Author Topic: Minimum spacing in bananas?  (Read 3189 times)

FV Fruit Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 643
    • USA, Southern California, Fountain Valley, 10B
    • View Profile
Minimum spacing in bananas?
« on: June 06, 2019, 02:46:39 PM »
Looking for the absolute minimum distance banana trees can be planted together. Can I get away with 4’ feet between trees? I plan on letting two suckers pop up per tree. Thanks in advance.
Nate

sunworshiper

  • Oviedo, FL (9b)
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 458
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2019, 03:09:24 PM »
My neighbor planted them along a ditch probably on the order of 6' apart - they are now a solid row, with pretty close to zero space between plants. As long as there is enough water & nutrients, they don't seem to mind being crowded.

Mugenia

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 232
    • People's Socialist Republic of California USDA Zone 10
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2019, 03:38:19 PM »
Mine are 5' apart and they are not midget bananas.

Bananimal

  • Dan the Bananaman
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 260
    • Port St Lucie, Fl zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2019, 03:59:53 PM »
Looking for the absolute minimum distance banana trees can be planted together. Can I get away with 4’ feet between trees? I plan on letting two suckers pop up per tree. Thanks in advance.

How long are you planning on growing bananas?  At 4' spacing you should run out of space in 5 or 6 years.  After the main pseudostem produces a bunch anywhere from 2 to 4 pups will sprout around the trunk.   A few years later it gets crowded.  Unless you remove all pups save 1 or 2.  I use a digging bar when the pup is 18 inches tall or so.  And share with neighbors or forum members.
Dan

sahai1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 524
    • NST, THAILAND
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2019, 05:10:31 PM »
it really depends on your climate, planting style (intensive rows, or just plant bunches wherever you want), and type of banana.

For my climate it is wet all year round, and I need to take steps to keep corms from rotting, and stems dry and hard to keep boring grubs at bay.    So I maintain corms at distance that sunlight can hit the ground near the corm and hit the stems.  That distance depends on type of banana.  This also allows me to showcase different types of bananas, and I just maintain circular bunches in different areas, my pig does rounds every morning to eat all side corms.

Namwa in all forms is very sensitive to water in soil, and prefers to be dried out and get direct sunlight, with direct sunlight the leaf size and trunk diameter is healthy.  My cuban reds like constant moisture all year round and are more resistant to water rot, they adapt to wetter and shaded areas by increasing leaf size, they can get leaf burn from too much direct sunlight.  Ladyfinger bananas prefer to be companions to other trees and get filtered sunlight, for example between bunches of bamboos.  Direct sunlight causes Ladyfinger corms to be stunted and leaves to shrink in size.  Have lots of other bananas too but havn't dialed in that much about the conditions they prefer.  For example Gluay Hin is still a mystery what it likes.. but they also rot out easily.




pineislander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2199
    • Bokeelia, FL
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2019, 05:18:15 PM »
This also depends on variety as some throw more suckers than others, also depends on space and light available to the side. Bananas will grow towards light so if the row gets crowded they will tend to lean outwards and those will be more easily toppled. If crowded with no light available to the side they will grow taller and skinnier and bear much smaller bunches or eventually almost no bananas at all. Banana roots can run outside of the leaf drip zone seeking water and nutrition but a denser stand will require more of both since they are competing.

This URL has some info on the interesting implications of spacing:
http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/expert_system/banana/cultivation.html#B

fisherking73

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 807
    • Hollywood (Broward county), Florida Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2019, 09:34:00 PM »
I have limited space I use for my bananas and planted them about 5-6 ft apart in a single file row. I cull the pups as they come to try and control the corm.  So far have been doing good except for a Raja Puri that spread further than I wanted it too. Also late last year planted what I misunderstood to be a dwarf plantain but turned out to be a Saba, so have no idea what I am going to do with it lol already a monster at about 12-13 ft tall and no signs of blooming yet lol Base of it is ridiculously huge. Gonna let it bloom once then dig it out cuz it just don't fit.

FV Fruit Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 643
    • USA, Southern California, Fountain Valley, 10B
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2019, 11:22:29 PM »
Thanks for all the reply’s and helpful info!

Here’s a picture of the bananas in the ground. I don’t have a lot of space so I’m working with what I got. The banana tree on the left is a Goldfinger and the one on the right is a Gros Michel, spacing is 4’feet and they were put in the ground a few days ago. I didn’t want to plant too close to the Haas avocado tree (to the left of the goldfinger) which is why I had to plant the two banana trees so close together.

Hindsight, and from the advice I’ve received from you guys, it may have been wiser to just plant one banana in that spot? But I plan on keeping them thinned to two pups plus the main pseudostem, so hopefully I’ll get some good years out of them before it gets to crowded. Thx again for the great advice.

Banimal- I plan on growing bananas until I’m physically unable to do so, which god willing, and with a little luck, is hopefully many, many years!

