completely dry out. Then when you figure that out, water thoroughly and just repeat at the same time cycle. Once it has become established, you may only have to water during times of no rainfall or extended periods of drought.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunfish (Post 174883)

How often should I water my banana tree

:ha::ha::ha::ha:

~JaNan

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunfish (Post 174883)

How often should I water my banana tree

:ha::D

haha very funny................

Wow Tony, you must be bored.

Looking at the soil around that healthy "Not Mona Lisa" the you dug out for me, I am now convinced that bananas do not need water at all. They can be used for extreme xeriscaping.:ha:

Quote:

Originally Posted by venturabananas (Post 175039)

Maybe my plants get moisture from the ocean .:ha:

easiest thing to do for a potted plant is get a $5 moisture meter that will tell you and if the soil never seems to dry out you aren't getting any airflow and need more drain holes also along with sand and perlite. I also (when possible) drill holes in the side of my pots to get more breathing. Moisture meter is the way to go for potted plants!