I've got one of these coming! I've been trying to find a...
I've got one of these coming! I've been trying to find a good one for awhile. #Excited
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Oh fun! Some pink bananas, are these your first? I have two larger ones that I’ve grown from plugs. You can see one in the background; my other is to the side of me, so you can’t see it. I would have posted on your cinnamon tree, but truly I’ve not had great luck with mine. If I put them in the greenhouse, they don’t love it, but the one in my house in my main plant room, it’s been better than my greenhouse house one, which I hope makes a comeback. If I can offer any help please let me know
Thank you @Idplantthat
I have a Blue Java banana tree in the ground but I've never had one of these... Living in North Georgia I will have to insulate my Blue Java for winter.
I will be keeping the Musa Pink indoors under grow lights. I will definitely reach out to you for advice...I really want it to do very well. 😊 Thank you
I have a Blue Java banana tree in the ground but I've never had one of these... Living in North Georgia I will have to insulate my Blue Java for winter.
I will be keeping the Musa Pink indoors under grow lights. I will definitely reach out to you for advice...I really want it to do very well. 😊 Thank you
@Idplantthat
Oh, the Ceylon Cinnamon is currently on the covered porch running an FSGL about 14 hours a day on it. I just got it and I'm wanting to keep all my plants organic so... tomorrow I'm getting some more Fox Farm fertilizer (I ran out). I think my best mix is (and please correct me if I'm wrong)
20gal draining pot, Fox Farm soil 4 parts, Canadian organic peat moss 1 part, coco coir 1 part. I'm thinking a cup of Dr Earth fruit tree fertilizer to mix in and a sprinkle of root stabilizer on the root ball. It's a good size planter pot and will take between 1.5 and 2 cubic feet of mix.
Oh, the Ceylon Cinnamon is currently on the covered porch running an FSGL about 14 hours a day on it. I just got it and I'm wanting to keep all my plants organic so... tomorrow I'm getting some more Fox Farm fertilizer (I ran out). I think my best mix is (and please correct me if I'm wrong)
20gal draining pot, Fox Farm soil 4 parts, Canadian organic peat moss 1 part, coco coir 1 part. I'm thinking a cup of Dr Earth fruit tree fertilizer to mix in and a sprinkle of root stabilizer on the root ball. It's a good size planter pot and will take between 1.5 and 2 cubic feet of mix.
@WormWarriorFarm all of what you are saying is great! I have a blue Java as well. It was my first banana tree. It’s been grown in a pot. I leave it in the garage over winter. I’m in Utah, so zone 6. It gets cold here. 🤣 Fox Farm I absolutely love, but it is known for being a heavy fertilizer, so I’d be careful when you first start out with these guys to avoid root burn. So I use monosilic acid on my plants (PowerSi) and Powersi lush with Gold Leaf Standard. You’ll hear a lot of people tell you they don’t like silica. Personally, I prefer it over a NPK, and I’ll list some points at the end of this as well. Since you are already using Fox Farm mixes, don’t add the extra fertilizer right now. It will be too much for a banana leaf. If you want to keep it organic, when you cut back your banana leaves, chop them up pretty good and gently plant them back in the soil, and they go nuts for it. You can do that too with any of your other plants. It acts like a potassium boost. I bet your cinnamon tree will love your climate from my understanding of them. They do very well in bright indirect light (and almost better for smaller ones) with higher humidity. Which in Carolina you have. The mediums you are using will pull slightly acidic, which is good for bananas 🍌 Worm casting and a chunky perlite is the only thing I’d probably recommend for that mix. Silica notes: The NPK Trap: Nitrogen drives rapid cell division and cell elongation. It tells the plant to build new tissue fast. However, nitrogen-driven growth creates large, bloated, thin-walled cells. What Silica Does: Silica is the structural builder. It deposits directly between the plant's cell walls, creating a rigid, reinforced matrix. It makes cell walls thicker and mechanically stronger. Bioavailability: Plants can only absorb silica in one specific form: Monosilicic Acid (MSA). When someone dumps potassium silicate into their water, it requires a chemical reaction (and help from soil microbes) to break down into MSA. The Salt Accumulation Problem: Potassium silicate carries a massive heavy salt load and drastically spikes the water's pH. Over a couple of years, if a grower doesn't flush their soil meticulously, those potassium salts accumulate in the substrate. This salt buildup chokes the roots, causes nutrient lockout, and kills the plant. The caution I’d say: If a plant takes up an extreme excess of silica over multiple years, its tissues can become too rigid. The leaves lose their natural elasticity and can become slightly brittle, making them more prone to physical cracking if bent. I really hope that helps, and sorry for all the information, but I feel like the more you can make decisions that are right for you and your plants. 🪴 let me know if I can help further. ☺️
That is amazing information. I want to do just that. The silica sounds much more the route I'd like for longevity and a stronger base. I've never used it...or at least not knowing I was using it.lol. Can you tell me where to get it and what type?
