Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer.

JoeReal · 07-15-2005, 07:25 PM

I recently obtained a Banana fertilizer that is high in K, and it has loads of minor nutrients too: S, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn, etc...

It is the 6-20-20XB lawn starter fertilizer from BEST. I got mine for just $16 for a 50 lb bag. Although we don't need much P, it doesn't affect the bananas that much (except perhaps encourage it to pup more). K is more crucial for bananas than N, especially if you want fruits. If you need more N to encourage growth and pupping, simply add ammonium sulfate (another very cheap fertilizer) to the 6-20-20XB fertilizer.

sunfish · 01-25-2014, 10:16 PM

PR-Giants · 01-26-2014, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunfish

Bump

How to save a Nickel and Pollute your community.

STATE LAWS BANNING PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZER USE

Kat2 · 01-26-2014, 06:21 PM

I find it interesting that all states prohibit use on non porous surfaces and some are picky about when you can apply it, if you're allowed to do so, to frozen ground. Hello? Why would anyone waste money trying to green up their driveway or feed sleeping plants? Chemicals applied with common sense should not result in substantial runoff problems; the plant needs the "bad stuff" and will use that if the proper quantity is applied. (Saving the Bay in MD was/is a huge deal; large scale chicken farms/houses deposited manure for years too close to waterways and caused major issues.)

Richard · 01-26-2014, 07:36 PM

Based on how bananas were fertilized in Central America, I introduced 20-5-30 "banana fuel" about 6 years ago. Since that time, experience showed that plants grown in less than tropical environments needed more phosphate and to make it a complete fertilizer for fruiting plants, a better complement of secondary and micronutrients. But notice in the new 16-8-24 formula that none of the specialists I consulted saw any reason to increase the phosphate to more than a 2:1:3 ratio. So we managed to design a high-concentrate fertilizer with a balance that meets the requirements of most fruiting plants into a reasonably priced product. So for example, a big box store will sell you a fruit tree fertilizer at about 1/3 the concentration for about the same price that the Grow More 16-8-24 is offered.

a.hulva@coxinet.net · 12-21-2014, 02:03 PM

Try plain old 10-20-10. Cheap and works, a couple cups per plant. Water in. Good luck!
Al

Nicolas Naranja · 12-22-2014, 01:56 PM

8-2-12 +4Mg is available throughout most of Florida. I use 10-0-30 with 1/3rd of the product being slow release. I pay $0.31/lb. I have a lot of available P in my soils.

bananimal · 12-28-2014, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicolas Naranja

8-2-12 +4Mg is available throughout most of Florida. I use 10-0-30 with 1/3rd of the product being slow release. I pay $0.31/lb. I have a lot of available P in my soils.

That's right. Here in S FL we have plenty of P in the ground already I have been using Diamond R super fruiter 6-3-16 with minors with great results.

Price varies but it's around $20 for a 50 lb bag. Nobody can beat that.

Richard · 12-29-2014, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bananimal

That's right. Here in S FL we have plenty of P in the ground already I have been using Diamond R super fruiter 6-3-16 with minors with great results.

Price varies but it's around $20 for a 50 lb bag. Nobody can beat that.

In southern FL (south of the panhandle) you also have a lot of atmospheric Nitrogen. Pretty stiff competition for what is already in the atmosphere and soil!!! I endorse your approach to producing fruits from bananas in your region.

Snookie · 12-29-2014, 11:17 AM

Groovy....

blownz281 · 12-31-2014, 05:36 PM

Last year at our old house a mile from the ocean so of course soil was very sandy. I used 8-0-24. Had large plants after two years an several fruited. Moved into another house this past Febuary further from the ocean but near a large river that dumps into the ocean. Soil is somewhat sandy,dirt and black somewhat stiff dirt. Plants did okay considering being trimmed to the ground, split an laying in my garage bare rotted. Then planted in April. I bought some 10-10-10 to apply with the 8-0-24 which both are pellet forms. This growing season what should I look for that might be better? 50lb bags of these are $14.00 at Famers Supply. PS I'm not using any mulch here as don't want any cockroaches around. They love mulch down here.

a.hulva@coxinet.net · 12-31-2014, 11:26 PM

Your choice of fertilizers look good to me. If you can buy for $14.00/bag, I would stock up.

merce3 · 01-27-2015, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bananimal

That's right. Here in S FL we have plenty of P in the ground already I have been using Diamond R super fruiter 6-3-16 with minors with great results.

