Quote:
Originally Posted by edwmax
Bananas like slightly acid soil. There are varying opinions on the acid range but usually about 5.8 to 6.5 Ph. Ph above 7 or below 5 indicates a problem for bananas possibly wrong type of fertilizer being used OR (mulch as stated below) ...
The purpose of the above question was to determin if anything was going on with the soil. The mulch looks like a colored ground 'white wood' which will steal nitrogen away from the plant and likely change the soil Ph as it rots. .... Yes, the nitrogen will eventually become available again for the plant, but by that time it may be too late.
And I (now that I think about it) also agree with Cinci about 'black' or 'red' mulch being HOT, which also accelerates rotting of the white wood.
I suspect several things needs to be done for those nana plants.
1) Remove and replace the mulch with straw or leaf litter.
2) Amend to soil to correct the Ph.
3) (may be ?) change type of fertilizer
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The mulch is dyed--the first time it rained, I had black water everywhere. Unfortunately, I can't remove the black mulch--there is WAY too much of it--I basically have a back garden rather than a back yard, and it's all mulched. I can possibly put straw under and around the plants that are getting cooked and at least reflect a bit more light away from them.
Amazingly, I have other areas with bananas, hibiscus and ginger that get more sun but the plants are doing fine. The spots with the ensetes are (1) on the side of my house, where it is protected from sun except between about 11:00 and 4:00 (I have another young banana in virtually the same position that is doing fine). The second ensete is in a different spot that gets sun for maybe or two hours of sun, tops. Otherwise it's shaded by my Namwahs, the fence, or something else.
Do ensetes have a higher need for balanced Ph than other bananas?