skiarun

I'm new to growing bananas.
I have 3 know varieties growing now and one unknown variety (mostly in pots on the patio).
Tonight I read online that banana root boring weevils are a huge issue in Africa.....anyone know anything about if this is something to look for in United States also?

I hope not!!!!!

Also, anyone else trying to grow bananas in the desert?
I'm in San Diego, California....and it almost never rains here.

I have not yet figured out the right soil mix so that my baby banana plants get enough water without the roots rotting. We absolutely must not waste water here in the drought. Any suggestions?

The Hawaiian Apple banana plants I put in a friend's yard seem to be doing really well. I don't know why.
The Jamaican Red variety started to die in the same spot. So I dug it up and put it in a pot at my place. It seems to be resurrected from the dead now. But I am afraid to replant it in an actual yard. Are Jamaican Red more sensitive or something? Do they need something different than the Hawaiian apple?

I also have a good looking Orinoco banana plant in a huge pot. It is growing and looking beautiful. It keeps making pups. I transplanted one very large pup to another pot. This pup had long roots and was nearly 3 feet tall. But it quickly died in the new pot and then grew two tiny pups of it's own. Anyone able to explain what could have happened here? Could I have over watered it? Why would the main plant die like that and yet the baby plants grow up?

So, anyone want to tell me about that Weevil boring thing?
Tell me how to not waste water in the desert and still grow bananas?
Let me know anything you know about caring for Hawaiian apple that's different from Jamaican Red?

Sincere thanks!

crazy banana

I have not seen any weevils in my banana mats, but that does not mean that there might not be any in the US.
Your banana plants will do a lot better planted in the ground. Use plenty of organic matter and mulch it over several inches to conserve water. We can get free compost and mulch from the Miramar landfill here in San Diego.

skiarun

Thanks for your help!
I am an apartment farmer. I have no yard.
So, I am lucky the apartment manager has not banned my potted orchard on the community patio.

I also don't have a pick-up truck, or I would go get as much mulch as I could from the land fill in Mira Mar.
Do you go to any of the CRFG (California Rare Fruit Growers) meetings?

crazy banana

I have not been there for a while, but the San Diego CRFG meetings are every last Wednesday of the month at the Prado in Balboa Park.
And yes, no pick-up driver here either, but I use empty animal feed bags and fill my car all the way to the roof with it

sunfish