Quote:
Originally Posted by varig8
... I always tend to think back to "how does this plant grow in nature?" ...
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It doesn't. The human-made fruiting banana hybrids we grow do not occur in the wild.
However, we do know from biological studies that fruiting Musa have the capacity for 1 net pound of Nitrogen and 1.5 net pounds of Potash per year, and the necessity for a wide range of minor- and micro-nutrients. Notice that the N-P-K's of 6-2-12 and 9-3-27 are unbalanced with respect to the 2:3 nitrogen-to-potash ratio desired by bananas (and a wide range of other fruiting plants). However, in mid- to south-Florida, you are in a near-tropic climate with plenty of available nitrogen in the environment. Consequently, your main concern is potash. To determine the maximum potash input from 6-2-12, simply divide 1.5 pounds by 12%, (1.5 / 0.12) to obtain 12.5 lbs. As always, it is a good idea to get a mineral analysis of your soil so that you know what you're starting with.