luteo

I must be doing something alright! Although now that the weather has dried up, I have to water it every day pretty much. And growth has slowed quit a bit, which leads me to believe it's eaten through all the nutrients/compost from when I potted it up. So now fertilizer time!

Mark Dragt

Growth has slowed. Needs water every day. I would check if it's pot bound and maybe pot up.

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise

Going Bananas

Luteo

Could you please post a pic of the mother plant.
Im hoping the manzano tc I purchased
from FHN is the real thing.

luteo

It was pot bound for a month after I bought it, and grew fine. Hmm, it's been in this roughly 16"w x 11"t pot for maybe 2.5-3 months? I can't really remember. The banana is no taller than I am (6' 1") pot included. So you are probably wise in suggesting pot it up. Although dwarfing it might be easier in the winter time for moving around. But I might be able to convince the greenhouse owner whom I get most of my stuff from to overwinter it!!

I have known the eventuality of potting up. Been looking around for the next option, but haven't found anything yet. I think I like shallow and wide pots better for this banana. Might just order some pots. What do you all use when things get bigger?

Mark Dragt

I have heard that some members use some tubs with rope handles from Wall Mart. You need to drill some drain hols in the bottom for drainage, and they look nice. Or you can possibly stop by a landscaper or nursery and see if they have any large empty pots. Or you can find a plastic 55 gallon barrel and cut the bottom 1/3 off, trill in some drain holes, and add your rope handles. Big box stores have large planters as well. Just about any large container could be used as long as it DRAINS. Bigger pot, more potting soil, larger plant= heavy. It will be harder to bring in. I have lots of options as far as moving my plants. You do what's right for you. One of those small carts with 4 wheels for moving furniture would work for those big pots. I use my forklift. I hope this helps.
Your plant looks great. The Manzano is on my list for next year. Good luck.
Mark

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise

luteo

A bit on the droopy side. A self identified under-waterer am I. Don't know why I haven't moved to a more arid landscape and invested in lots of draught tolerant things. Agaves are actually one of my current obsessions?!...

Mark Dragt

That's funny, I have a Blue Agave. A few days ago I noticed it has a pup. Your banana plant would go a little longer between waterings if it had a bigger pot. With a plant that size,I would double the pot size. More room for the roots, bigger base at the bottom to keep the plant upright when the wind blows. Then you talked about fertilizer. I find all the fertilizer I need under the rabbit hutch.

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise

Kevin2685

Lol I have a huge agave in my front yard I have no idea what to do with this winter. Wish you guys were closer,one of you could have it. It won't fit in my door to bring it into the house for the winter. It has like 4 or 5 pups on it but that thing is dangerous it would be impossible to try and reach in the pot and cut off the pups.

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Currently growing

Musa basjoo
Dwarf orinico
Variegated dwarf namwah
Aeae
Patupi
Veinte cohol
Musa lasiocarpa (golden lotus)
Musa velutina
Raja puri
Mekong giant
Double cavendish
Super dwarf cavendish
Truly tiny
Musa laterita
Ensete maurelli

luteo

Mark,
We have all kinds of wild rabbits around. The vegetables have to be wired off. In the spring time they eat anything unless it's protected well. Even chewed off a small expensive own root heirloom rose I planted...hasn't come back yet though I keep hoping!

I thought about the tub idea, but I wonder how well they keep up in the elements. At least the big planters stores sell are meant to be outside. Not all plastics are alike, or maybe they are ha!?

Kevin,
I'd totally take an agave pup but if it gets big, I'd be in the same place as you. What species is it? My americana variegata is still a baby so no problems yet. I'm going to start some from seeds and see what happens.

Kevin2685

It's the agave Americana I believe non variegated. There is no way to safely cut the pups off unless I just dump it out and sacrifice the big one which I might end up doing. At least that way I would have a more manageable plant. It was a stupid buy on my part. Wish I would have taken a picture. It wouldn't fit in my car. I have a convertible so I put the top down and some how got it in the passenger seat. It was like 40 degrees out so I drove about 10 mins with the top down and heat on high lol. Once I got it home I got it out of my car and onto the front porch by myself which wasn't fun but then I faced my next obstacle I didn't even think about getting it inside the house till it got warmer. I some how got it in only cracked one blade. I will post a picture later.

