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Originally Posted by varig8
An addendum to your previous post about the increased browning out of your Aeae leaves in October;........You have to remember one thing.........this was the beginning of fall, and now we are well into the season. Even in the tropics these plants will slow down and not grow as much, the tropics have seasons as well; dryer and cooler in the winter-less humidity, and wetter and warmer in the summer, depending on exactly where in the tropics. I spent a few days during our winter months on the Orinoco in Venesuela and believe me it was COLD. Lots of people have the false belief that tropical plants continue to grow the same amount year round simply because they are 'tropical' and unlike common deciduous plants they are used to seeing growing outside. There is also the decreased amount of sunlight during the winter, which we know has an effect on flowering and fruiting times for some plants. Tropicals also need a 'rest' period and will have a tendency to be in less than perfect condition during the winter months. Even in sunny Miami my plants slow down during this time and always look 'crappier' than the spring and summer months.
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I've found that, since I'm 19 degrees from the Equator, my banana plants are more vigorous for about a month before, and a month after, each Equinox. They slow down around the Summer solstice...too long a day for them...and again from mid=November to about end January. I would imagine that growth rates would change very little if I were at sea level right ON the Equator but I could be wrong. I've always wanted to find out and, for awhile, thought about moving to Ecuador for a few years just to educate myself.
Here on the Big Island, rainfall is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year but favors the winter months which are wetter than the summer months. With a yearly average of 170 inches of rainfall at my location,, I rarely have to worry about enough moisture but, as I have explained in a previous post, my bananas are so closely spaced..no farther than a couple of feet apart, even an inch of rain is not sufficient for their needs so I simply irrigate well if I have not received enough to keep the bananas happy. I've got plenty of water coming out of the bowels of Mauna Loa so it is not a problem. At least not at this time.