I always thought the middle number (nitrogen, I think) should be about half the other two. But I water mine with all purpose Miracle Gro and I do see good results. Alot of people fertilize with organic stuff and it seems to work fine for them. The point is bananan's really don't care what you feed them as long as their fed(About once a week.)

WeatherGuy :-)

Nitrogen is the first number (the order is N-P-K, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium). Potassium generally should be the most abundant of the 3, followed by Nitrogen and Phosphorus. Organic fertilizing has showed an increase in productivity compared to an all-chemical methods, and it is also better for your soil. Micronutrients are essential to good growth and these are usually very readily available through chemical fertilizers. I would reccomend a mix of both, a lot of manure and compost along with some Miracle-Gro or Peters to supplement them during high growth should show great results.

Sorry...Listen to Gabe15.

heheh. thanks guys for the help!

I do not believe the quote from weatherguy when he says " Bananas really don't care what you feed them as long as they get fed". Scratching my head on that one, because depending on climatic issues, mineral deficiencies, soil composition, and plant behavior are things on my side of the planet beleive attribute to providing an appropriate feed. I feed my bananas both organic and in-organic fertilizers, not to mention fungi (mychorizae and PlantShield), and making sure the consumption of fertilizer is balanced out with growth, not wasted by buildup of mineral salts by cheap commercial fetilizers. But then again, I have been growing these big guys for over 13 years...What do I know? lol...

Ahhh you mention Mychorizae.. We had small buckets of the stuff called MIKES or something like that. Its supposed to really increased the root growth or root production for plants. Do you know if this actually does work as stated and can it be used in pots that are brought indoors in the winter time.

I am not sure about this Mikes stuff, never heard of it. Mychorizae applied as a mix or soil drenched, can improve root hari development and will compete against bad soil born fungi and bacteria. Whenever I am propagating or sizing up plants, I use both mychorizae and PlantShield to further the immune system of the plant and the health of the soil microbes. It can be used for potted plants that are brought inside, but the dry atmosphere can weaken results versus an outdoor enviroment.

Mychorizae are the fungi which form the symbiotic relationship feeding off starches from plant roots and make nutrients available to the roots for uptake by the plant.

To be accurate, the numbers represent the percentages of N, P2O5, and K2O. By convention, the phoshorus and potassium are expressed as percentages of pretend compounds. For that reason, it is theoretically possible for the sum of the numbers to be greater than 100.

3-4 Years ago we planted an assortment of Banana trees (in Banana beds, we don't rotate the banana trees into other areas on our land) on our property in Negril, Jamaica (Westmorland Parish). Our soil is Red Limestone with good under-drainage. The water condition is the same as years past. We don't water, they get the normal Mother Nature cycle. My concern is: Over the years the hands and bunches of Bananas are getting smaller and the Banana Tree Trunks are getting smaller also. For the past 3 1/2 years we kept the Banana bed clear from all debrie. I am worried about nutrition / fertilizer in the soil for the trees. Now we put grass cuttings and all Banana tree debrie under the trees, for mulch, to keep the soil cooler and keep the moisture in the soil by the roots. What is the proper thing to do for the Banana Trees? What type of fertilizer should we use? Please help

Fayeglot, please send me your contact info to gaziger@gmail.com. I manufacture an organic fertilizer (4-5-5) with mychorizae and added trace minerals. I am looking for a contact in Jamaica to assist me in marketing my products in the Caribbean.

Michael

Here is a link that might be useful: MightyGrow's website