How to make a BANANA CIRCLE
A banana circle is an easy way to grow bananas using less water and nutrients. PHIL DUDMAN explains what it is and how to create one.
The concept of a banana circle comes from the permaculture (permanent agriculture) movement. It’s a simple design idea that serves multiple functions: food production, water conservation and a place to compost organic waste materials that will, in turn, feed the surrounding plants.
The basis of the design is a circular swale or mound. The soil used to build the mound is excavated from the centre of the circle, which creates a large pit. The mounded soil provides a deep layer of well-drained topsoil in which bananas and other plants thrive, while the pit becomes a place to toss in and contain grass clippings, prunings and other garden waste. The central pit is also the main spot to water the plants, and there’s no run-off. The water soaks deep into the soil, supplying moisture to plant roots via capillary action. Every time you apply water, you moisten the compost materials while flushing through a nutrient-rich and microbe-rich solution for all the surrounding plants to enjoy.
1. MARK out a circle about 2m wide.
Dig the hole in a concave (dish) shape about ½–1m deep. As you go, mound the excavated soil around the edge of the hole. 2. COVER the mounded soil with wet cardboard or overlapping newspaper
(eight sheets thick). This will smother any grass and weeds in the soil and stop them shooting. Top this with a 5cm layer of compost and 5cm layer of organic mulch. 3. FILL the pit with compostable material – grass clippings, dried leaves, woody prunings, straw – in layers, sprinkling some manure and organic fertiliser, and watering the layers as you go, as you would when making a compost heap.
4. PLANT three banana plants evenly spaced around the mound, cutting a hole in the cardboard layer to access the soil below. You could plant a pawpaw in the gap between the bananas, and underplant with ginger, turmeric and lemongrass, as well as sweet potato, to provide both additional food and groundcover.