Price varies but it's around $20 for a 50 lb bag. Nobody can beat that.

i just picked some of this stuff up. do you also use this on your other fruit trees (mango, avocado, etc)? if not, do you use another diamond r product? also, do you recommend any of their foliar sprays? there were so many options, i couldn't decide what to get.

I_GROWER · 01-27-2015, 06:29 PM

I use it on everything that fruits or flowers.

These are my foliage sprayer essentials

Richard · 01-27-2015, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bananimal

That's right. Here in S FL we have plenty of P in the ground already I have been using Diamond R super fruiter 6-3-16 with minors with great results.

Price varies but it's around $20 for a 50 lb bag. Nobody can beat that.

That is a great price. Considering the higher amount of K in the product, I computed this as a reasonable limit to avoid potassium toxicity:
9.375 Lbs per plant with 1 cubic yard root ball per year -- to be applied incrementally -- not all at once.

merce3 · 01-27-2015, 07:23 PM

^sweet! thank you both!!

Snarkie · 01-27-2015, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PR-Giants

How to save a Nickel and Pollute your community.

LOL!

Good info on the link though, thanks.

Snarkie · 01-27-2015, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snookie

Groovy....

Hey Snookie, I like your name. The first time I saw it, I wasn't paying attention and said "That's not my pic," LOL!

merce3 · 03-22-2015, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bananimal

That's right. Here in S FL we have plenty of P in the ground already I have been using Diamond R super fruiter 6-3-16 with minors with great results.

Price varies but it's around $20 for a 50 lb bag. Nobody can beat that.

what about the relatively low nitrogen levels in the diamond r super fruiter? does that work for your other trees or do you supplement? i'm just curious if i should look for an 8-3-9 mix for my other plants, like papaya, and dedicate the 6-3-16 to my bananas. what are your thoughts?

JCA433 · 03-22-2015, 09:52 AM

Right now I am making compost for the bananas to supplement the fertilizer with old paper, cardboard, papaya fruit, avocado skins, paper towels, water melon rinds, pulled weeds, old banana stems and leaves, banana skins etc.

07-15-2005, 07:25 PM	#1 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 414,504 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. I recently obtained a Banana fertilizer that is high in K, and it has loads of minor nutrients too: S, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn, etc... It is the 6-20-20XB lawn starter fertilizer from BEST. I got mine for just $16 for a 50 lb bag. Although we don't need much P, it doesn't affect the bananas that much (except perhaps encourage it to pup more). K is more crucial for bananas than N, especially if you want fruits. If you need more N to encourage growth and pupping, simply add ammonium sulfate (another very cheap fertilizer) to the 6-20-20XB fertilizer.

01-25-2014, 10:16 PM	#2 (permalink)
sunfish Banned sunfish's Photo Gallery Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Name: Tony Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 18,429 BananaBucks : 1,002,814 Feedback: 8 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,210 Times Was Thanked 20,592 Times in 7,760 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,716 Times	Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. Bump

01-26-2014, 06:21 PM	#4 (permalink)
Kat2 Location: Now nesting in Titusville, FL Zone: 10A or 9B ish. Like it matters? Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 2,153 BananaBucks : 246,377 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,921 Times Was Thanked 2,669 Times in 1,322 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 595 Times	Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. I find it interesting that all states prohibit use on non porous surfaces and some are picky about when you can apply it, if you're allowed to do so, to frozen ground. Hello? Why would anyone waste money trying to green up their driveway or feed sleeping plants? Chemicals applied with common sense should not result in substantial runoff problems; the plant needs the "bad stuff" and will use that if the proper quantity is applied. (Saving the Bay in MD was/is a huge deal; large scale chicken farms/houses deposited manure for years too close to waterways and caused major issues.) __________________