Sorry to keep bothering you on this but... this is great information. Thank you again!
Sorry to keep bothering you on this but... this is great information. Thank you again!
@WormWarriorFarm hi Rob, just something I noticed with your soil mix (bearing in mind that not everyone’s soil will have the same components because of our different environments and conditions): every part of yours is moisture retaining. I would pick only one, out of the fox farms soil, peat, or coir, because they will all hold on to water. Then your roots can drown, and bacteria that loves those wet conditions can multiply and eat your roots 😖
After you decide on one of those, you will need to add drainage and aeration ingredients; chunky bits, so that there will be air pockets so water can drain and roots can breathe. I add orchid bark chips, and perlite to mine.
The ratio will entirely depend on your climate and watering habits, but a good place to start, and what my basic mix starts as, is:
1/3 coco coir (or peat, or your fox farms
1/3 fine-medium orchid bark
1/3 perlite
But all kind of factors come into play here. If I was more of a forgetful waterer, or if I lived in a dryer climate, I would add more moisture retaining coir. But if I wanted to interact with and water my plants weekly, or I had a more wet climate, I would add more bark/perlite.
Good luck with your musa banana. Stunning plant and variegation!! 🤩
After you decide on one of those, you will need to add drainage and aeration ingredients; chunky bits, so that there will be air pockets so water can drain and roots can breathe. I add orchid bark chips, and perlite to mine.
The ratio will entirely depend on your climate and watering habits, but a good place to start, and what my basic mix starts as, is:
1/3 coco coir (or peat, or your fox farms
1/3 fine-medium orchid bark
1/3 perlite
But all kind of factors come into play here. If I was more of a forgetful waterer, or if I lived in a dryer climate, I would add more moisture retaining coir. But if I wanted to interact with and water my plants weekly, or I had a more wet climate, I would add more bark/perlite.
Good luck with your musa banana. Stunning plant and variegation!! 🤩
@WormWarriorFarm Greg is the best 🤗 Welcome to the community!
And as soon as I saw your post I knew I’d find @Idplantthat here 🥰 She is amazing and has so many beautiful bananas!! I have a baby one of hers that I’m super excited to see grow! 😘🥰
And as soon as I saw your post I knew I’d find @Idplantthat here 🥰 She is amazing and has so many beautiful bananas!! I have a baby one of hers that I’m super excited to see grow! 😘🥰
@WormWarriorFarm no worries at all. I’m happy to help if I can. Let me find some links for you. So I’d say just be cautious about which form of silica you use. I buy mine, and it’s a little more expensive, but to me, the results are worth it. 😉 https://a.co/d/07O9JWOE https://modernfarms.store/collections/powersi https://levelupgardensupply.com/products/powersi-lush-250ml?srsltid=AfmBOoqD7UTiJN8KH3XqyhXJL5wLidwQ8Bcoy9h2U67beJbaW6jKEmSG some might be out of stock but I’m not really sure. I also highly recommend looking into Tezula https://tezulaplants.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoomJdYZEnTeivGCWXsuBcR_lH1zG7Z6kmwzbk2vMCwz4P-AOzZW their mediums are amazing. I use a mix of FoxFarm Happy Frog with Tezula #5 and then add a little volcanic substrate https://a.co/d/04DBbm6j harvest hero https://a.co/d/0bX4S39b and sometimes light warrior https://a.co/d/09ujftNi I have liked the outcome of my plants with this. Then I water with rainwater and I mix my silica in the rainwater barrels and add gold leaf standard https://a.co/d/0aDpTSSz
@WormWarriorFarm and as far as silica goes, for your question there are different forms of silica you want to avoid potassium silica, while it’s cheaper; it does need to be salt activated so you need to be careful. I like monosilic and have had good results. I tried potassium and just did not like it. Make sure to flush your plants every few months just so you avoid build-up in your soils. If I can help further do let me know. ☺️ @DreamMachine thanks Nadia for the sweet compliment you are such a gem! You are not only a wealth of knowledge but also a wonderful person. 🥰 if you want the opinions of someone who doesn’t like monolific acid. For me I like hearing multiple opinions then going and reading up. But this is Shannon; she’s absolutely amazing with identifying, ph measurements! And she just really good at all of this. So I’d definitely see what Shannon thinks. 😉🧐🌱
@Idplantthat. Thank you so much 😊