wim

Hi,

I'm new to the banana world. I wonder if you experts can help me out.

I got a Musa sikkimensis from a friend and bought a Musella lasiocarpa. I've tranplanted them into a larger pot where they can stay for this winter (cold and dry in the garage). I'm planning to plant them outside in the garden next year.

The sikkimensis gave me the banana virus. It's beautifull wine red rubbery leaves grew at a ratio of about 1 new leave per 10 days in spring. At that time it was still standing in a 1 gallon pot.

I am planning to redesign my garden. The soil is sandy loam. Nothing wrong with that, but it's totally void of organic material. When it rains, it gets mudy and looses its structure, then once it stopped raining three days later the soil becomes as hard as a rock. In those places where I have used cow manure the structure is sooo mucht better. I was planning to add (a lot) of organic material in it this autumn/winter, so I can start planting in spring (bamboo, ornamentals and any banana I can lay my hands on).

What tips could you give me to prepare my soil ? I live in what would be a USDA zone 9 (perhaps 8). I don't mind to invest a lot of work in its preparation, but the resulting garden should be able to stay the way it is for about 5 to 10 years without a lot of additional (ground) work.

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With kind regards
Wim