Leolady

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum and new to banana plants.

I recently received 4 banana pups, 2 of which I don't have names, a zebrina, and a basjoo. I live in zone 5, so all will be wintered indoors. From what I have read here so far, the basjoo can grow outdoors during the winter, if protected, correct?

I have questions about pot sizes, soil mix and watering. They are currently in pots just large enough to hold them, and in soil from my garden. It seems to be staying quite wet and I am concerned they are too wet. I am getting yellowing and brown spots and tips on the lower leaves. I should also tell you these pups are between 10 and 18 inches tall from soil line to top of top leaves.

As to containers, I have 2 urn shaped pots that are 15 inches wide at the top and 14 inches deep. I also have 2 five gallon buckets, that are 12 inches wide and about the same depth.
Are these suitable for the pups?

Secondly, concerning the soil. I bought potting soil names Expert Gardener Potting Soil. It says it feed for up to 9 months.
IThe ingredients list is as follows:
peat, forest products compost or compost, sphagnum peat, perlite, a wetting agent and plant food.
It lists the NPK percentages if you need that also, to make a determination.
I also have a bad of perlite and a bag of humus/compost mix, if that is needed.
Do you think the potting soil will be sufficient? Is there anything I can add to make it better, or do I need to go with something different altogether?

How much water to they need and how often? Just how moist is the soil suppose to be? I have read that they take quite a bit of water, but how much is too much, especially since they will be indoors.

I amsorry this post is so long. I want to provide as much information as possible so that hopefully, I can get the answers I need.

Thank you in advance for any and all info provided, because I am lost when it comes to bananas

Bonnie

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LilRaverBoi

First off, welcome to the site! I hope you learn a lot here and enjoy the resources this place has to offer!

As for your questions...those pots sound a little large for small plants. Maybe start them off in something half that size, then transplant them later. You might be okay in those though if you wanted to.

As for watering, water when the soil gets dry...if it isn't dry, just wait longer. If it is taking a really long time, make sure it's in the sunlight to help dry it out and if it's indoors, maybe put a fan blowing over the soil to help it dry out faster. Once the plants get larger, they'll drink PLENTY, I can assure you. Once again, water when dry (note: dry below the surface, not just on top).

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BANANA RAVE!
Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top!
lilraverboi@genxglow.com
RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you!
I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

Bob

Welcome Bonnie and congratulations on some nice plants. Your garden soil will probably not be too good for your potted plants. I use a commercial potting mix HEAVILY ammended with perlite and usually orchid bark chips. You want it to hold a bit of water but drain very thoroughly if that makes sense. I do it by eye so cant help with exact ratios but you should learn to judge this on your own best you can anyway.

I disagree (Respectfully of course ) with Bryan on one point after growing bananas for the past year. My newest theory from this is that the bigger the better as far as pot size for new plants. The reason is that with care you will learn not to overwater even in an oversized pot and the plant will grow in to it and avoid the extra stress of repotting (not to mention transplant shock) sooner than later. I really believe this is one of the mistakes we cold weather gardeners make. Of course plenty will disagree and they are not wrong either, it depends on your situation and eventual goals for your plants (fruit production , hardiness etc.)
Be sure to check out the wiki and search features for info along with just asking whatever you want to know. There is a lot of information available here.

Also I would suggest overwintering your basjoo indoors for at least a season or two until the corm is fairly large and should be that much hardier. The smaller ones I've tried to overwinter have not fared as well as others here have done. I will be trying another from a giant corm this year while bringing indoors a fairly large one that's now been out for 2 seasons. Next year I plan on leaving that out as well.
Good luck with your plants.

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LilRaverBoi

Yeah, Bob, the only reason I say that is because I planted my pups in 7 gallon pots when I got em and the soil stayed wet so long after each med. watering that mushrooms started growing in there and I got a bunch of fungus gnats. Therefore, I kinda opt for slightly smaller pots these days. As for transplant shock, if you just leave the roots alone, they tolerate it very well. Some people are tempted to mess with them and spread them out a little when repotting....but honestly, in my experience, they do best when you just remove the old pot, set the plant in the new pot with soil and press soil around it. The roots will spread out on their own. If you start messing with the roots, the plant usually gets kinda stressed after the transplant.

