Detailed Explanation of Banana Planting Methods and Technical Key Points

Banana (scientific name: Musa nana Lour.) is a plant of the genus Musa in the family Musaceae, and also refers to its fruit; it is widely cultivated in tropical regions. Bananas are aromatic and nutrient-rich; the plant is a large herbaceous plant that emerges from a rhizome, with a false trunk 3-6 m (10-20 ft) tall formed from the lower part of the leaf sheaths; the leaves are oblong to elliptic, some up to 3-3.5 m (10-11.5 ft) long and 65 cm (26 in) wide, growing in clusters of 10-20 at the top of the stem. The spike inflorescence hangs down, emerges from the top of the false trunk, with many flowers, pale yellow; the fruit cluster bends downward, bearing 10-20 hands, about 50-150 fruits.

Planting Methods

After the banana plantation is plowed and weathered, planting holes are opened according to the spacing between plants and rows. In mountain banana plantations, the planting holes should be appropriately deeper and larger, about 1 m wide and 1 m deep, with sufficient decomposed base fertilizer applied and fully mixed with the topsoil. Flatland banana plantations should also have well-prepared planting holes, about 0.5 m wide and 0.5 m deep. For flatland banana plantations with a high water table, banana beds or small mounds slightly above the ground surface can be formed, and then holes are opened for planting.

The planting depth should be about 1-2 cm deeper than the original depth of the sucker seedlings. Planting too deep inhibits growth. Mountain planting should be slightly deeper than flatland planting, and autumn planting slightly deeper than spring planting. If planted too shallow, the corm is easily exposed, which is not conducive to the growth of the banana plant. After planting, cover with fine soil, press firmly with the foot, and then water thoroughly to settle the roots. For autumn planting or dry-season planting, it is advisable to cover with grass near the banana head to reduce water evaporation and increase the survival rate.

For the planting of banana tissue-culture seedlings (nutrition cup seedlings), digging the pits (planting holes) should be done at the same time as applying the base fertilizer. The planting hole is 60 cm wide x 60 cm long x 40 cm deep. The base fertilizer is mainly decomposed farmyard manure, about 20-25 kg per plant, with 50 kg of potassium superphosphate and 25-30 kg of potassium sulfate added per mu. It must be thoroughly mixed with the farmyard manure and composted for half a month before use. Banana tissue-culture seedlings should be planted on sunny days. Since the seedlings are very tender, it is best to first cover the bottom of the hole with a layer of thin poor soil after the base fertilizer is applied, because tissue-culture seedlings cannot tolerate too heavy a fertilizer amount in the early stage. Then place the seedling into the hole, carefully cut open the nutrient cup plastic bag with a knife (try to avoid damaging the roots), fill with broken soil and press slightly firm, and do not bury too deep, about 8-10 cm, between the base of the pseudostem and the long roots, so that it is not exposed. Finally, water thoroughly to settle the roots, and thereafter water regularly or spray water on the leaves to keep the soil moist until two new leaves grow. Watering is an important step; while keeping the soil moist, it is best not to overwater, otherwise root rot and seedling death are likely. If the weather is dry and the sun is strong, it is best to shade with leaves or other materials, or cover the pit surface with rice straw.

Seedling Stage Management

Promote rooting and supplement calcium, so that the root system is well developed with many white roots, has strong fertilizer absorption capacity, and grows robustly; balance medium and trace elements, especially photosynthetic elements such as magnesium, zinc, and iron; regulate soil acidity and prevent soil acidification and compaction that affect nutrient absorption.

Disease Prevention and Control

The biggest disease problem of bananas is yellowing disease. The culprit of yellowing disease is Panama disease, which usually grows and reproduces in an acidic environment. Soil acidification provides the necessary conditions for disease outbreaks. Regulating soil acidity can reduce yellowing disease outbreaks and restore plant vigor.

Preventing Yellow Leaves

Banana plants have a relatively large fertilizer demand, so root fertilization must be the main method. Foliar fertilizer can only be used as a necessary supplement for certain essential nutrient elements during key periods according to the deficiency characteristics shown in the plant leaves.

Common banana leaf nutrient deficiency symptoms are as follows:

Manganese deficiency: comb-tooth-like chlorosis of the leaves

Zinc deficiency: yellow stripes appear between the lateral veins of new leaves

Magnesium deficiency: the leaf margin gradually turns yellow toward the midrib

Calcium deficiency: the edges of new leaves are light green, the veins thicken, and necrosis gradually progresses from the edge inward