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Old 01-04-2013, 08:30 PM   #10 (permalink)
waggoner41
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Location: Barrio San Bosco de Ciudad Golon, Costa Rica
Zone: 14 Costa Rica - Land of 1,000 microclimates
Name: waggoner41
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Default Re: Growing in Costa Rica

Quote:
Originally Posted by LilRaverBoi View Post
Picture posted above is 100% normal. Bananas first put out female flowers that form fruit then switch to male flowers that do not become fruit. They typically fall off and leave the exposed rachis like in the pic above.

This is just banana genetics and such. If you want bigger bunches, certain varieties produce larger bunches. Also, proper fertilization and mat management (removing all but a few pups from each plant) can produce more and larger fruit.
Thanks for the information that it is a genetic issue. I will purchase plants of a better genetic strain. We have plenty of room for more.

We are fertilizing once a month with 15-15-15 NPK and removing the scions once they reach 18" and planting them to enlarge our "banana plantation".

One problem that we have is poor soil. It is a volcanic clay and impervious necessitating digging out a half meter (50cm x 50cm x 25cm deep) of soil and replacing it with "tierra negro" for each plant.

The fruit trees require digging down a full meter for avocado, mango, etc.
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