SUPER DWARF BANANA®
ESTABLISHING THE MICROCUTTING
Tissue cultured microcuttings of 'Super Dwarf Banana' TM should be planted
into media containing 50% peat moss and 50% perlite with a starting dose of fertilizer and
a pH of 5.8 to 6.5. Plants should be planted deep, placed in the high humidity environment
(90%) with soil temperature no lower than 75oF (24oC) and grown under light
levels of 400-900 footcandies (4300-7500 lux). Light intensity higher than 1200 fc (13000
lux) negatively affects the growth of plants. During rooting, soil cannot be dry. Plants
are rooted after 2-3 weeks from planting and grow very rapidly. Fertilize weekly and
during the summer twice a week with liquid fertilizer @ 150 parts per million
(ppm)
-Nitrogen (N). After 6-8 weeks, 3-5" (7.5-12.5cm) plants are ready to be planted into
larger containers.
GROWING-ON CULTURE
Soil
Bananas require light, well drained soil with high water holding capacity
(60% peat-20% perlite-20% vermiculite; 60% peat-25% fine bark-15%sand). Bananas can be
grown in straight long fiber peat moss if it is not compressed in the potting container.
When planting, do not compress potting soil. Plant young plants in soil cavities and
gently cover roots.
Temperature
The soil (root) temperature is one of the most important factors affecting
the growth of bananas and growers should try to maintain 70oF (21o
C) or higher to
minimize crop time. Soil temperature lower than 65oF (18oC) will extend crop time, plants
will develop shorter 'internodes'. Lower temperatures may be used to extend shelf life and
your selling window. Bananas should be grown with air temperature of 74-90oF
(23-32oC).
Higher temperatures do not negatively affect plant growth if the moisture and nutrients
are controlled well.
Light
Super Dwarf Banana will tolerate a wide range of light intensities but
grow best under lower light conditions of 400-1200 footcandles (4300-13000 lux). Under
higher light levels (2,000 footcandles or 22000 lux) plants are harder, more compact,
develop leaves with red spots and it becomes more difficult to control the moisture and
nutrient levels.
Water
Bananas require a lot of water for growth. Do not allow the soil to dry.
When roots reach the bottom of the pot, plants start to grow very rapidly and require more
water and nutrients from the soil.
Nutrient level in the soil & leaf
At the sixth or seventh leaf stage, plants require liquid feeding with
Nitrogen (N) @ 300ppm and Potassium (K) @ 400ppm. The frequency of liquid feeding at the
beginning can be once a week, later (toward the end of the crop cycle) increased to twice
a week. The chart below lists the four most important nutrient elements and the
recommended level to maintain for both soil and leaf analysis.
| Nutrient |
Soil Analysis |
Leaf Analysis |
| Nitrogen (N) |
150 ppm |
3.0% |
| Potassium (K) |
300 ppm |
3.8-4.0% |
| Manganese (Mn) |
10 ppm |
200 ppm |
| Boron (B) |
1 ppm |
30ppm |
Soluble salts in the soil at the beginning of the
culture should be about EC 1.0 and later after the stage of the seventh leaf EC
15. In
this stage it is very important to maintain high levels of N, K, B and Ca in the soil.
Additional foliar feeding may be necessary to keep young leaves dark green.
Insects
Main insect problems are Spider Mite and White Fly. Do not apply
ORTHENE (Acephate, 0,S-Dimethyl! acetylphos-phoramidothioate) or LANNATE (Methomyl,
S-methyl N-/(methylcarbamoyl)oxy/thioacetimidate on bananas. Thiodan (Endosulfan) can cause
leaf burning.
Disease
Bacterial leaf spots caused by: Pseudomonas, Erwinia and Xanthomonas
may occur when spacing is too close and leaves stay wet for long periods of time.