No worries, though...a lot of people have a lot of different ways to do things and if it works good for you, then totally go for it!

__________________
BANANA RAVE!
Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top!
lilraverboi@genxglow.com
RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you!
I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!

Patty in Wisc

Garden soil is the worst thing to use in potted plants! I use miracle grow potting soil mix & add lots of perlite - more on the bottom half. Other ppl use diff stuf, but make sure you have good drainage! Your soil could be dry on top & too wet in the middle/bottom. The roots will rot.
Put a dry wooden stick in to bottom of pot - a dowel maybe, & leave it in for awhile & pull it out to see how wet it is. I do this all the time on my bigger pots. Just leave it in the pot & pull it out to check.

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Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.

Leolady

Thank you Patty, and everyone for your suggestions. I don't use garden soil either, but had no choice, as I had nothing else when the plants arrived. I knew it would be a couple days before I was able to get someplace to get potting soil, and didn't want them to dry out.

I normally use Miracle Gro also, but decided to try the one I mentioned in my first post. No one has posted as to whether it will be ok for my bananas or not.

I think I have decided to keep them in the pots they are now in, but replace the garden soil with the potting soil, perlite and top dress with the humus/manure mix. I am aware that this will shock them and then shock again when I need to put them in bigger pots. Patty, your idea of using a dowel rod to check moisture, is a great idea, but I have a tendency to over water, and in the big pots, if I do overwater it would take forever for them to dry enough and I would probably lose my plants, Don't want to do that!!!! Hopefully, if I don't disturb the roots too much when moving them to the bigger pots, it won't be much shock to them.

Do banana plants continue to grow in containers, indoors, in the winter? If they do, how much growth can I expect. I know that can vary widely due to conditions, but would just like to get a general idea of what to expect.

Thanks again to everyone for your help and suggestions, I am sure I will have more questions, SOON. LOL

Bonnie

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cherokee_greg

Bonnie
Welcome
Im new to bananas the only real expeiriance with bananas is I found two banana plants at WalMarts they looked half dead I took them home cliped off all the dead stuff I figured it would give them some energy to grow some good leafs I put them in a bigger pot with some good potting soil gave them a drink. I put them under my cabana which is shaded with shade cloth and grape vines. They are doing grate. Now since I found this place I am addicted. I now have a few in the ground growing so hopefully I do good with them. Good luck to you and again welcome

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Greg zone 9 Fresno,CA
http://gardenjot.com/garden/view/1980/Gregs-Banana-Farm

Eric

Welcome aboard, Leolady ! Not my usual intro since there are some Vital info-needs here but if you have any questions about using the forum, just ask! It's informative and very friendly here.
Now, the questions:
You can never know too much OR have enough questions .
1. Zebrina will need to be indoors in winter BUT most gardeners, in zones like yours, Do leave the Basjoos out under heavy mulching. Wood chips mulch is fine for that.
We can discuss over-wintering later. I've over-wintered Blue Java bananas for 3 years with total success (zone-7). It's a real art.
2. The small pots will be BEST to use right now. With winter approaching, you do Not want them in larger pots. Bananas typically grow Very slowly in Winter. They should recieve Very Little water or food during the cold months. If simply stored, no water at all is Best.
3. GET THOSE BANANA PLANTS DRIED OUT QUICK! Bananas are Very Sensitive to being wet. The soil should be moist & should be allowed to dry out between waterings. Wet soil will cause yellowing of the leaves & corm-rot. Corm-rot will kill a banana plant.
4. Urn pots will be fine But remember, a pot that's just barely big enough is usually Best during the winter. I know this from 3 years of experience (& super success).
On the Urn pots, make sure they have holes for drainage.
5. THE "NPK" NUMBERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT. Please post to let us know .
There are many great soil mixes. I use about 1/3 light potting soil, 1/3 dried oak (etc) leaves, and 1/3 sand. I also use a 2-1-3 type fertilizer. NPK means Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium(Potash). For nanners, the mix is usually best if it's 1 part Nitrogen to 1.5 parts Potassium (Nanners Luv Potassium). Feedings should be by sprinkling around the plant and should be done once every 2-3 weeks during summer, less often in winter.
6. The bags of Perlite & Compost you have will be great for making soil mixes. The Perlite can be used like sand to provide good drainage (Banana plants dont like wet feet).

