Question Banana plant planting method.

Auron Leonhart

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Hello Mark, I have been watching your YT channel for about a month now and I have learned so much! I am going to be planting my ice cream banana plant in about a month or so and am concerned about the clay in my soil. I know that you have clay in your soil as well so I am wondering if you did anything special before or during the planting of your lady finger plants. Thank you very much and please keep up the awesome work :)
 

Auron Leonhart

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What's an ice cream banana plant? I've planted my Bananas on mound of soil to make a bit of a hill so you could always do the same on top of the clay.

They are also called Blue Java bananas and they kinda taste like vanilla ice cream. Good idea, was thinking that but am wanting other ideas as well. Thanks :)
 

ClissAT

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Bananas like very rich compost type soil that is well drained.
Its a good idea to create a 1.5m wide ring of compost with extra rich soil in the middle.
You can raise all of this structure above ground level to keep the banana roots above the wetness of the clay in the wet season.
The plant will send a few roots into the clay because it is full of goodies but the plant needs to be above the clay.
Most permaculture practitioners will spend around 6mths creating the 'banana circle' before planting the first plants. Generally 3 are planted in the one circle which can be as big as 3m across although 2m will still fit 3 plants & 1.5m for a single plant. So it's 'cheaper by the dozen' as the saying goes.
They will make that circle the general compost heap for the 6mths until it is well mounded up, then plant into it in the spring. It can have a fair amount of nitrogenous material to begin with.
If the soil is not good (either clay or rocky) they might put a heap of smallish branches down first, then a really large amount of composting material to get the whole thing going quickly.
Building new soil ontop of the clay is better than trying to dig it up & mix other soil into it which is plain hard work & rarely works.
 

Auron Leonhart

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Bananas like very rich compost type soil that is well drained.
Its a good idea to create a 1.5m wide ring of compost with extra rich soil in the middle.
You can raise all of this structure above ground level to keep the banana roots above the wetness of the clay in the wet season.
The plant will send a few roots into the clay because it is full of goodies but the plant needs to be above the clay.
Most permaculture practitioners will spend around 6mths creating the 'banana circle' before planting the first plants. Generally 3 are planted in the one circle which can be as big as 3m across although 2m will still fit 3 plants & 1.5m for a single plant. So it's 'cheaper by the dozen' as the saying goes.
They will make that circle the general compost heap for the 6mths until it is well mounded up, then plant into it in the spring. It can have a fair amount of nitrogenous material to begin with.
If the soil is not good (either clay or rocky) they might put a heap of smallish branches down first, then a really large amount of composting material to get the whole thing going quickly.
Building new soil ontop of the clay is better than trying to dig it up & mix other soil into it which is plain hard work & rarely works.

Yeah I have been doing a lot of research and am going to be building a huge raised bed above the topsoil. Thanks :)
 

OskarDoLittle

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They are also called Blue Java bananas and they kinda taste like vanilla ice cream. Good idea, was thinking that but am wanting other ideas as well. Thanks :)
Oh that's exciting...I think my banana might be a blue java (I know it's NOT a Cavendish or regular lady finger...but one of the more popular SE Asian varieties) Now I'm really looking forward to it fruiting!!
 

Auron Leonhart

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Oh that's exciting...I think my banana might be a blue java (I know it's NOT a Cavendish or regular lady finger...but one of the more popular SE Asian varieties) Now I'm really looking forward to it fruiting!!

Awesome, hope you get a great bunch! You can tell if what you have is a blue java by the leaf color. If the leaves are silvery green in color, odds are pretty good you got yourself a blue java. The fruit are 7 to 9 inches in length and exhibit a characteristic silvery blue color when unripe. The one I have is less than 2 feet high atm but as it gets bigger the leaves will begin to have that silvery green. I already see it at this stage and I am excited as well :)
 
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