Originally Posted by PR-Giants

This is the anaerobic condition you are referring to and it is confirmed by the nasty smell present.

Black Slime nov 21

Originally Posted by venturabananas

I think Olaf has hit the nail on the head: standing water does not necessarily lead to anaerobic conditions. The photo above does not show the classic dark black color that would be present (from hydrogen sulfide buildup) if the conditions were actually anaerobic.

Originally Posted by PR-Giants

I did not want to disturb the roots too much because they are very fragile, but the deeper I dig into the ground the darker and wetter it appears.

Originally Posted by venturabananas

I honestly don't know if it would work, but my gut reaction is that it wouldn't work over winter because you'd have problems with rot. I think that when we get root rot it is at least in part because the corm is not healthy or at least not happy. When soil temperatures are in the 40's (F) and the soil is wet, banana corms are not happy and prone to rot. That's not to say they invariably will rot, established plants hang in there, but in terms of growth, they practically go into stasis during our relatively mild winter. I've been keeping track of how long it takes new leaves to emerge. For the fast growers, it'll take a month for each new leaf during our winter, and for the slow growing varieties (i.e., the most cold sensitive), it takes 3-4 months for some. I think the differences between California and the tropics for banana growing all boil down to temperature.

Originally Posted by PR-Giants

I was able to get a professional opinion from the Caguas Botanical Gardens on some samples and all were considered anaerobic, with the samples from the lower levels having more anaerobic bacteria and an abundance of hydrogen sulfide.
It was an interesting conversation and she said to learn more I should research the growing methods of rice paddies in Asia.
I realize it was difficult to make the correct assessment with only the proverbial "tip of the iceberg" type of information.
The photo was a top view of the most recently added clippings, but I did state previously

Originally Posted by PR-Giants

The barrel method should work perfectly in most areas and vastly improve your current growing technique.
I don't think there is any concern that this grass filled barrel would be a source of fungal disease.
I really believe your reasoning is based on myth and misinformation.
The concern over high moisture levels during the colder months can be addressed by simply adding an elevated cover over the barrel.
This method will also give you the opportunity to track root growth in addition to you tracking new leaves emerging.

Originally Posted by PR-Giants

Growing bananas in Mexico.

http://www.eiag.edu.ni/Pwebs/Carrera...%C3%A1tano.pdf

Originally Posted by Nicolas Naranja

Wow, this is a great link. If anyone else can read Spanish, go ahead and take the time to download this.

Originally Posted by PR-Giants

This is only my opinion and is based on my observation, and I would also like to understand more.
I might be alone on this theory, but believe it can be supported by other posts if you connect the dots.
You can read in the Org how sometimes someone has tossed a corm in a compost pile and it grew.
If it is growing, the roots are probably still connected to the corm and the person stopped turning the pile.
You should also be able to assume it is an active pile, if a viable corm was tossed in for composting.
Knowing that a properly aerated aerobic pile can reach high temperatures and if not turned will go anaerobic with much lower temperatures.
I can't say for certain but I assume the lower temperatures are better suited for the roots to grow in.

I think most of the confusion is in part to how some people define anaerobic bacteria as being "no oxygen" instead of "with little or no oxygen".

Here is some information that might be helpful.

"Anaerobic bacteria, or anaerobes, are bacteria that do not need oxygen to live."

"There are three categories of anaerobic bacteria: obligate, aerotolerant, and facultative. Obligate anaerobes need an oxygen-free environment to live. They cannot grow in places with oxygen, which can sometimes damage and destroy them. Aerotolerant bacteria do not use oxygen to live, but can exist in its presence. Facultative anaerobes use fermentation to grow in places without oxygen, but use aerobic respiration in places with oxygen."

What Is Anaerobic Bacteria?

Anaerobic organism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


"Composting without oxygen results in fermentation."

"There is enough heat energy liberated in the process to raise the temperature of the putrefying material. In the anaerobic dissolution of the glucose molecule, only about 26 kcal of potential energy per gram of glucose molecules is released compared to 484 to 674 kcal for aerobic decomposition."

"Anaerobic composting may be accomplished in large, well packed stacks or other composting systems. These should contain 40% to 75% moisture, into which little oxygen can penetrate, or 80% to 99% moisture so that the organic material is a suspension in the liquid."

"Both aerobic and anaerobic composting require bacteria. Some bacteria work better in one or the other environment. Compost piles under aerobic conditions may attain a temperature of 140° to 160° F in one to five days depending upon the material and the condition of the composting operation. This temperature can also be maintained for several days before further aeration is needed. The heat necessary to produce and maintain this temperature must come from aerobic decomposition, which requires oxygen. After a period of time, the material will become anaerobic unless it is aerated. There is probably a period between the times when the oxygen is depleted and anaerobic conditions become evident, during which the process is aerobic."

Compost Fundamentals Biology & Chemistry - Anaerobic Fermentation