View Full Version : Orinoco - What's going on?
wxman
06-17-2010, 08:37 PM
Grew this orinoco banana last year, stored bare root in the basement over the winter. A month before planting outside I potted it up under grow lights to give it a jump start. It started growing immediately. Put it outside at the end of May and the leaves that grew under the grow light got a little crispy in the sun. However, it unfurled a nice green new leaf.
The two leaves the unfurled after have been progressively smaller and the banana is now not growing taller. The leaves come out practically on top of each other. Any ideas on the problem? The others aren't doing this.
Pics -
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/wxman81/IMG_2399.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/wxman81/IMG_2398.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/wxman81/IMG_2397.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/wxman81/IMG_2396.jpg
Dean W.
06-17-2010, 08:43 PM
I had that happen with this one. Dave E, suggested it may have been bruised during handling. Thus contributing to irregular growth.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=32928&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=32928)
Abnshrek
06-17-2010, 08:46 PM
I'd check under your leaves and make sure nothing is eating it up spray if need be.. Personally I think its just getting its roots under itself in the new setting.. :^)
DaveE
06-17-2010, 10:33 PM
I have a 7' Orinoco that is doing the same thing. It was in a 20 gallon pot inside a greenhouse where it grew all winter. Transplanting was uneventful yet every leaf progressively gets smaller.
I have 4 other large Orinoco that I purchased bare root, like the one Dean posted, and they are not doing this even though two are planted in very harsh circumstances. One of which had a good size bruise 3/4 up the stem and it was rotting under two layers. After I cleaned it up, it recovered quickly and is now growing normally. All the leaves are about the same size, but not as large as the largest from the potted plant.
I think Michael is right on the money and our plants are just focusing more energy on root production.
Why are the leaves getting smaller? Here is my theory. In your case the plant was inside with minimal light. When it started to grow the leaves grew large, using energy from the corm, to gather every bit of light they could. At the same time I am sure the roots were starting to grow also. You move it out in the sun and now it is getting all the light it needs and the sun warms the soil triggering an explosion of root growth which uses up available energy.
In my case it was the same except the plant was in a greenhouse growing in the winter with less daylight. There were other plants around it blocking some light and the plastic cover on the greenhouse must diffuse some of the light also. I plant it outside in full sun with the daylight getting longer and it now has all the light it could want. I fertilize it with Miracle-Gro which is a little high in phosphorus for a banana and it shifts focus to root production.
My other large transplants have always been outside in the sun so they never started producing the larger leaves and they have put their energy into root production from day one so they stay constant.
I hope I am wrong and its going to flower, but that wouldn't explain yours.
Dave
As long as everything else is fine and the plant(s) look healthy, it'll go away soon.
I had the same thing with my Rajapuri and my Ice Cream this spring. One was repotted, the other not. I think the theory with root development makes sense. In my case some of the roots may have been not in good conditions anymore after the winter. So both plants focused on new roots as it warmed up. After about a month leaves started to get bigger again and are now back to normal. All the time it looked healthy.
palmtree
06-18-2010, 12:15 AM
I think it will be fine. It just needs some heat and plant food and all will be forgiven in a few weeks. my bananas are just getting good summer growth now so yours should be soon too!
mushtaq86
06-18-2010, 08:57 AM
I find this only happens with nanas that are put on hold, old roots will have gone. The corm will be putting out new roots,the next three or four leaves will be shorter,than the previous year ones,before the plant corrects it self
NANAMAN
06-18-2010, 11:13 AM
I also believe it is something involved with the roots being disturbed. The plant could also have been root bound, causing it to starve for nutrients, to support the newest growth. I've noticed one or two leaves on an established plant wilt , then die, just from digging next to it. I've even caused a plant to choke, by removing a pup from it , just prior to flowering! For this reason , I wont remove pups, or dig around an established mat until a plant has produced it's fruit. Then ,I'll only remove a pup from next to the plant that fruited, so as not to disturb any other plants that are yet to fruit.
TommyMacLuckie
06-18-2010, 11:47 AM
Those look like water suckers, which I've noticed grow like that compared to sword suckers. Big difference between them when they get going.
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