harveyc

No, there is never any standing water. This applies approximately 4" of water over roughly the same diameter as my trees which moistens soil to a depth of 12-15". I have moisture sensors at depths of 15" and 30" in two locations of my orchard and monitor moisture conditions and they never become saturated. If I run into hot spells and don't put on sufficient water the 30" starts getting depleted and I can never restore that moisture until winter (unless I decided to flood my orchard which I am unwilling to do). I could irrigate more frequently for shorter durations but the moisture at the 15" depth would then also get depleted. Irrigating 4" about once per week has worked out best for me.

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Richard

4" deep in a basin out to the drip line of the tree canopy once per week in the summer is also the rule of thumb I learned from my father in Redlands.

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jeffaroo

Is this the typical sign of a little to much juice at feeding time ?

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Richard

I've never seen that condition. How much did you use per gallon, and how frequent?

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cincinnana

Ouch!

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jeffaroo

2 tbsp. to a 3 gal bucket. I just did one dosing about 2 weeks ago. However this last week has been 100 degrees. I have a dozen bananas and this is the only one with the crispy edges. I wonder if I should cut the dosage to 50% on the container planted ones

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Abnshrek

Its not the fert @ that dose rate.. I can tell you that.. :^)

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Richard

Some possibilities:
1. under-watered
2. over-heated pot
3. getting a lot of reflected heat on the leaves

The place to check the dampness of the soil is through the holes at the bottom of the pot. Use a chopstick or similar and insert through a hole along the bottom of the pot. If it comes out dripping wet, then they do not need water. If it comes out less than damp, it is time to water.

Also, in hot sun plants can "cook" in a pot; i.e., the pot heats up and the soil temperature becomes less than tolerable for the plant. Some people put aluminum foil on the outside of the pot to reflect away heat. But this won't help much if the pot is sitting on a surface that heats up and stays that way during the day. Further, if the air temperature is over 100 for several hours, the pot will heat up anyway, just a bit slower.

Nearby walls and large surfaces made of stucco, brick, cement, stone, gravel, etc. will reflect light from the sun. This can cause damage to the leaves of some plants, including bananas.

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skiarun

Hey Richard, you seem to have a fan club. Today is the first time I've looked you up here at Banana.org. I'm down south in San Diego.

How to you keep your banana plants watered well in California without wasted water....and, how do you keep the roots from rotting?
I do great with my potted banana plants but my in ground banana plants are not doing well.

Any ideas?

skiarun

Thanks for your help to all of us with our own naners.

I'm so new at this.....really just swinging in the dark at this stage.
I value your input.

Do you go to any of the Rare Fruit Grower clubs? CRFG?

Richard

I attend many of the North County CRFG meetings.

Here's a guide to growing bananas in San Diego and similar climates:
Guide To Growing Fruiting Bananas In Temperate Climates

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jeffaroo

Ive been using Fruit Fuel for 2 months now with great results. I do 3 tbsp to a 3 1/2 gallon bucket once a month. Ive been wondering if I could do the same formula, but every 2 weeks. It seems safer than making a hotter dose. Whats your thoughts?

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