Re: What's the best fertilizer for basjoo musa banana??
 

Sewage sludge should NOT be used on plants that bear fruit!!! The amounts of Metals that build up in the tissues can be hazardous to your health!!! The metals can biomagnify!!! The plant may look good but toxic metals that are concentrated in sewage sludge can be TOXIC!!! :2239:

Re: What's the best fertilizer for basjoo musa banana??
 

Wow, I sure didn't know this! I won't be buying any more then. I'll just use it on my ornamentals as a supplemental fertilizer. Thanks for bring this to my attention.

Re: What's the best fertilizer for basjoo musa banana??
 

That is probably the most important thing I learned in Ecotoxicology! :2239:

Re: What's the best fertilizer for basjoo musa banana??
 

Ok .. I am confused!!! I have read everywhere that basjoo does not get a fruit that is in anyway edible. If that is so, then why the worry/caution about using milorganite on a tropical plant grown just for size and appearance??? Now I get the point about not using it on your tomatoes, just in case, although there are those that say the chemicals in other vegetable fertilizers also could be harmful and impact our health, but now we have to watch out for P.C. fertilizer police here??!!

Re: What's the best fertilizer for basjoo musa banana??
 

Back to the subject, in the picture, the yellowish droopy leaves look like your banana had been kind of chronically underwatered. The watering is probably helping as much as the fertilizer. Mine tend to do that in the winter in the greenhouse when I run them really dry to avoid root rot.

Re: What's the best fertilizer for basjoo musa banana??
 

Hey thanks Sandy, I was actually wondering if I had overwaterd it, as we've had a long stretch without rain and I was watering it every 2 days or so with a full can. We're having another week of high temps and no rain. This has been unusual for Vancouver as we usually have tons of rain until July.
Heidi

Re: What's the best fertilizer for basjoo musa banana??
 

You are correct that there is no real worry unless the milorganite is applied to the ground for several decades and then someone grows an edible plant that also happens to uptake heavy metals.

Note that Miloganite is 5-2-0. For a basjoo or other non-fruiting subtropical, you would apply:

1-lb net Nitrogen divided by 5% ==> a maximum of 20 lbs of milorganite per plant per year.

However, you will be short on Potash (K). If you use granular Sul-Po-Mag (aka K-Mag) or liquid Potassium Citrate, you would also apply:

2/3 lb net Potassium divided by about 22% ==> a maximum of 3 lbs of either per plant per year.

Do not apply all at once. Instead, divide the yearly amount into monthly dosages during the growing season.

If your plant is in a very large container (tub), then half that amount is sufficient. For a 15 to 20 gallon pot, use 1/4 that amount, and for smaller pots use 1/10 of the dosage for plants in the ground.

Re: What's the best fertilizer for basjoo musa banana??
 

Hello Hilashes, I'm over on Vancouver Island and enjoying our early good weather too.

I'm wondering if all the rock around your banana is causing it to get too hot? I notice it is right beside a fence too so you might have a little micro climate going there.

I had a basjoo planted in a rock garden a couple years back and it did not do well at all.

Just some thoughts.

Re: What's the best fertilizer for basjoo musa banana??
 

Thank you SO much Sunsetsammy! That makes perfect sense, I love to hear everyone's experiences so I can avoid the same errors. I'll think of a possible relocation. Last year I had a banana at the front of my house in a rock garden where it did very well in the open. I could put it there (I lost the original one this past winter :( )

Heidi

Re: What's the best fertilizer for basjoo musa banana??
 

On th Milorganite, wasn't that the fertilizer that was allegedly used on the White House soil bed? I read that the First Lady was growing veggies but because of that fertilizer being used during the Clinton admin, the soil isn't suitable for edibles. Correct me someone?

Re: What's the best fertilizer for basjoo musa banana??
 

That would be it.