01-26-2014, 07:36 PM	#5 (permalink)
Richard un-Retired Richard's Photo Gallery Location: Vista, CA Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 10b Name: Richard Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 9,674 BananaBucks : 548,488 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,636 Times Was Thanked 12,543 Times in 4,721 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,685 Times	Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. Based on how bananas were fertilized in Central America, I introduced 20-5-30 "banana fuel" about 6 years ago. Since that time, experience showed that plants grown in less than tropical environments needed more phosphate and to make it a complete fertilizer for fruiting plants, a better complement of secondary and micronutrients. But notice in the new 16-8-24 formula that none of the specialists I consulted saw any reason to increase the phosphate to more than a 2:1:3 ratio. So we managed to design a high-concentrate fertilizer with a balance that meets the requirements of most fruiting plants into a reasonably priced product. So for example, a big box store will sell you a fruit tree fertilizer at about 1/3 the concentration for about the same price that the Grow More 16-8-24 is offered. __________________ Back in business at plantsthatproduce.com

12-21-2014, 02:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
a.hulva@coxinet.net Location: Edmond, OK Zone: 73034 Name: Al Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 456 BananaBucks : 49,438 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 3,695 Times Was Thanked 779 Times in 317 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 437 Times	Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. Try plain old 10-20-10. Cheap and works, a couple cups per plant. Water in. Good luck! Al

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12-22-2014, 01:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
Nicolas Naranja Muck bananas Nicolas Naranja 's Photo Gallery Location: Pahokee, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Nick Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,217 BananaBucks : 473,719 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 66 Times Was Thanked 5,665 Times in 1,563 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. 8-2-12 +4Mg is available throughout most of Florida. I use 10-0-30 with 1/3rd of the product being slow release. I pay $0.31/lb. I have a lot of available P in my soils. __________________ Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

12-29-2014, 11:17 AM	#10 (permalink)
Snookie Part Time Monkey Trainer Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Snookie Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,391 BananaBucks : 348,190 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 29 Times Was Thanked 1,925 Times in 769 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 41 Times	Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. Groovy.... __________________ Mayor of Lizard Creek

12-31-2014, 05:36 PM	#11 (permalink)
blownz281 Location: Coastal NC Find me on the map! Zone: 8b coastal Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,373 BananaBucks : 359,684 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 440 Times Was Thanked 756 Times in 534 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 14 Times	Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. Last year at our old house a mile from the ocean so of course soil was very sandy. I used 8-0-24. Had large plants after two years an several fruited. Moved into another house this past Febuary further from the ocean but near a large river that dumps into the ocean. Soil is somewhat sandy,dirt and black somewhat stiff dirt. Plants did okay considering being trimmed to the ground, split an laying in my garage bare rotted. Then planted in April. I bought some 10-10-10 to apply with the 8-0-24 which both are pellet forms. This growing season what should I look for that might be better? 50lb bags of these are $14.00 at Famers Supply. PS I'm not using any mulch here as don't want any cockroaches around. They love mulch down here.

12-31-2014, 11:26 PM	#12 (permalink)
a.hulva@coxinet.net Location: Edmond, OK Zone: 73034 Name: Al Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 456 BananaBucks : 49,438 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 3,695 Times Was Thanked 779 Times in 317 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 437 Times	Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. Your choice of fertilizers look good to me. If you can buy for $14.00/bag, I would stock up.

01-27-2015, 06:29 PM	#14 (permalink)
I_GROWER Location: South FL Zone: 10b Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 241 BananaBucks : 30,795 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 310 Times Was Thanked 1,082 Times in 209 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. I use it on everything that fruits or flowers. These are my foliage sprayer essentials

01-27-2015, 07:23 PM	#16 (permalink)
merce3 Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 538 BananaBucks : 70,423 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,093 Times Was Thanked 1,107 Times in 382 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 257 Times	Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. ^sweet! thank you both!! __________________

03-22-2015, 09:52 AM	#20 (permalink)
JCA433 Location: Homestead, Florida Zone: Zone 10 Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 330 BananaBucks : 85,985 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 433 Times in 162 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 4 Times	Re: Tip: Cheapest Banana fertilizer. Right now I am making compost for the bananas to supplement the fertilizer with old paper, cardboard, papaya fruit, avocado skins, paper towels, water melon rinds, pulled weeds, old banana stems and leaves, banana skins etc.

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