What do you feed your bananas and how often?

[worzsel]

I've got a couple of basjoo, a sikkmenses and an ensete. I've read on here that bananas are gross feeders bu what does that mean ?

I've been giving my basjoo miracle grow every 2 weeks as per instructions and chicken pellets when I can be bothered to cope with the smell but they don't look particularly happy; the leaves are yellowey and try are not growing at the rate I'd assumed they would. The sikkimenses are ensete are looking fine at the moment.

Is there a trick ?

Could it be I'm not watering them enough ?

[GoggleboxUK]

My Basjoo aren't doing as well as the Tandarra Reds and I know a few others have said they seem to be underperforming this year too.

I'm feeding similar to you but I'm getting slow growth and shrivelled lower leaves once new ones appear.

[Yorkshire Kris]

Worzsel, My basjoo are mainly yellow as well this year but the ensete are fine.

Have yours been over wintered in the ground?

I have put the yellowing down to either a slow recovery from last winter on an over eager to feed them earlier in the season.

Very poor growth this year which is unusual.

[The Codfather]

Dont over water them.....and epsom salts can help them green up.

[worzsel]

I only water them the same amount as I do the rest of the garden anyway.. a good going over with the hose most days,.. I had read bananas and Cannas neen more water than typical uk garden plants thought so thats why I was wondering about it not being enough.

Interesting to read that they are underperforming generally. Mine are about 18 inches tall and in the ground. I bought them from ebay in Feb... I expected them to be bigger by now, thats all.

[sanatic1234]

Yellowing can be caused by overfeeding and over watering. One of my basjoos has got two leafs with what looks like black spot on it. But all new growth is fine. I would only give that extra water if temps are hot. If not just water every few days.

[The Codfather]

The amount of rain over the last week....there has been plenty. I watch a Will Giles video on youtube and he say's not to overwater...the secret is trying to get those roots to dive down in search of water.....resulting in bigger, stronger & helthier musa's.

[trachy1973]

I feed mine with Chempak high nitrogen feed. Otherwise I use phostrogen.

Just found this link to some palm feed that I have not seen before. Anybody tried it yet?

Called - Palm focus, you can alo buy it on eBay. Looks cheaper than Palmbooster.

http://www.gardensite.co.uk/Growth_Tech ... t_Feed.htm

Keith

[Cathy]

Hope this will be of interest.
I have M Basjoo growing back from rootstock that has been in the ground for maybe 5 years.
After reaching grand proportions in the first three years (12 foot tall with THICK stems) I was heartbroken when the first harsh winter killed all the growth. I cleared the ground not thinking that they would re-grow but must have missed some roots.

Last years growth was killed off again but this year I have two lovely healthy plants which are 3ish ft tall already.
I chucked some chick' poo pellets at the ground in april and water them only very occasionally. The small bed is overcrowded, with hedichiums, persicaria, bergenia, helibores, brunnera, alchemilla, and other stuff I don't even know the name of but they are now growing up above everything else.
...I never mulch the ground at all but the soil is good black stuff.

In our front 'garden' I have a small feeble yellowy Basjoo which is not growing well from last years rootstock, despite my watering it often. This one is trying to grow in 18" of topsoil with thick clay beneath that.