AmberNichole

I have heard good things about rock dust, blood/bone meal, chicken manure, ect for bananas. Well I found this fertilizer that has all of that in it and I wanted to see if anyone uses it? If not what might your thoughts be on it?

"100% Organic. Age Old In Full-Bloom (5-10-5 plus 1% Calcium) is a fast-acting, high phosphorous combination. Use to encourage better fruit set, improve germination rates, help flower and bud formation and to overcome stress caused by natural or chemical damage.

Ingredients include volcanic rock dust, meat & bone meal, composted poultry manure, blood meal and bone meal.

Note: This product is designed and blended to build and sustain the beneficial soil micro-organism population that is necessary for healthy and robust plant growth.

Directions for Use:
Seed Germination & Transplant: Add to soil mixes at a rate of 1/2 pound per cubic foot or 1 tablespoon per gallon pot.

Soil Preparation & Row Transplant: Apply 2 to 3 pounds per 100 square feet. Work into soil.

Gardens: For transplants, apply at a rate of 1 to 3 pounds per 100 feet or 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) per plant. For soils with low phosphorous, spread 5 to 10 pounds per 100 square feet and work into top 3 to 6 inches of soil."

Here is the link
Age Old In Full-Bloom

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Dean W.

Sounds like good fertilizer, Amber, though maybe not the best ratios for bananas.

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AmberNichole

Well I use the citrus, avocado, banana fertilizer as well, i just think this will help possibly give them a boost to fruit this summer.

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bananimal

Amber ------ When I moved to S Fla 6 years ago I was amazed at the fert formula that Going Bananas sold when I got my first banana plants. It was 6-2-12. When asked why the very low phosphorous number Don said that our soil is naturally high in P already. So I said OK, now it makes sense.

Last year I visited Nick Naranja in Pahokee where he runs 5 acres of naners. He was unloading a pallet of fert from an outfit in Ft Pierce that was 0-0-16. Wow! He uses no further supplemental fert. Reason was the land he is leasing has been used for tomatoes and peppers for so long that the Nitrogen and the P residue are very high already.

The bottom line is do a soil test. I have 5 canisters of 10-60-10 that came from Charlotte with me and haven't figured out yet what to do with it .

Just discovered a new source for banana specific blended fert. Big commercial place in Ft Pierce called Diamond R. It's 6-3-16 with a good list of minors. Fifty lbs for less than $22.00. I am so happy. The other local nurseries charge over $50.00 now for 50 lbs of 8-2-12.

Dan

Richard

The bone meal and chicken manure are the active ingredients, everything else in there takes 3 to 7 years to break down to a form that plants can use. Basically, the other stuff is just there to make the label attractive. This product DOES NOT qualify for certified organic, although it is likely composed of all natural ingredients. It will encourage many plants to bloom, and others (bananas) will only be encouraged. Gabe can tell you more about the banana life cycle.

Be Careful with 6-3-16. Potassium toxicity is a real phenomena in most plants, especially monocots like bananas. The plant can only process potassium to the extent there is nitrogen, in the ratio 1 (N) to 1.5 (K). Further, the capacity per plant is about 1.5 pounds net potash per year.

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hydroid

I've had good luck with Lesco palm and tropical fertilizer, 13-3-13, and composted black cow manure from Home Depot. Although the lesco is $34 a bag. I also try to add miracle grow liguid fertilizer every 2 weeks when I am here. Thanks
Bo

NANAMAN

Dan hit the nail on the head, a soil test would be a great idea! Check out this site, there's some great info on it!
High Brix Home

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sunfish

sunfish

AmberNichole

Thanks for the great info guys! I think i will do a soil test and see what happens! Before I planted any of my bananas i bought garden soil and mixed it with cow manure then dug a big whole and filled it in with that. I also am constantly throwing rabbit poop around the base of the bananas as well as fertilizing them with the fruit and citrus stuff. So it will be interesting what it tells me.

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Nicolas Naranja

Just as a minor correction it was 0-0-60 and it was $800/ton and you have to purchase a ton at a time. That being said I throw out a cup of fertilizer between the mats about once every three months. I can't over stress the need to have your soil tested every once in a while. Some soils may have plenty of potash and phosphorus in them.

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

Richard

Sounds like potassium chloride. If so, have you seen any signs of chlorine stress or toxicity yet?

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bananimal

Nick --- Got it. I knew there was a 6 in that K number.

BTW -- was it Diamond R you got it from? I do remember the supplier was in Ft Pierce.

sunfish

I'm using 0-0-50. Very easy to over do it

Nicolas Naranja

Nope, I got mine from Helena. The only reason I use them is because my wife has a joint venture with them. They are more geared towards the large grower, and if it wasn't for the business relationship, I'd go somewhere else.

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

Nicolas Naranja

If it wasn't for the buffering capacity in my soil, I'd never get away with it, I think a lot of the people on the sand use sulpomag.

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Some people go bananas, I went plantains.