Detailed Explanation of Banana Planting Methods and Technical Key Points
The banana (Musa basjoo), whose leaf fibers are the raw material for banana cloth (known as plantain hemp) and also for papermaking, has a pseudostem that when decocted and taken as a drink relieves fever; the pseudostem and leaves are diuretic (treating edema and anal distension); the flowers, after drying, are decocted to treat cerebral hemorrhage; the roots, decocted together with ginger and licorice, can treat strangury and diabetes; and the roots also treat colds, stomach pain and abdominal pain.
Cultivation Techniques
Site selection and land preparation: Choose a shady, moist and fertile spot, preferably along ditches, ridges, embankments, dams and pond edges, and especially in low-lying land. If a slope is chosen, pick one with deep soil and a good source of water and fertilizer. When preparing the land, loosen the soil and break up the clods so that after planting the "running horse whip" (the underground stem) can spread and promptly grow through the soil.
Transplanting the plants: Division and transplanting of bananas is generally carried out from late autumn to early spring of the following year, because the banana is then in its dormant period, so division and transplanting cause less damage to the plant and it is easier to get them to survive. When dividing suckers, select from a banana grove that has been growing for more than 5 years, choosing new sucker stems that have only just emerged from the running horse whip that year. The running horse whip should be chosen from around the perimeter of the plant, because such whips have well-developed fibrous roots and a strong ability to grow through the soil. At the same time, avoid cutting through the running horse whip, and make sure each sucker has 2-3 one-year-old stems. When transplanting, the number of sucker stems planted per hole should suit the plot: generally plant 2-3 per hole along ridges and embankments; in low-lying land, 1 per hole is enough, because low-lying land is shady, moist and has good soil and water conditions, so the plant grows large easily. When planting, place the sucker stem upright in the previously dug planting hole, and after placing it, fill and cover it with fairly finely broken pig, cattle or sheep manure mixed with a little fertile soil.
Fertilizer and water requirements: The banana's growth process has rather high demands for fertilizer and water; if there is too little water, the fruit naturally becomes fewer, and if there is too little fertilizer, development will also be poor. Right after planting, generally water and spread fertilizer about once a month; when watering, take care to soak the soil below the roots thoroughly, and the best method is to water directly at the banana's roots. If the soil already holds enough water, do not water again, as too much standing water is bad. As long as fertilizer and water are managed well, the banana tree can grow better.
Post-planting management: After the sucker stems are planted, cover them promptly with rice straw, thatch grass or plastic film to prevent frost damage. After the ground warms up again, uncover them. Within 3-4 years after planting, apply fertilizer and earth up once a year to promote propagation and growth. Fertilizing and earthing up should be done in spring when the ground warms up and the heart leaf begins to grow. Break up pig, cattle or sheep manure or farmyard manure finely, spread it evenly over the sucker stems, then cover with fertile soil. Poorer plots should receive more manure, while fertile plots can receive less. In addition, when the young stems begin to grow, prevent livestock from trampling and grazing on them.