Q: Use a fertilizer that's high in magnesium, potassium, and nitrogen to promote the growth of your tree. Combine a soluble fertilizer with water or sprinkle the top of the soil with a granular fertilizer. Regularly fertilizing the plant will provide the roots with the proper nutrients and minerals and will promote your tree's growth. During the spring and summer, you can fertilize your plant once a week. If you can't find a soluble fertilizer that is made specifically for tropical plants, consider getting a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer. Popular fertilizer companies include Agrium, Haifa, PotashCorp, and Yara International. Make sure that the soil under your tree remains moist each day. You can test this by pushing your finger down into the soil to see how dry the underlying soil is. The soil should be moist 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) down from the surface. Water your banana plant every day to keep the soil and your plant's roots hydrated. If the surface of the soil is moist and muddy, you are overwatering your banana tree. Banana trees thrive in indirect sunlight and prefer shaded areas. If you live in a seasonal climate, you can put your banana tree outside during the summer months when it's warm. Make sure to position the tree next to surrounding foliage that can block out the direct rays of the sun. Rotate the container regularly to make sure that all sides of the plant are receiving sunlight. If your tree is indoors, put it next to a large window so that it can get adequate sunlight. The ideal temperature for banana growth is 26-30C (78-86F). If the temperature is below 14C (57F), most banana trees will stop growing. After 6-8 weeks of sustained, healthy growth, your banana tree will have to be pruned. When banana trees grow, suckers will start to form on your plant. Your goal is to eliminate all but one of the suckers from your banana tree. Choose the healthiest and largest sucker from your plant and use gardening shears to cut off the rest of the suckers from the corm. When your tree starts to grow fruit it will need to be pruned again. After harvesting the fruit, cut down the tree so it's 2.5 feet (0.76 meters) from the ground, without damaging the main sucker. The tree will grow more fruit after you prune it. Suckers will look like shoots that grow out of the corm and have leaves. Replanting the additional suckers will grow a new banana tree but you must retain some of the roots from the banana corm. Cold and heavy winds aren't healthy for your banana plant and can disrupt the growth of fruit. If you know that your yard will have cold winds, consider bringing your banana plant inside, or insulating it with rows of trees. If the seasons are changing, it's best that you bring your tree inside before it starts to get cold out. Your banana trees will start dying at 50F (10C). Transplant your tree to a larger container before it becomes root-bound. You can tell when your tree is ready for a larger container when it stops growing vertically. Lay the tree on its side and slide it out of the container. Put soil in your new pot, then place the tree in the bigger pot before filling the rest of the pot with soil. Be careful not to damage the roots when transplanting your tree. If your tree is not coming out, you may need to tap on the sides of the container.
A: Fertilize your tree once a month. Water your tree regularly. Make sure that your tree gets bright, indirect sunlight. Prune your tree. Bring your tree inside when the temperature drops below 57F (14C). Transfer your banana tree when it outgrows its container.

Q: Emotional intimacy is comprised of empathy, understanding, and compassion, which all hinge on being a good listener to your partner. Build your emotional intimacy by learning to listen and truly understand one another. When your partner speaks, lean in and let them finish their thoughts before cutting them off or adding what you want to say. Aim to understand their thoughts and feelings before contributing your own. Ask questions to better understand each other. Reflect your understanding back to your partner to make sure you've got it right by saying something like, "What I hear you saying is that you haven't brought it up because you've been ashamed." For some couples, sex is a taboo subject and it's difficult to talk about problems, desires, and needs. Allow each other to voice concerns, fears, and feelings. Open communication means that both partners can contribute to work together instead of blaming or shaming one another. Bring up the topic by saying, "I think it's important to address sex and find ways to help both of us feel fulfilled." Talking about sexual frustrations and problems can help partners not build anger, disappointment, and resentment. You or your partner may feel ashamed or embarrassed about erectile dysfunction. Never put yourself or your partner down or make them feel judged or 'less than' sexually. If you blame your partner for a lack of sex or are critical of their performance, this can make them feel ashamed and can make the dysfunction worse. Be careful when talking about your partner's performance and try to keep all language and discussions hopeful. For example, use "I" statements so that you are not blaming your partner but still speaking truthfully. You can say, "I'm having a hard time, too. I love having sex with you so it's difficult for me to adjust to this change." Tell your partner which aspects of your sexual relationship you enjoy and value. Place any problems with your sex life within this context to ensure the conversation remains positive. Good communication can improve satisfaction for both you and your partner. If your partner is struggling to get an erection, take the pressure off and ask them what they want. They may want you to touch them or kiss them in a different way or different area. Ask them to tell you what they want or show you what they want. While it's nice to put the focus on your partner, make sure you still feel comfortable and engaged. Don't be afraid to speak up if something is outside of your comfort zone.
A:
Listen to one another. Speak candidly about sex. Talk about sex positively. Ask what your partner wants sexually.