If ya need more info, me or another member will be happy to provide it. Best of Luck!

Patty in Wisc

Hi Bonnie, your potting mix sounds good. Just add perlite - more at bottom half.
Growing indoors for winter:
Last winter I potted a Ice Cream into a big 30 gal pot, & put it in a south facing window (room temp of 68 -70f). By April, it was rootbound! I also had a 500 wat halogen on it from 3 till 6pm. It put out many leaves over winter & because it was actively growing, I fed it a water soluble 15-5-30 fert every 10 days or so.
On the other hand, I kept another Ice Cream & nanas in a cool temp sunroom - lows of 45f to high of 55-60f. They did not grow much if at all, so I did not fert them. They went into a semi dormant mode. I also lightly watered - enough to wet the top of soil.
They will grow indoors given light (not that much really) & 68f or higher temps.
I will also put some to sleep this winter (Frank's method) by taking soil off rootball & letting it dry out & then laying it down in a cool dark place - like a garage or basement. Just don't let it freeze. Forget about it (NO water) & then pot it up in spring.

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Patty




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Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.

Leolady

Hi Eric,

You wanted me to let you know about the NPK on the potting soil.
Here are the ingredients listed on the bag concerning that.

Nitrogen 0.07%
0.04% Ammoniacal Nitrogen
0.03% Nitrate Nitrogen
Available phosphate (P205) 0.01%
Soluble potash (k20) 0.03%
Derived from: polymer-coated ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate; calcium phosphate, and potassium sulfate.
A portion of the nitrogen, phosphate and potash sources have been coated to provide 0.03% coated slow release

Hope this helps, as it is confusing to me.

Bonnie

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Leolady

I just bought a water meter in hope that it will help me keep these bananas with adequate water but not too much. I also got three of them out of the garden soil and back into the same containers they were in, with the mix of potting soil and perlite that Patty suggested. Still have one more to do, but needed a break.
The garden soil was strange. 2 of the pots were dry 3/4 of the way down and the other one I have repotted was wet from top to bottom. Not soppy wet but wetter than I think it should have been. The containers are all the same size, all watered the same amount, and all sitting together in the sun during the day. I have been bringing them in at night because the temps have been getting down to the mid 40's. I was afraid it was too cold for them, especially since they are such young plants.

Could it be that the 2 that were dryer have better roots systems and were better able to take up the water? The roots all looked about the same when I potted them originally.

Bonnie

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Eric

Hi Leolady ,
BTW, I have been reading about & growing bananas for 4 years now. I'll include a photo to show ya some of my plants as of last month.
For starts, the potting soil will probably work just fine. It seems to have a slow-release fertilizer in it with a 7-1-3 mix (NPK) (Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potash). "K" stands for Potash but Potash is just Potassium. Bananas would like 3-1-7 better BUT I doubt the extra Nitrogen will hurt anything.
The slow-release fertilizer won't last forever so you'll eventually want to buy a fertilizer to help out. Miracle Grow for Fruit Trees is great and usually not difficult to find. It's a very useful mix for helping banana trees flower and make fruit. -- In probably 3-6 months, you can sprinkle the fertlizer around the plant BUT at least an inch away from the stem. That should be done once every 2-3 weeks in summer, maybe 1-2 times during the whole winter.
I haven't tried a "Water Meter" but that can be figured out pretty easy. The soil should not be "soppy" wet BUT should be close to that. NEXT let the soil dry out & stay dry for about 1/4-1/2 of a day, then water again. When the soil is wet but not soppy, put the meter in the soil & see what reading you get & use that.
For healthy bananas, I would consider mid 40's much too cold. I always bring mine in (for over-wintering) when temps drop below 50 F.
Most banana plants grow best (indoors) at around 72 degrees F. Much lower than that, say low 60's, and they go dormant. If dormant, watering should stop.
The roots & dryness (thanx spell-checker) of the soil, I'm not sure about. I'll have to study that more.
One thing to watch out for is soft-places (mushy) on the corm & stem. If you find any large spots like that, let me know. There are still ways to save it if ya find them early. That's what's called corm-rot.

