Banana tree planting help!

[ZPalms]

I just planted my orinoco banana tree but I’m not sure what height I should plant it at, the location I picked has a bit of a hill on the side and the water would just run off, what would be the best thing to do? Should I plant it a little deeper? I planted it a tiny bit higher but idk what level would work best and the very base of the tree is in the picture below

Edited July 27, 2022 by ZPalms

[ZPalms]

The only reason I planted it “higher” so I could mound and let water fill in the donut but eventually run off will start displacing the mount so idk

[D. Morrowii]

I would think that should work ok. I’d just make sure your donut holds water long enough for if to seep into the root zone. As long as you are watering it yourself and not counting on rain only irrigation. You may have to water more often though.
 

Full disclosure - I’ve only been growing naners for about a year, 

[ZPalms]

1 minute ago, D. Morrowii said:

I would think that should work ok. I’d just make sure your donut holds water long enough for if to seep into the root zone. As long as you are watering it yourself and not counting on rain only irrigation. You may have to water more often though.
 

Full disclosure - I’ve only been growing naners for about a year, 

I decided to plant just a bit deeper which I’m still unsure if that’s better but should I try and go deeper? So water collects here when it rains?

[ZPalms]

Did it, planted a tiny bit deeper and now I have peace of mind rain will collect and erosion won’t wash away the excess

[ZPalms]

Just realized I didn’t amend the soil with anything else so we’re just gonna cross our fingers and hope for the best

[teddytn]

To get really good fast growth with bananas, at least in my experience, potted bananas I water every day. In ground can go longer without water but the soil should never dry out if you want maximum growth. You can tell by looking at the leaves. When they stay flat they have enough moisture, when they fold down the middle like a piece of paper (usually middle of the day when it’s hot in full sun) they want some more water. Should fertilize way more frequently as well for fast growth. Water and fertilizer hogs. 

[ZPalms]

18 minutes ago, teddytn said:

To get really good fast growth with bananas, at least in my experience, potted bananas I water every day. In ground can go longer without water but the soil should never dry out if you want maximum growth. You can tell by looking at the leaves. When they stay flat they have enough moisture, when they fold down the middle like a piece of paper (usually middle of the day when it’s hot in full sun) they want some more water. Should fertilize way more frequently as well for fast growth. Water and fertilizer hogs. 

I don't think I'll have a watering problem because the soil retains so much water, probably because I overwet it and I didn't amend the soil with anything, which makes me nervous because of root rot, but I hope not because there's so much sand for it to run off into around it, but that soil I added retains so much water, so it should be able to stay hydrated, but I'll be watching it! I did fertilize it with 1 tablespoon when it was in its pot and it did get root bound within a month and a half, coming from no roots at all, so I teased the roots out so they could spread into the surrounding area that I loosened up.

I feel like I could still go outside and dig around where I planted the banana and add a little more sand and organics to help seep into the the area where it's planted and that might help? It does make me nervous for winter because overly moist and wet soil sounds like a nightmare 

Do you think I should add some fertilizer? Or should I wait a week for it to settle?

[JLM]

37 minutes ago, teddytn said:

When they stay flat they have enough moisture, when they fold down the middle like a piece of paper (usually middle of the day when it’s hot in full sun) they want some more water.

I will keep this in mind. All of my bananas fold during the day, will start watering more frequently.

[teddytn]

9 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

I don't think I'll have a watering problem because the soil retains so much water, probably because I overwet it and I didn't amend the soil with anything, which makes me nervous because of root rot, but I hope not because there's so much sand for it to run off into around it, but that soil I added retains so much water, so it should be able to stay hydrated, but I'll be watching it! I did fertilize it with 1 tablespoon when it was in its pot and it did get root bound within a month and a half, coming from no roots at all, so I teased the roots out so they could spread into the surrounding area that I loosened up.

I feel like I could still go outside and dig around where I planted the banana and add a little more sand and organics to help seep into the the area where it's planted and that might help? It does make me nervous for winter because overly moist and wet soil sounds like a nightmare 

Do you think I should add some fertilizer? Or should I wait a week for it to settle?

No way you can rot a banana while it’s growing no matter how much you water it. When it’s dormant, not sure if it will die back to the ground where you’re at, at least won’t grow so much during the winter, you shouldn’t need to water. Perfect thinking on the fertilizer, even though they love a ton of it, right after planting it’s best to let it settle like you said, as soon as you see some good new growth coming out in a few weeks then give it a good dose of fertilizer yeah.