Nate

« Last Edit: February 22, 2020, 03:51:31 AM by FV Fruit Freak »
Nate

sahai1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 524
    • NST, THAILAND
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #8 on: June 07, 2019, 01:33:28 AM »
I don't have goldfinger but from the pictures I looked at online I think you should dig it up now.

Put it in an area with direct sunlight at all sides, and maintain 4-6 trees to that corm.   Give the first tree circumference 8', in time after the 6 trees develop should be about 4' spacing left over.  In this setup cut out all suckers that are sideways at the corm, cut deep with a shovel, and keep trying to maintain straight suckers from center.  Apply manure to center of bunch as well.

The gros michel is good for a spot like this, just maintain them in a row.  They don't need to be large trees to give out 5-6 bunches per rack.  The sunlight from front is good, and the fence to back is good to keep them from falling over.

sorry for poor picture, but not at the farm now, but the bunch to the right in the pic is how I imagine the goldfinger size will be.  A very aggressive corm that will build in size and throw out roots far.  That bunch is  only 2 years old.




sahai1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 524
    • NST, THAILAND
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #9 on: June 07, 2019, 01:35:05 AM »
maybe this pic better view.



FV Fruit Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 643
    • USA, Southern California, Fountain Valley, 10B
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #10 on: June 07, 2019, 10:30:28 AM »
I don't have goldfinger but from the pictures I looked at online I think you should dig it up now.

Put it in an area with direct sunlight at all sides, and maintain 4-6 trees to that corm.   Give the first tree circumference 8', in time after the 6 trees develop should be about 4' spacing left over.  In this setup cut out all suckers that are sideways at the corm, cut deep with a shovel, and keep trying to maintain straight suckers from center.  Apply manure to center of bunch as well.

The gros michel is good for a spot like this, just maintain them in a row.  They don't need to be large trees to give out 5-6 bunches per rack.  The sunlight from front is good, and the fence to back is good to keep them from falling over.

sorry for poor picture, but not at the farm now, but the bunch to the right in the pic is how I imagine the goldfinger size will be.  A very aggressive corm that will build in size and throw out roots far.  That bunch is  only 2 years old.




Thank you Sahai1! Those are great looking bananas and a wonderful looking farm you have, thx for the pics.

The wall the nanas are in front of is a north facing wall. They get full sun in the summer but the winter is a different story... I figured they would get tall enough to receive the winter sun in that location but the base, as well as a couple feet above the base of them, won’t receive any sun in the winter. We don’t get too much rain usually, as we are often in a drought, however this year we got quite a lot of rain.

Based on your advice I’m thinking of leaving the Gros Michelle and moving the Goldfinger to a different spot.

Do you think I should center the Gros Michelle in between those two wooden posts for better spacing?
Nate

sahai1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 524
    • NST, THAILAND
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #11 on: June 07, 2019, 12:58:35 PM »
thanks, that picture is  looking a bit messy was digging quite a bit of composting holes then, actually have quite many more areas where bananas are.  Planted about 20 different kinds of bananas, but have only identified about 6 kinds so far, I didn't bother labeling anything...

Long story short, I think your spacing in that planting area you have is absolutely perfect for Gros Michel, you can try to wait and see if this goldfinger will produce as a solo tree and then remove, by that time you will have another gros michel sucker to put there.  I find that the Gros Michel will only produce 1 or 2 good suckers.   So is very manageable in areas where you just want 1 tree at all times  Which is how the planter should be in my opinion.  2 trees with 2 suckers each, strongest kept when ready.

Also Cavendish is similar in growing style to Gros Michel, and produce very very large racks as a solo planter, but many people complain about the taste.  Without 'gasing' they ripen very quickly  with green skin, but taste is still very good.

FV Fruit Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 643
    • USA, Southern California, Fountain Valley, 10B
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #12 on: June 07, 2019, 04:04:01 PM »
thanks, that picture is  looking a bit messy was digging quite a bit of composting holes then, actually have quite many more areas where bananas are.  Planted about 20 different kinds of bananas, but have only identified about 6 kinds so far, I didn't bother labeling anything...

Long story short, I think your spacing in that planting area you have is absolutely perfect for Gros Michel, you can try to wait and see if this goldfinger will produce as a solo tree and then remove, by that time you will have another gros michel sucker to put there.  I find that the Gros Michel will only produce 1 or 2 good suckers.   So is very manageable in areas where you just want 1 tree at all times  Which is how the planter should be in my opinion.  2 trees with 2 suckers each, strongest kept when ready.

Also Cavendish is similar in growing style to Gros Michel, and produce very very large racks as a solo planter, but many people complain about the taste.  Without 'gasing' they ripen very quickly  with green skin, but taste is still very good.

Thank you. Should I cut the two pups away from the Goldfinger that are coming up now and save them for future plantings? What do you find the best method of saving the pups for future planting is?

