North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Doreen Howard" <doreenh@ticon.net>]

Joel,
I have practical experience to share.  I spent 8-1/2 years on the Gulf Coast
of Texas where bananas grow well.  I had three varieties in my backyard.  As
you already know, bananas reproduce by throwing pups--in layman's terms.
Off sets from the main bulbous root, actually.  You separate the pups from
the maturing and dying main plant with a sharp shovel.  Either pot them up
or replant in another area.  Any pups left form a thick stand of new plants.
Bananas are pretty prolific about throwing pups if there is plenty of
organic material in the surrounding soil.

As far as root mass--I always inoculated my pups with mycorrhizal fungi, and
they performed magnificently.  The plants put on plenty of growth and
usually flowered with 18 months.  Stalks of bananas were large, and fruits
were filled out well.  What else can you ask for?

I brought a banana pup with me when I moved north.  In fact, it's in a
20-inch tub in my bedroom and is 5 feet tall.  This pup was also inoculated
with mycorrhizae, and even in the Arctic chill here, the plant is still
putting out new leaves indoor in a west window.  I expect it to fruit early
next summer.

As has been discussed on this list in depth, mycorrhizae does not increase
root mass, but it grows hypae that mine the soil for nutrients.  The hypae
are far more efficient in this task then are roots, in my opinion.
Doreen Howard,
In Blizzard-land Wisconsin under a foot of the white stuff

-----Original Message-----
From: Hortus <HORTUS@worldnet.att.net>
To: NAFEX list <nafex@egroups.com>
Date: Monday, December 11, 2000 7:07 PM
Subject: [nafex] banana


>
>====================================
>
>BANANA
>-----------
>
>Does anyone have information on the enhancement of root mass
>banana (musacaea, musa) using
>auxins or biostimulants (proported snake oil users need not
>apply).
>I am especially interested in methods which have already
>been accepted by commercial growers.
>
>regards
>Joel
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


-------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~>
eLerts
It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free!
http://click.egroups.com/1/9699/0/_/423498/_/976586518/
---------------------------------------------------------------------_->