[ZPalms]

1 minute ago, teddytn said:

No way you can rot a banana while it’s growing no matter how much you water it. When it’s dormant, not sure if it will die back to the ground where you’re at, at least won’t grow so much during the winter, you shouldn’t need to water. Perfect thinking on the fertilizer, even though they love a ton of it, right after planting it’s best to let it settle like you said, as soon as you see some good new growth coming out in a few weeks then give it a good dose of fertilizer yeah.

Ill be protecting the pseudostem this winter because I want it to be big in the spring and hopefully get some bananas but scared about the excess water on the ground from rain or whatever in the dense soil freezing and rotting the roots so Idk if I should dig it up today and add sand and organics or would sand make it worse?

[teddytn]

13 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

Ill be protecting the pseudostem this winter because I want it to be big in the spring and hopefully get some bananas but scared about the excess water on the ground from rain or whatever in the dense soil freezing and rotting the roots so Idk if I should dig it up today and add sand and organics or would sand make it worse?

Should be totally fine with whatever rainwater it gets overwinter, but you shouldn’t have to add water. Shouldn’t have any rot problems at all 

[ZPalms]

Just now, teddytn said:

Should be totally fine with whatever rainwater it gets overwinter, but you shouldn’t have to add water. Shouldn’t have any rot problems at all 

Ok I'll leave it how it is and I guess if I see deterioration I could just dig it up and recover it why I fix the spot, thanks! 

[ZPalms]

The ground is hard as a rock and so compact, that can’t be good, it’s muddy feeling

[JLM]

57 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

The ground is hard as a rock and so compact, that can’t be good, it’s muddy feeling

Has growth slowed down at all? If not, it probably doesnt mind it.

[ZPalms]

1 minute ago, JLM said:

Has growth slowed down at all? If not, it probably doesnt mind it.

Well because I have irrational thoughts, I went ahead and dug it up and added more sand and stuff to it 

this should be the end and I’ll let it be

[ZPalms]

Gonna give it fertilizer I think tomorrow, It's put 2 leaves out since being in the ground now so I think it's safe to say it's ready and settled and the roots probably settled and figuring out their new home

How much fertilizer is recommended for banana at this size?

[MrTropical]

23 hours ago, ZPalms said:

Gonna give it fertilizer I think tomorrow, It's put 2 leaves out since being in the ground now so I think it's safe to say it's ready and settled and the roots probably settled and figuring out their new home

How much fertilizer is recommended for banana at this size?

Banana plants are heavy feeders. For this one, I'd put half a cup of 8-10-10 fertilizer on it.

[ZPalms]

50 minutes ago, MrTropical said:

Banana plants are heavy feeders. For this one, I'd put half a cup of 8-10-10 fertilizer on it.

I have palmgain, I think that should be ok?

[MrTropical]

7 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

I have palmgain, I think that should be ok?

Probably wouldn’t hurt in a pinch. For long-term fertilization though, stick with an 8-10-10 fertilizer. 

[ZPalms]

2 minutes ago, MrTropical said:

Probably wouldn’t hurt in a pinch. For long-term fertilization though, stick with an 8-10-10 fertilizer. 

I'll have to get some, thanks! Do you have a brand you recommend?

[MrTropical]

2 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

I'll have to get some, thanks! Do you have a brand you recommend?

Alrighty. And I do not, I’ve never attempted at growing a banana. A quick Google search should pull up some commonly used ones. My ‘8-10-10’ figure may be off, but anything that’s advertised for a banana plant should be OK. 

[ZPalms]

9 minutes ago, MrTropical said:

Alrighty. And I do not, I’ve never attempted at growing a banana. A quick Google search should pull up some commonly used ones. My ‘8-10-10’ figure may be off, but anything that’s advertised for a banana plant should be OK. 

You should definitely try bananas, They are so fun and fast to grow with quick gratification and they make great indoor plants if you have the light, I have a dwarf cavendish in my bedroom with massive leaves and so many babies in the pot. 

[MrTropical]

1 minute ago, ZPalms said:

You should definitely try bananas, They are so fun and fast to grow with quick gratification and they make great indoor plants if you have the light, I have a dwarf cavendish in my bedroom with massive leaves and so many babies in the pot. 

Maybe, although I'm low on space in my current setup, LOL. I'll probably wait until I get a greenhouse set-up and ready before I go and buy one.

I may just end up buying several Basjoo's and planting them outside my bedroom window because of this post, you seem to like yours a lot. They seem to do well in nearby Watauga County, and it's also 6B. I'm sure with proper mulching I could keep them alive. 

