This plant grows from an underground rhizome reaching 12 to 15 feet tall with huge leaves, which wrap around the trunk. To obtain fruit, this tree needs 10 to 15 months without freezing temperatures to produce flowers and another four to eight months to grow plantains, according to California Rare Fruit Growers.
What is the best month to plant plantain?
Planting plantain suckers in the month of June will allow the suckers to grow well because this month is the heart of the rainy season. The maturity time of plantain when planted in June will fall in the lean time which will enable the farmer to sell at a high price.
How long does it take for plantains to harvest?
The harvest is carried out manually around 3 to 4 months after flowering, and continues throughout the year. Bunches will keep for between 15 and 30 days, depending on when they are harvested. Since plantain bananas are fragile, sensitive to shocks and changes in temperature, they must be transported with care.
What is the best fertilizer for plantains?
Since this is a tropical plant that feeds heavily, you’ll want to fertilize your plantain tree about once a month during the summer. Mature trees will require about one to two pounds of fertilizer. Opt for a balanced 8-10-8, slow-release fertilizer.
How long does it take plantain to grow and mature?
Plantain takes about 8 months to start to yield and about 3 months to mature. That’s to say, it takes about a year to have the first harvest from the planting date.
How many times does plantain produce in a year?
Each grown up plant would produce a minimum of three suckers, and if he could harvest one sucker from each and could sell at N100, the farmer would make additional N150,000. The harvest cycles continue for a minimum of four to six years, or more, depending on land rejuvenation system and farm maintenance practices.
How can you tell if a plantain is mature?
Plantain maturity can be judged by the include age of the bunch, fruit diameter, the shape of the fruit, and peel colour. Plantains usually require about 3 months from the beginning of flowering until harvest. Bunches should be tagged with different coloured ribbons at the time of fruit appearance.
How many plantain trees can you get per acre?
3) Question: How many plantain trees can you get per acre? Answer: 500 – 1200 plantain trees can be planted on one acre of land depending on the crop spacing you use.
How do you apply fertilizer to a plantain farm?
The application of fertilizer should start 1 month after planting of plantains or with the first rains in an already existing field. The fertilizer is applied around the main plant in a circle about 50 cm in diameter. Fertilizer is not worked into the soil as that causes extensive damage to the superficial root system.
What is the spacing for planting plantain?
The recommended distance between the plantain rows is 3 m or 2 m. It is also possible to leave 2.5 m of a spacing distance. In the case of 2.5 m spacing, 1 hectare should contain 1600 plants. The farmer should align the rows to give plants a needed amount of sunlight.
How do you prune a plantain tree?
Pruning Banana Plants
- Only one primary stem of each rhizome should be allowed to fruit.
- Once the main stalk is 6-8 months old, permit one sucker to develop as a replacement stalk for the following season.
- When the fruit is harvested, cut the fruiting stalk back to 30 inches above the ground.
What crop can be planted with plantain?
Intercropping of plantains with food crops : maize, cassava and cocoyams.
Is chicken manure good for banana trees?
Poultry manure and banana waste are effective biofertilizer carriers for promoting plant growth and soil sustainability in banana crops.
How many plantain can I plant per hectare?
(6) Required Spacing: Plantain Planting Spacing
If spaced 3 m x 2 m, 1 hectare should contain 1667 plants, but with a spacing of 2.5 m x 2.5 m, it should contain 1600 plants.
How many plantain trees are in a hectare?
1600 plantains
Establishment of orchards at 1600 plantains per hectare with two suckers maintained per rootstock in subsequent cycles produced consistently good quality marketable fingers and sustained high yield.
How much does it cost to start a plantain plantation?
Investment Returns
| INVESTMENT PACKAGE | INITIAL INVESTMENT | RETURN ON INVESTMENT (Calculated on your net profit) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 HECTARE PLANTAIN PLANTATION | 2,376,482.00 | 35% |
| 1 ACRE PLANTAIN PLANTATION | 1,092,368.20 | 29% |
How much do plantain farmers make?
Is plantain cultivation really profitable? In the open market, a bunch of plantain costs about N750 to N2,000 if you are selling to the final consumers directly without processing it. On one acre of land you can plant 750 plantain suckers and you sell them at an average of N1,000 per bunch then you will makeN750,000.
How profitable is plantain business?
Marketing plantains to make millions in profits
Assuming a farmer could harvest 1,500 bunches at the end of one year and could sell each at N1000. The total sale would be N1. 5 million. The farmer could also sell plantain suckers as planting materials to other farmers.
Where can I sell my plantain in Nigeria?
60 Plantain Buyers & Importers in Nigeria
- Rantex Foods.
- Eljazxy Limited.
- Omob3n Ventures Nig.
- Doxology Multi-purpose Enterprise.
- Notre Ferme Ltd.
- Omakamchi.
- Rotibabs Quality Stores.
- Jajoys Enterprise.
Where is plantain mostly grown?
Cameroon
Cameroon is leading the plantain production with 4.3 million tons, followed by Ghana (just under 4 million tons), Uganda (3.7 mio tons), Colombia (3.5 mio. tons) and Nigeria (3.1 mio tons).
Which part of plantain do we plant?
Suckers Plantains are vegetatively propagated, most often from suckers (shoots that grow from a bud at the base of the plant) or from corms (underground bulbs known as rhizomes). The use of whole corms is very laborious so it is more common to grow from small pieces of corm.