Okay, these are a few of my banana plants I've been growing (with over-wintering) for 3 years now. The ones in the back are Blue Java (Ice-Cream) bananas. The one in the foreground is a Giant Sweet plantain. I also have Basjoo, Sikkimensis (India), Ruby Siams, Gran Nain, Bordelon, & Zebrinas but they're not in this picture. It would take a lot of pictures to show all of them. Anyway, I photo'd these about the middle of August, this year. The foreground banana plant is as tall as me (around 5'4).



BTW, a friend helped me build the bamboo arbor for tomatoes. I also grow Phyllostachys Viridis & Rubromarginata bamboos.
I have about 298 photos in my galleries. Feel free to check out my other bananas & Don't bother with the picutre-rating thing - I just like to share.

Want Them All

How do you bring your bananas indoor? Are they in pots set on the ground, or are they planted inground? If it's the latter, must be a lot of digging.

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Leolady

Hi Eric,

I have only had my pups for about a month, and I knew they would have to come in for the winter, so I just put them in pots and sat them in the sun. It has been getting down into the 50's at night her, sometimes lower, so we bring them in at night and take them back out every morning.

Bonnie

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Eric

OUCH! My poor aching.... everything !! Actually it is a LOT of work and I have to use a rolling platform to get them to the back storage room. I chop most of the leaves off, put them in a pot just a bit larger than the corm, put them near a sunny window, and leave them dry for the winter.
For anyone without a strong back & some friends, I would STRONGLY suggest getting some of the latter .

Eric

That should work real well ! Just remember, for most species, anytime the temp is much below 72 (say, low-to-mid 60's), it will slow growth down quite a bit. Wish ya the best on that and if ya have any more questions, just ask .

cowboyup4christ

Eric have a question for you not to hijack this thread but I just posted some pics in my gallery of the plants that I have potted to take in I am now getting some brown spots and yellowing of leaves is this just stress, lack of light nutrients or what? the potting soil had no fertilizer in it so I mixed 10-20-20 into it before I potted the plants a couple handfuls to each batch enough soil to fill a 15gal pot
oh the album is called new naner house

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But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
In Christ
Jim Babb
Chile peppers go good with anything even naners and Ice Cream
http://www.uponhigherground.com/waddscreek/
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steven

i got a potted DC, SDC, Basjoo, and maurelii and they seem to be growing better now (in cooler weather) than in hotter weather a few weeks ago.

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Leolady

I have more questions. Would it be possible for someone to take a pic of their DRY potting soil and perlite mix, to give me a better idea of what mine should be like, and upload it here. I have no idea if I have too much perlite or not enough. I believe a pic would be very helpful. I also need to know how deep this pup should be in the pot.

I just received another noid banana pup in a trade, and I think it has problems. It has 5 leaves, but 2 are crispy brown, one is totally yellow and one is green/yellow mixed together, but mostly yellow.The 5th leaf appears to be ok for now. It is also the newest leaf. Should I just cut off the bad leaves, or should I leave them? This poor plant looks pathetic. The roots look good and it is all solid. No soft spots on the stem. Could this be shock, from being uprooted and mailed?

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Bonnie

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