[ZPalms]

35 minutes ago, MrTropical said:

Maybe, although I'm low on space in my current setup, LOL. I'll probably wait until I get a greenhouse set-up and ready before I go and buy one.

I may just end up buying several Basjoo's and planting them outside my bedroom window because of this post, you seem to like yours a lot. They seem to do well in nearby Watauga County, and it's also 6B. I'm sure with proper mulching I could keep them alive. 

I really love my banana! I love plants that show new signs of growth every time I go out and look at it, and ever since I learned about the orinoco variety of banana, I'm hopeful of getting some edible bananas next summer. I'll get musa basjoo eventually, but this winter I'm trialing orinoco and may sell some off and give some away and get people in my area familiar with bananas. 

I'm going to get a greenhouse on tuesday so that's gonna be exciting!

Edited August 13, 2022 by ZPalms

[MrTropical]

1 minute ago, ZPalms said:

I really love my banana! I love plants that show new signs of growth every time I go out and look at it, and ever since I learned about the orinoco variety of banana, I'm hopeful of getting some edible bananas next summer. I'll get musa basjoo eventually, but this winter I'm trialing orinoco and may sell some off and give some away around my community to get people in my area familiar with bananas. 

I'm going to get a greenhouse on tuesday so that's gonna be exciting!

That's awesome man. It is quite neat to have a plant where you can see visible growth on a day-to-day basis. You'll have to let us know how that turns out come spring-time. 

I'm sure the locals would love having a banana plant, these sorts of plants are quite the conversation piece. 

Nice! What brand/model of greenhouse are you planning on using? I'm in the market for one currently. 

[ZPalms]

49 minutes ago, MrTropical said:

That's awesome man. It is quite neat to have a plant where you can see visible growth on a day-to-day basis. You'll have to let us know how that turns out come spring-time. 

I'm sure the locals would love having a banana plant, these sorts of plants are quite the conversation piece. 

Nice! What brand/model of greenhouse are you planning on using? I'm in the market for one currently. 

Harborfreight has a 10 ft. x 12 ft. Greenhouse with 4 Vents for 899, I'm gonna have to make a few modifications to it but it's pretty decent size!

There are a few problems with it. You can see from the reviews that it needs to be reinforced or it will collapse, but luckily some people post photos of what they've done, It seems to not take well under heavy snow load or strong winds. It does make me nervous to see some of the photos, but I can't find any other greenhouse at this price for the size you get!

If I could find something equally as big for the same price but more durable, then that's what I would do. But this is the best option, but I have no experience with being handy, so it's going to be a learning experience, I do like how those people use a wood frame, and you can hang things from them as well as add some support.

I'll be looking up greenhouses until Tuesday to make a final decision, so hopefully I'll make the right one. I really do love this one, but I want to make the right choice, So the chances of my tropical plants dying in the middle of the night if it snows or rains in the middle of winter are zero.

 

Edited August 13, 2022 by ZPalms

[MrTropical]

14 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

Harborfreight has a 10 ft. x 12 ft. Greenhouse with 4 Vents for 899, I'm gonna have to make a few modifications to it but it's pretty decent size!

There are a few problems with it. You can see from the reviews that it needs to be reinforced or it will collapse, but luckily some people post photos of what they've done, It seems to not take well under heavy snow load or strong winds. It does make me nervous to see some of the photos, but I can't find any other greenhouse at this price for the size you get!

If I could find something equally as big for the same price but more durable, then that's what I would do. But this is the best option, but I have no experience with being handy, so it's going to be a learning experience, I do like how those people use a wood frame, and you can hang things from them as well as add some support.

I'll be looking up greenhouses until Tuesday to make a final decision, so hopefullyI'll make the right one. I really do love this one, but I want to make the right choice,So the chances of my tropical plants dying in the middle of the night if it snows or rains in the middle of winter are zero.

 

Looks nice. Personally, I've always been skeptical of anything with the Harbor Freight brand on it. But it may end up being a good greenhouse with the proper reinforcement. You shouldn't have too bad of a time with heavy snow in 8A NC, which I am assuming is the Inner Coastal Plain for you from the looks of the USDA map.  Biggest concern for your area would be the strong winds. Properly securing it would be a must.

I'd try looking on Facebook Marketplace in your area, or even statewide, if you're willing to make a decent drive. You can find some pretty good deals on there with just about anything you can think of, lol. 

Next website I'd recommend would be eBay. You'll probably have a better chance with eBay, but I'd give both a shot. eBay also has the added benefit of buyer protection, unlike FB Marketplace, which can be very important. 

