Be Fruitful And Become Many.

 ~ I  fertilized my Cavendish and 2 Tomato plants with Grow More Fruit Fuel that I received from Plants That Produce. It seems to need watering about twice a month while indoors.

 ~ The first pups P-stem is 5" tall.  There are 7 pups of various sizes.  Cavendish is now 12.25" in circumference with a 17" tall P-stem.

Fertilizing:	Grow More 16-8-24 Fruit Fuel
Manufacturer's Guidelines:	~ Overview: Dissolve in water before using. For periodic feeding throughout the growing season, use 1 tablespoon / gallon as soil drench or inline fertigation. For periodic foliar instead, use 1 teaspoon per gallon.
	~ General Dosage: 1 Tablespoon / 1 gallon / 1 month
My Notes	~ I usually water around twice a month when my bananas are indoors. There are 3 teaspoons in a in a Tablespoon. Therefore to be adding 1 Tablespoon a month I added at a rate of 1.5 teaspoons each of my 2 monthly waterings.

Fertilized with Grow More Fruit Fuel that I received from Plants That Produce

This first pups P-stem is 5" tall there are 7 pups of various sizes.

This first pups P-stem is 5" tall

My Tomato plants and Cavendish

Cavendish - 12.25" circumference with a 17" tall P-stem.

My Plant Information:	Super Dwarf Cavendish
Lighting:	4 ft. 6 tube - T-5 6400k High output fluorescent
Light hours:	14 On - 10 Off
Soluble Fertilizer:	Miracle Grow 24-8-16 - One tsp. to One Gallon. Using during foliage growth phase of plants.
Grow More 16-8-24 Fruit Fuel	Premium Fruit Formula for application throughout the growing season. Contains full-spectrum of secondary and micronutrients utilized by fruiting plants. Provides plants with a steady dosage of potash for use during present cycle of fruit production or storage for next year's crop. Lower Nitrogen to Potassium ratio to discourage flower and fruit drop. Sufficient Phosphate level for excellent performance without overstimulating the plant to bloom out of season.
Soil:	Standard potting soil - Without water retainers
Container Pot:	16.32 gallons - 12" deep by 20" width - To be swapped for a 20-25 gallon pot
Pest Control:	Insecticidal soap, Diatomaceous earth
Walk in plant closet:	7' x 4'-6" - With curtain and a ceiling ventilation fan.
My Indoor Temps:	Low 60(Winter) - Average 65-75 - High 80(Summer)

Pups and Potting

 ~ I have 7 Pups around my Banana tree now.  I am thinking about dividing off and planting the larger one soon to give to my Mom.  I need to transplant the whole plant from its 16 Gallon container to it final sized 20-25 gallon container. anyway.  I am still looking for a good priced container of this size.  I will probably just find a nursery pot and decorate it with some paint.

I now have 7 pups

The main plants p-tem is 12" in circumference an is 17" tall to top of p-stem.

I am planning to separate this largest pup for my Mom

With my new Grow More Fruit Fuel

My Plant Information:	Super Dwarf Cavendish
Lighting:	4 ft. 6 tube - T-5 6400k High output fluorescent
Light hours:	14 On - 10 Off
Soluble Fertilizer:	Miracle Grow 24-8-16 - One tsp. to One Gallon. Using during foliage growth phase of plants.
Grow More 16-8-24 Fruit Fuel	Premium Fruit Formula for application throughout the growing season. Contains full-spectrum of secondary and micronutrients utilized by fruiting plants. Provides plants with a steady dosage of potash for use during present cycle of fruit production or storage for next year's crop. Lower Nitrogen to Potassium ratio to discourage flower and fruit drop. Sufficient Phosphate level for excellent performance without overstimulating the plant to bloom out of season.
Soil:	Standard potting soil - Without water retainers
Container Pot:	16.32 gallons - 12" deep by 20" width
Pest Control:	Insecticidal soap, Diatomaceous earth
Walk in plant closet:	7' x 4'-6" - With curtain and a ceiling ventilation fan.
My Indoor Temps:	Low 60(Winter) - Average 65-75 - High 80(Summer)

Fruit Fuel Fertilizer for my Banana's

 ~ I will be getting some Fruit Fuel fertilizer for my banana's from Plants That Produce.  It is already on its way.  I look forward to trying Fruit Fuel on my SDC banana plant to see if it will help them fruit this summer.

~UPDATE 1-24-12: The Fruit Fuel fertilizer from Plants That Produce was delivered today. Delivery was very prompt.

 ~ There is a post that discusses Fruit Fuel in the Bananas.org in a Fruit Fuel fertilizer thread.

Plant Information:	Super Dwarf Cavendish
Lighting:	4 ft. 6 tube - T-5 6400k High output fluorescent
Light hours:	14 On - 10 Off
Soil Release Fertilizer:	~ Dr. Earth 6-4-6 tropical - Now using for general plant soil revitalization of depleted soil. I no longer plan to use on my bananas
Soluble Fertilizer:	Miracle Grow 24-8-16 - One tsp. to One Gallon
Grow More 16-8-24 Fruit Fuel	~ Premium Fruit Formula for application throughout the growing season. Contains full-spectrum of secondary and micronutrients utilized by fruiting plants. Provides plants with a steady dosage of potash for use during present cycle of fruit production or storage for next year's crop. Lower Nitrogen to Potassium ratio to discourage flower and fruit drop. Sufficient Phosphate level for excellent performance without overstimulating the plant to bloom out of season.
Soil:	~ Standard potting soil - Drainage not ideal
Container Pot:	~ 16.32 gallons - 12" deep by 20" width - Looking for a larger pot.
Pest Control:	~ Insecticidal soap, Diatomaceous earth
Walk in plant closet:	7' x 4'-6" - With curtain and circulation fan.
Temperature:	Low 65 - Average 70-75 - High 80

Picture update

Thought I would post a few pictures of my walk-in closet green room.

