Fertilizer Application for Plantain Plantation

Fertilization for your plantain is one of the most important things you can do in your plantation as a well-fertilized plantain stands the chance of yielding 10 times more than an unfertilized one. This is possible only when the right fertilizers are used and the application is done properly. This is especially true because plantains are heavy feeders (depletes the nutrients of the soil quickly) so a farmer has to look for a fertilizer that contains top nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for soil replenishment. While Nitrogen will keep the plant green, phosphorus is needed for flowering and strong roots and potassium helps the overall health of the plant.

Here are 4 kinds of fertilizers that are great for your plantation:

1. Organics Fruit & Citrus Fertilizer: This is specifically formulated to provide fruit-bearing plants with the nutrients they need to provide healthy and abundant yields. It is rich in biozone (which is a healthy bacteria, mycorrhizal fungi, and microorganisms that helps to improve soil texture and increase water infiltration and retention), bone meal, feather meal, potash and composted manure with a Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium ratio of 3-5-5. This should be applied every two to three months for optimum growth.
2. Fertilizer Spikes: This provides fruit trees with the nutrients they need for a whole season in one application. The best way to apply fertilizer spikes is to drive the spikes into the soil at the edge of the drip line, spacing them 3cm apart once in the raining season and another in the dry season.
3. Earth Organic 9: This is an organic, powered fertilizer with a blend of feather meal, fishbone meal, cottonseed meal, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, soft rock phosphate, mined potassium sulfate, seaweed extract, probiotic, seven strains of beneficial soil microbes, and mycorrhizae. The natural, organic 7-4-2 ratio of Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium results in strong root development and more abundant fruit sets. Always use 1 cup of fertilizer for every inch of trunk diameter and then water thoroughly.
4. Fruit Tree Spray: This is 100 per cent organic, liquid and made up of chicken manure and/or sewage sludge. It contains a Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium ratio of 5-4-2 to enhance strong root development and more abundant fruit. It is probably the best fertilizer for plantain and relatively easy to use. These can be applied every two weeks during the active growing season. Thoroughly spray branches and undersides of leaves until they are dripping wet; apply early in the morning or after 4 pm to avoid burning leaves.

Taking care of your plantain (especially if you are in the south, where the soil is conducive) is relatively easy. All you need to do is make sure that the soil around it is always moist and protect the trees from too much sunlight.