Definitely keep looking until Tuesday. Make sure there is some sort of warranty if you buy from a retailer. If I see any good deals on similar-sized greenhouses with good durability, I'll post the link in this thread.

[ZPalms]

17 hours ago, MrTropical said:

Looks nice. Personally, I've always been skeptical of anything with the Harbor Freight brand on it. But it may end up being a good greenhouse with the proper reinforcement. You shouldn't have too bad of a time with heavy snow in 8A NC, which I am assuming is the Inner Coastal Plain for you from the looks of the USDA map.  Biggest concern for your area would be the strong winds. Properly securing it would be a must.

I'd try looking on Facebook Marketplace in your area, or even statewide, if you're willing to make a decent drive. You can find some pretty good deals on there with just about anything you can think of, lol. 

Next website I'd recommend would be eBay. You'll probably have a better chance with eBay, but I'd give both a shot. eBay also has the added benefit of buyer protection, unlike FB Marketplace, which can be very important. 

Definitely keep looking until Tuesday. Make sure there is some sort of warranty if you buy from a retailer. If I see any good deals on similar-sized greenhouses with good durability, I'll post the link in this thread.

I was looking at greenhouses all this morning and didn't find a thing, I'll have to check out facebook marketplace, I'm not a big fan of using facebook but the last time I looked I only saw pop up greenhouses so maybe their might be something good on there now.

I'd definitely get a warranty because I've seen some people put it together and it warps one way or another and collapse and it gets bent, I'm not getting stuck with that 

[ZPalms]

How often are you suppose to fertilize bananas? I decided instead 1/2 I went just a little over to about 10 tablespoons looked well enough 

Edited August 13, 2022 by ZPalms

[MrTropical]

57 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

How often are you suppose to fertilize bananas? I decided instead 1/2 I went just a little over to about 10 tablespoons looked well enough 

It's probably very similar to palms I'd imagine, so maybe monthly? 

Hopefully someone with experience in bananas will chime in.

[MrTropical]

1 hour ago, ZPalms said:

I was looking at greenhouses all this morning and didn't find a thing, I'll have to check out facebook marketplace, I'm not a big fan of using facebook but the last time I looked I only saw pop up greenhouses so maybe their might be something good on there now.

I'd definitely get a warranty because I've seen some people put it together and it warps one way or another and collapse and it gets bent, I'm not getting stuck with that 

Alright. Yeah, I'd avoid pop-ups at all costs. You want something built to last and something that'll withstand the weather that comes your way down there.

[D Palm]

I use whatever fertilizer is available for my blue Java, 6-6-6 all purpose, citrus, palm etc. I also dump old rotting fruit like watermelon. I never water in N. Florida. 
 

Probably not the optimal growth, but they do grow and will not die.

keeping the ground weed free is essential.

[ZPalms]

3 hours ago, D Palm said:

I use whatever fertilizer is available for my blue Java, 6-6-6 all purpose, citrus, palm etc. I also dump old rotting fruit like watermelon. I never water in N. Florida. 
 

Probably not the optimal growth, but they do grow and will not die.

keeping the ground weed free is essential.

The weed free is a must for me but I do water because I'm obsessed with quick growth

[Mangosteen]

Looks to me that you plant much too LOW. Its going to rot in that muddy mess. Bananas LOVE water, but the roots MUST have oxygen. I always plant my bananas high with a ring  or water basin around it. It doesn't look like there is any way the roots will get oxygen with your set up.

[ZPalms]

23 hours ago, Mangosteen said:

Looks to me that you plant much too LOW. Its going to rot in that muddy mess. Bananas LOVE water, but the roots MUST have oxygen. I always plant my bananas high with a ring  or water basin around it. It doesn't look like there is any way the roots will get oxygen with your set up.

I think I planted it good because I wanted to compensate for the erosion as well because I know the soil would of washed away if I planted it higher because it's on a slope and when I watered it all of the water would of just ran down the slope, I think it's happy and settled in and I also wanted to accomdate for the other bananas that I know will pop up eventually

But you saying that makes me worry for winter because the last thing Id want is frozen water in that spot

Edited August 23, 2022 by ZPalms

[ZPalms]

I went out to just look at everything, and to my surprise, since it wasn't here yesterday, the banana decided to have a baby, and that's so exciting to me because I anticipated this area to clump with bananas, I just didn't expect it so soon right before fall and winter. Go figure.

Does anyone know how I can protect my banana and its pseudostem this year? I don't want to cut it down for winter; I just want to protect it so It can be large next spring, I'm also wondering how I can protect the "babies" because I'm expecting more.