__________________
Currently growing

Musa basjoo
Dwarf orinico
Variegated dwarf namwah
Aeae
Patupi
Veinte cohol
Musa lasiocarpa (golden lotus)
Musa velutina
Raja puri
Mekong giant
Double cavendish
Super dwarf cavendish
Truly tiny
Musa laterita
Ensete maurelli

Mark Dragt

Luteo,
Those wild rabbits can be a problem with your plants. I have a good deal going. My daughter feeds her rabbits pellets from the store. And I scoop up the bunny berries for my plants. I wanted to see if you could over fertilize with the stuff. No you can't. Pour it on,use it as mulch, or soak it in a bucket and pour off the tea into your plants. The plants love it. Just for fun,Google search bunny berries as fertilizer. Good info.

Yes some plastics degrade over time. Sun exposer is bad for it. I haven't tried the tubs myself but I have read that others have. If it's going to be a showcase plant at your front door then get a nice pot from the store. They are made to last longer. If you are handy with wood,maybe making one out of cedar would work out. I used a stainless steel washing machine tub for a Namwah that I have. Part of my point is,BE CREATIVE. The plant doesn't care unless it doesn't drain. It must drain. The washing mashing tub had too many holes. So I just made a liner out of landscapers cloth. Those Roth can breath!


Kevin,
Those plants do have a nasty spine on them. My plant is still small and in my garden window. But when I got the original it was a fight. Those things have a built in security system.

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise

crazy banana

Do not go for the cheap WalMart plastic tubs with rope handles. Those are a waste of your money and the plastic may already break while you try to drill in some holes for drainage.
Check out feed stores which sell livestock feed. They also sell these kind of plastic tubs with rope handles but because they are used outdoors for livestock, the plastic is a lot more durable.

Kevin2685

Do your leaves fold down like that only in the day time but look normal and perky at night and early morning. My dwarf Orinoco and my golden lotus have been doing this now that temperatures are high and no rain.i was wondering what was causing this.

__________________
Currently growing

Musa basjoo
Dwarf orinico
Variegated dwarf namwah
Aeae
Patupi
Veinte cohol
Musa lasiocarpa (golden lotus)
Musa velutina
Raja puri
Mekong giant
Double cavendish
Super dwarf cavendish
Truly tiny
Musa laterita
Ensete maurelli

Kevin2685

Oh here is a picture of the agave. See how it's impossible to get your hand into the pot to cut off pups.

__________________
Currently growing

Musa basjoo
Dwarf orinico
Variegated dwarf namwah
Aeae
Patupi
Veinte cohol
Musa lasiocarpa (golden lotus)
Musa velutina
Raja puri
Mekong giant
Double cavendish
Super dwarf cavendish
Truly tiny
Musa laterita
Ensete maurelli

luteo

They still kind of droop during night and early morning, but not as bad. The top two leaves don't though. The plant must put more energy to those to support the next leaf unfurling?

My soil mix drains way too fast. I am watering twice a day. When I pot up i'll have to mix in something that holds a little more moisture because this banana is HUNGRY.

I see why people around here say it's cheaper to go to the store and buy a bunch than grow 'em in a pot. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

luteo

That agave wouldn't phase me at all. However I have limits. Not brushing my hands over some cacti glochids any time soon. Here's my baby:

luteo

So begins year three. Of course its been real windy so that winter growth is weak. It's not till time to pull them inside for the winter around here that they really get going, so till at least christmas it's pumping out new leaves. And then after that it kind of goes to sleep.

kaczercat

There aren't a lot of threads on manzano so I'm glad I found this. It's looking good! How many pups does it have?
This is mine going into year four with one sword pup geez how many years does it take! LOL
I dug down so it's at ground level and stand 6 feet of p-stem
[url=https://flic.kr/p/W18vTY]

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Matt

luteo

Manzano isn't that common?? I just go off the tag when I bought it. Around here they are sold as one season throw away ornamentals so...

I know someone in the forums here stated they could get bananas every 3-4 years in 40 gallon pots. And that was somewhere in Indiana with a greenhouse?

This one is in I THINK a 27 gal. pot, about 5ft. p-stem, and 4 sword pups which I may remove.