My first pups p-stem is 3.5" and 6" overall

New Miracle Gro fertilizer and can

Caven,  Toms, and grow area w/ lights

SD Caven

SD Caven under her 4ft. 6 tube T5 6400k light fixture

A new bunch of bananas in out fish tank.

A new banana tree in our fish tank.

Plant Information:	Super Dwarf Cavendish
Lighting:	4 ft. 6 tube - T-5 6400k High output fluorescent
Light hours:	14 On - 10 Off
Soil replenishing Fertilizer:	Dr. Earth 6-4-6 tropical - Now using for general plant soil revitalization of depleted soil.
Watering Fertilizer:	Miracle Grow 24-8-16 - One tsp. to One Gallon
Soil:	Standard potting soil - Drainage not ideal
Container:	16.32 gallons - 12" deep by 20" width
Pest Control:	Insecticidal soap, Diatomaceous earth
Walk in plant closet:	7' x 4'-6" - With curtain and circulation fan.
Temperature:	Low 65 - Average 70-75 - High 80

Nutrient solutions

   My plants are not growing very fast and are producing smaller leafs.  The Banana plant has not grown much at all since my last post.  As I feel I am getting most of the light to my plants as is possible for me, I feel my weakest point is fertilizer (based on research at www.Bananas.org).  The Natural Dr. Earth 6-4-6 tropical fertilizer I bought is not enough and it is not water soluable so is not being released/absorbed into the soil as fast as the plant needs it.  Banana plants needs a LOT of nutrients in a very timely fashion.

   For plant growth it seems an ideal choice for my Banana plants is Banana Fuel with an N-P-K of 20-6-16.  As shipping cost can almost be as much or more than the idealistic product itself at Plants that produce. The closest to ideal product I have found is Miracle Gro All Purpose Plant Food, 5 lb (product #1001232) at 24-8-16.

~~~  UPDATE: 1/18/2014 - I purchased and fed my Cavendish some Miracle Grow at the rate of ONE Tablespoon 24-8-16 to One Gallon of water. I also purchased a galvanized one gallon watering can.   ~~~

~~~  UPDATE: 1/19/2014 - I posted a copy of this post  at: http://www.bananas.org/f312/using-miracle-grow-24-8-16-a-19747.html#post238157 to promote other sugestions to my feeding program. ~~~

     For the fruiting phase I have not yet found an alternative to what is said to be the ideal of N-P-K 16-8-24. As I am not fruiting yet I am ok, but I will keep an eye out for it so I will have a product in mind when the time comes.  

Plant growth has been very slow

Growth of the pups is almost at stand still.

Plant Information:	Super Dwarf Cavendish
Lighting:	4 ft. 6 tube - T-5 6400k High output fluorescent
Light hours:	14 On - 10 Off
Soil replenishing Fertilizer:	Dr. Earth 6-4-6 tropical - Using for plant soil revitalization of depleted soil.
Watering Fertilizer:	Miracle Grow 24-8-16 at 1 teaspoon per Gallon ongoing
Soil:	Standard potting soil - Drainage not ideal
Container:	16.32 gallons - 12" deep by 20" width setting on a dolly.
Pest Control:	Insecticidal soap, Diatomaceous earth
Walk in plant closet:	7' x 4'-6" - With curtain and circulation fan.
Temperature:	Low 65 - Average 70-75 - High 80

First 2014 update

    Leafs are now getting smaller. I do not know if it is a lighting or issue or it needs more feeding.  It was suggested on banana.org that I reduce the on time to 14 hrs so I have.  I have been bottom watering so as not to encourage soil gnats. But I add my organic plant food from the top so the only time it gets washed into the soil is when I add the food.  I believe I will start to topwater Caven to wash the nutrients into the soil better.  If this improves growth then great, but if the soil gnats show up in mass I will consider some water soluble plant food so I can return to bottom watering and still get the plant fed.

    While I am no longer counting the leafs, the current newest leaf is only 13.5" x 5.5". 

   Caven is currently 16 " from soil to top of pstem and 27" from soil to top leaf height.  Its circumference is 12" so my pstem diameter is at 13.82". 

   The 5 Pups are still there as I want each to be big enough to stick in a 4" pot when I remove and pot them. Some will be gifts, and I am giving thought to starting an outside plant under a PVC hoop hot house and seeing what success I have with a year round outside plant.

Mortgage lifter tomato vine on left. That one leaf on Caven is about ready to be removed.

5 Pups in various progress. The smallest is barely peeking and largest has a 3" pstem.

Plant Information: Super Dwarf Cavendish
Walk in closet: 7' x 4' 6"
Lighting: 4 ft. 6 tube - T-5 6400k High output fluorescent
Light hours: 14 On - 10 Off
Fertilizer: Dr. Earth 6-4-6 tropical
Soil: Normal potting soil (not ideal for drainage for this plant)
Pest control: Insecticidal soap, Diatomaceous earth   
Pot: Approx. 16.32 gallons - 20"Width - 12" High