 

[floridaPalmMan]

A cheap(er) way to protect it over the winter could be PVC pipe and painters plastic wrapped around the pipe structure. This could protect it from frost and cold winds.

I'm doing something similar this year so I can actually get a harvest of delicious bananas next summer. A large greenhouse would look much nicer but if you're strapped for cash and just looking for a temporary solution this winter it might work for you.

Get 5x, 10ft sections of 3/4" pvc pipe from your local hardware store. ($35-$40)

3/4" fittings - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SLGNW65/ ($15)

make a square structure around the bananas with the pvc with 6-8 ft height.

Wrap it with 6mm poly plastic - https://www.amazon.com/Frost-King-P1025-6W-Polyethylene/dp/B0040ZC5AO/  - $25-$35 (I don't know if this specific size will fit the structure you build, obviously do the final measurements yourself.)

And finally use these clamps to hold the poly sheeting to the pvc - ($15) https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Greenhouses-Covers-Shelters-Protection/dp/B091FK897M/

I would probably get some ground anchors ($30) if its more than 3'x3' wide, otherwise tent stakes or bricks/rocks should be able to hold it down

Using pvc and fitting also makes this a modular structure so you can add/subtract indefinitely.

So you'd be looking at an initial cost of around $100 - $140 which seems a little steep for a 4x4 ft "greenhouse" but adding on would be much cheaper since you'd already have the connectors, clamps, anchors and extra poly sheeting for the addition.

Again I haven't done this yet but I've begun collecting the pvc pieces to protect my bananas this winter.

Good luck!

[ZPalms]

6 hours ago, floridaPalmMan said:

A cheap(er) way to protect it over the winter could be PVC pipe and painters plastic wrapped around the pipe structure. This could protect it from frost and cold winds.

I'm doing something similar this year so I can actually get a harvest of delicious bananas next summer. A large greenhouse would look much nicer but if you're strapped for cash and just looking for a temporary solution this winter it might work for you.

Get 5x, 10ft sections of 3/4" pvc pipe from your local hardware store. ($35-$40)

3/4" fittings - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SLGNW65/ ($15)

make a square structure around the bananas with the pvc with 6-8 ft height.

Wrap it with 6mm poly plastic - https://www.amazon.com/Frost-King-P1025-6W-Polyethylene/dp/B0040ZC5AO/  - $25-$35 (I don't know if this specific size will fit the structure you build, obviously do the final measurements yourself.)

And finally use these clamps to hold the poly sheeting to the pvc - ($15) https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Greenhouses-Covers-Shelters-Protection/dp/B091FK897M/

I would probably get some ground anchors ($30) if its more than 3'x3' wide, otherwise tent stakes or bricks/rocks should be able to hold it down

Using pvc and fitting also makes this a modular structure so you can add/subtract indefinitely.

So you'd be looking at an initial cost of around $100 - $140 which seems a little steep for a 4x4 ft "greenhouse" but adding on would be much cheaper since you'd already have the connectors, clamps, anchors and extra poly sheeting for the addition.

Again I haven't done this yet but I've begun collecting the pvc pieces to protect my bananas this winter.

Good luck!

I was going to try the bubble wrap idea because it's simple but I feel like that might be a problem if moisture gets in and freezes and create rot, Would I need to create a pointed roof so water doesn't collect?

Funny enough I have a similar structure in my bedroom for my normal plants, how would a structure like this need to be adjusted as banana gains height? I doubt it would need really tall structure this winter but next winter? would it be able to take heavy winds being so tall or flimsy?

Apperciate all the link and stuff, Makes it easy to see what I could need to build one of these things! 

Edited August 24, 2022 by ZPalms

[floridaPalmMan]

38 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

how would a structure like this need to be adjusted as banana gains height? I doubt it would need really tall structure this winter but next winter? would it be able to take heavy winds being so tall or flimsy?

Not really sure at this point. I haven't gotten around to building my own at this point. My wife and I are expecting our first baby in like... 2 weeks so I've been trying to get as much work done on the house before that whole thing happens.

People can build structures made of toothpicks that hold up hundreds of pounds so I imagine if we do this correctly, we can build a wind resistant and decent PVC banana protective structure. It just has to be thought through a little.

Here's where I'm at currently:

 

Pretty sturdy and wind resistant looking so far hey? lol

I have a minor surgery tomorrow so I won't be able to work on the house for the next few weeks which is perfect. It gives me a great excuse to work on the banana hut for the next week or so. I'll update once I begin cutting the pipe and piecing it together.

My initial design should be able to be modified for your needs... I'll show you what I mean once I start work in the next week.

Will update you then.