Coolhandlocke

First post, long-time lurker. As I just picked up my first banana plants, I figure it was time for an intro and a few questions...

Have two Dwarf Musa Orinoco's that just came in and are fixing to go into the ground. Around 3 foot, look healthy from what I can tell, but as much as I read about soil and sun, I didn't think to read up on water and how much they need.

I'm in Tennessee zone 7a, and I expect us to be in the mid-80s to 90s for the next few months. Will probably crack 100 more than once, so I want to get a watering schedule sorted out now before the real heat sets in. While new to growing anything, I've had good luck so far but the amount of water always trips me up.

Not sure if any other details are needed, but I had planned on just using a simple miracle grow mix with Perlite based on several posts I've read on here for now. Have some cactus and palm mix as well so I may experiment... have a porch full of various bags of potting soil, manure, etc...

Also have one more coming in along with a couple of Dwarf Cavendish's, but those are all smaller and will get started in pots more than likely. Went a little nuts starting out, but I have a feeling that's probably pretty common for beginners.

edwmax

Welcome to the forum. There is a 'welcome' section for introductions. A post there would be good.


There had been much discussions in the past about watering. So a forum search will find those post. Also, there is good info in the forum wiki.


I suggest planting your bananas so that they will receive protection (shade) from the hot afternoon sun. Morning sun is good. These are tropical plants that naturally grow among dense vegetation which provide a good bit of shading and compete for any available water. Thus, the big leaves to catch dew & rain. ...

Banana roots are shallow, so the plant is very much effected by soil/water evaporation. Your watering should be replacing that loss to evaporation as well as the amount of water transpired by the plant. Which can be quit a lot of water. It is very hard to over water in-ground bananas if they are in well draining soil. ... If the plant leaves are folding down, then they need water or the air temp is above 100 deg F. So watch the plant leaves.

MY bananas (see thread ) For the past 3 weeks I've been watering them 2 or 3 X's a day. I setup a sprinkler to run a couple of hours at a time. The leaves were folding down in about an hour after I stop the sprinkler. The radiant heat from the bright hot sun must be making the surface temp of the leaves well over 100 deg F. .... So plant transpiration is a way of cooling the banana plant. Bananas are a natural swamp cooler. When you feel cool air under the banana plant, it is moving/evaporating water.


Think sprinklers ... a 5 gal bucket wont keep up!

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Akula

I suggest heavy mulching with grass clippings, oak leaves, etc. to reduce evaporation from the patch. I always bag my st. augustine clippings and spread them in the patch about an inch or two deep.

Coolhandlocke

Thanks for the tips. I had read through dozens of posts here and on other sites, but everyone seems to have their own method. I've heard everything from let a hose "drip" to 3 gallons a day, and sprinkler systems.

Ran into someone at Home Depot when picking up potting soil, who oddly enough had a banana plant (as did their neighbors) and said they rarely water theirs and only pour water directly down the plant so it goes into the leaves... When I asked what kind, they said "I dunno" but showed me a picture before disappearing into the foliage from whence they came. Weird day at the Depot, I just asked where perlite was and got a banana lecture from a nursery worker stocking the store.

5 gallon bucket definitely won't keep up lol, but it's funny you said that as that's how I've been watering everything for about a week now before I even started the bananas. Big yard, short hose and plants, veggies and trees all over the place.

edwmax

I posted this a while back in another forum.


"... To better understand, you need to know the daily soil evaporation rates for your area. This is a measurement given by your local Ag weather reports. For my area is the soil evaporation rate is .25" t0 .3"; for your area may be a little less. Now a little supersize to see what this means for water loss. We know banana roots are mainly in the upper 12 to 14" of the soil and can extend out as far as 10 to 16 ft. .... So just using an 8ft radius at .25" water loss per day, this calculates to about 390 gals (580 gal @ 10ft) of water loss. .... BUT this amount of water can not be all in the upper 14" of the soil. It is water from the water table and in many locations (except Florida) beyond the reach on Banana roots and other shallow rooted plants. So Bananas and other shallow rooted plants can be in a drought condition even when other deep rooted plants are looking good.


A Banana plant's leaves folding is a direct indication of lack of water to meet the plants transpiration needs: cooling & nutrients. So plan irrigation water as needed. ... "

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caliboy1994

I like to build a berm around my plants like you would for a fruit tree and water until the soil is moist (not wet). Let it soak in, but make sure your soil drains well. Depending on your local soil morphology, you may need to amend it. I go with the general watering rule of thumb that applies to vegetable gardening - if the soil is dry an inch down, it's time for more water!

Mulching will help retain moisture too, but I get 100+ degree heat for a month or more out of the year here and my bananas never minded all that much provided they got enough water.

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