What is your opinion of the Gros Michel taste?
Nate

pineislander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2199
    • Bokeelia, FL
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #13 on: June 07, 2019, 04:09:53 PM »
Against the wall suckers will lean outwards but an advantage is you can use rope off the fence if you need to tie up a heavy fruiting plant. If I only had this room I would maintain one sucker on each mat with a follower. choose a sucker left, then right of the mother to keep the mat in place and away from the wall. This is pretty restricted space as I said banana roots would like to spread 6-10 ft diameter. You have a good containment for mulch and could use anything even cardboard topped with yard waste people in the neighborhood put out on the curb. Top it with grass clippings or leaves and your plants will love anything you give it.

sahai1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 524
    • NST, THAILAND
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #14 on: June 07, 2019, 05:15:05 PM »
The pups you have now let them grow, large pups are best to transplant.  Only nurseries would waste time cutting off small pups or cutting up corms to produce more trees.

Gros Michel is good, but kind of plain compared to more fruity bananas like Namwa, also they tend to grow skinny and need propped up, so very important you plant pups straight and only keep straight pups, or even dig them out and replant them. In my opinion it is a banana for people who don't really like bananas.  People who are picky about bananas will like Gros Michel but not other kinds. 

Dwarf Namwa would do good in that spot as well, and I think more interesting than Gros Michel, because it is still very similar to the the commercial cavendish varieties.

Here is a site I used to research my banana collection, although in Thai you can still browse through the pictures.    https://bananacenterkp.weebly.com/3627.html






thanks, that picture is  looking a bit messy was digging quite a bit of composting holes then, actually have quite many more areas where bananas are.  Planted about 20 different kinds of bananas, but have only identified about 6 kinds so far, I didn't bother labeling anything...

Long story short, I think your spacing in that planting area you have is absolutely perfect for Gros Michel, you can try to wait and see if this goldfinger will produce as a solo tree and then remove, by that time you will have another gros michel sucker to put there.  I find that the Gros Michel will only produce 1 or 2 good suckers.   So is very manageable in areas where you just want 1 tree at all times  Which is how the planter should be in my opinion.  2 trees with 2 suckers each, strongest kept when ready.

Also Cavendish is similar in growing style to Gros Michel, and produce very very large racks as a solo planter, but many people complain about the taste.  Without 'gasing' they ripen very quickly  with green skin, but taste is still very good.

Thank you. Should I cut the two pups away from the Goldfinger that are coming up now and save them for future plantings? What do you find the best method of saving the pups for future planting is?

What is your opinion of the Gros Michel taste?

FV Fruit Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 643
    • USA, Southern California, Fountain Valley, 10B
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #15 on: June 09, 2019, 01:09:46 AM »
Thanks everyone! Have a great weekend. 
Nate

FV Fruit Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 643
    • USA, Southern California, Fountain Valley, 10B
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #16 on: September 07, 2019, 02:37:24 AM »

These nanas have started to get pretty big since I first stared this thread and are starting to lean a bit.

Does anyone have a suggestion or idea on how to anchor them to the cinderblock wall? Thanks.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2020, 03:52:34 AM by FV Fruit Freak »
Nate

pineislander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2199
    • Bokeelia, FL
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #17 on: September 07, 2019, 07:14:03 AM »


These nanas have started to get pretty big since I first stared this thread and are starting to lean a bit.

Does anyone have a suggestion or idea on how to anchor them to the cinderblock wall? Thanks.
I knew they would lean outwards.
Looks good with no need to secure them since they are between the wood and wall. Let them lean out they will touch the wood and be supported.

FV Fruit Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 643
    • USA, Southern California, Fountain Valley, 10B
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #18 on: September 09, 2019, 05:25:47 PM »
Thanks Pineislander. I like your idea, nice and easy. However, I have small children so I’d llike to have a more secure way of keeping the trees in place, especially since I built that structure pretty quick and it’s not THAT sturdy. Also, if that structure were to collapse because of the weight of bananas and crush my kids, I wouldn’t hear the end of it from the wife ;)  I guess not too many members have experience with anchoring to a wall (or don’t care to help) so I’ll figure something out and try to post what I come up with in case  someone else has a similar problem.
Nate

pineislander

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2199
    • Bokeelia, FL
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #19 on: September 09, 2019, 09:42:37 PM »
Well you could just tie the wooden uprights to the wall. Usually concrete anchors work by drilling a hole in the concrete and expanding when screwed in. Aluminum flat stock is easy to bend to an "L" shape, easy to drill and doesn't rust. It is available at hardware outlets.

FV Fruit Freak

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 643
    • USA, Southern California, Fountain Valley, 10B
    • View Profile
Re: Minimum spacing in bananas?
« Reply #20 on: September 09, 2019, 10:41:37 PM »
Well you could just tie the wooden uprights to the wall. Usually concrete anchors work by drilling a hole in the concrete and expanding when screwed in. Aluminum flat stock is easy to bend to an "L" shape, easy to drill and doesn't rust. It is available at hardware outlets.

Thanks for the great ideas my friend. I really appreciate your time. Happy growing!
Nate