Thin or Fertilize more or ?
 

I have 5 different varieties of bananas, but when they fruit they only produce a few hands. Should I be thinning the pups or am I not fertilizing or perhaps watering enough?


I maintain 2 to 3 pups to one fruiting plant.
I fertilize with high nitrogen, higher potassium fertilizer, 8 3 9 and additional potassium. I dump lots of banana peels and other compost at base of banana plants.

What's your experience?

Thanks,
Rob :08:

Re: Thin or Fertilize more or ?
 

I keep my plants thinned to one replacement pup per parent plant as advised by many on this site. My first year I kept two pups on one plant and one pup on another plant. The one pup-one parent combo grew much faster and taller than the two pup-one parent pairing.

Some people think its higher maintenance to regularly cull the little pups and peepers but I would rather cull the little ones, get a big bunch, then chop up one large plant then get four little bunches and then have to chop up four medium size adults.

Re: Thin or Fertilize more or ?
 

Sounds like more fert and water are needed.

You didn't mention the varieties, but some have small fruit, and some have only a few hands, particularly the reds and Orinocco.

Re: Thin or Fertilize more or ?
 

A fourth thing you might try is adding fresh dirt. I had a patch that would not respond much to the usual big 3 you mentioned - culling, fertilizing, and water. It was in a very rocky area. I started adding buckets of dirt, mixed with good high K fert, and finally got a good response.

Re: Thin or Fertilize more or ?
 

Varieties I have are Praying hands, Ice Cream, Apple Banana and Dwarf Finger. Thanks.

Re: Thin or Fertilize more or ?
 

My bunches have gotten bigger and better with less pups. Use to leave 3 or 4 pups, last year started culling to one. Also fertilize every month and watering more than before. So far so good