Overfertilizing Pix
 

This is the only symptom I have noticed if I use too much fertilizer. Only plants that unroll their leaves after completely exiting the pseudostem have this issue, unlike Cavendish varieties, for example.

Re: Overfertilizing Pix
 

May I ask what your fertilizing regime is?

Re: Overfertilizing Pix
 

Triple 16 about twice a month, at about 1 to 1-1/2 lbs per mat.

Re: Overfertilizing Pix
 

Jon, thanks.

Sounds like they get fed pretty well!

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I've had that same thing happen using all organic plant food and cow/chicken manure with homemade compost on top.

Re: Overfertilizing Pix
 

pitangadiego,

You said your routine was 1-1.5lbs of 16-16-16 per mat twice per month. Since I assume your mats are relatively well established at this point, what would you use for relatively new/small plantings or containerized plants? Do you have any rule of thumb for fertilizer per foot of growth?

How much would you feed something that is about 4' for instance? My guess would be .5lbs per plant twice per month (about half as much as your lower range) and half that much again if it is in a container (5g or so). Does that sound right?

Laurence

Re: Overfertilizing Pix
 

In conatiners, I would probably default to Miracle Gro. Make sure you water and let them stand for a while before fertilizing. In ground, I don't fertilize till they are settled in and putting out new leaves, and then put on a handful or so.

Re: Overfertilizing Pix
 

It is happening to an organic Giant Cav right now by my creek.

Re: Overfertilizing Pix
 

I had very similar experiences with Rajapuri. But the reason has been unknown.

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Only my Pitogo had the wet noodle leaves. Had to unravel the new leaf by hand. When it gained more caliper and leaves the "noodling" stopped. New leaves were darker green and thicker.

My fert regimen was 1 pound per month of 6-2-12 custom Going Bananas blend for new plants under 4 inch caliper. Then 2lbs monthly until the trunk and leaves were dramatically larger. Then 3lbs per month from then on to push the fruit as well as the 2 remaining sword pups for next years fruit. It's a jungle out there right now.

Since driving to Homestead for 6-2-12 is baloney I am switching to Lesco professional fert 12-2-14. It's time release - only have to fert every 3 or 4 months. Lesco has outlets in PSL and Stoot - close to home. "Stoot" is Brooklynese for Stuart, sorry.

Dan

Re: Overfertilizing Pix
 

I am wondering why people enjoy using chemical ferts. when organic ferts are so much easier and available? I may be spoiled living on an organic farm in Florida with my compost sorce, but really all we have to do is throw our waste in a pile and watch it turn into black gold. Ant to top it off, compost is free and not a chemical!

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Because a 40 lb bag of 10-10-10 is cheap at 5 dollars, and most people don't produce enough compost to use only compost.

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It is funny how a bag of chemicals is cheaper then a bag of poo, or even composting one's own. :)

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If I had enough compost I would most definitly use that. We compost all the scraps we can, it saves us on trash pick up since we pay per trash can. I get free horse manure from a farmer down the road but its still not enough. The bananas are the only thing I fertilze and they demand a lot.

Also, just because its all nature doesn't mean the run off is good for the enviroment.

I plan on getting chickens next spring so I hope that adds a good bit of compost. I hear chickens produce some of the best.

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I probably add 30-40 yards of compost from the landfill to my banana patch each year. I could never, ever produce that much from my yard waste. But it still needs a lot of added fertilizer for bananas.