View Full Version : Not looking so good...
caliboy1994
09-15-2011, 07:46 PM
I finally got my second Ice Cream to my house today, and it's not looking so good after having to spend two entire months in a little 5 gallon container:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=45703&size=1
And the leaves are all tangled too...
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=45702&size=1
It's getting planted in the ground tomorrow, and I want to get this poor little guy back to full health ASAP. Anyone got any tips? It would be appreciated! :)
pitangadiego
09-15-2011, 09:44 PM
You guys have had some very hot weather if late. a large hole with lots of organics (compost), a good soaking and some fertilizer would go a long way. Think about cold protection as winter approaches.
caliboy1994
09-15-2011, 10:12 PM
I was actually planning on planting it in better draining cactus soil with some perlite mixed in (my other plant seems to be suffering because the soil isn't draining well enough), but I will add some organic fertilizer on top. If the one bag of cactus soil I have isn't enough, I can mix some compost in. And does heat cause newly emerged banana leaves to become lighter in color? Thanks.
caliboy1994
09-16-2011, 12:52 AM
And what about the tangled leaves? Should I do something about it or will it fix itself?
venturabananas
09-16-2011, 11:19 AM
Jon knows much better than I do, because he has hundreds of times more experience with bananas than I do, but what has caused tangled leaves and burning in my plants is too much fertilizer with too few micronutrients. If you've been pushing this plant with lots of fertilizer and water and few or no micronutrients (I've had problems with boron and calcium), that could be the cause. Or it could be some other form of stress entirely!
BTW, that banana does not look like the real Ice Cream (Blue Java) or the fake Ice Cream being sold in nurseries in the US (some Namwah / Pisang Awak cultivar). Neither have the open petioles that your plant appears to have in the photo.
caliboy1994
09-16-2011, 11:33 AM
My other plant appears to be an Ice Cream, as it has the pink edges around the leaves and petioles and the layer of white wax underneath the leaves, but the petioles are open. I got both of them at the same nursery and they were both sold as Ice Creams. Now that I come to think of it, this second one doesn't really have the features characteristic of Ice Creams. Either way, it's getting planted today. What should I do to make sure it gets healthy?
venturabananas
09-16-2011, 12:01 PM
The "real" Ice Cream, Blue Java, doesn't have pink around the edges of the leaves and petioles. Lots of different cultivars fit the description you give of pink edges and wax on the underside of the leaves. Some of those have open petioles, some don't. So, who knows what you have. Grow your plants, let them fruit, and you should be able to figure out what they are, at least what subgroup. And even if you can't, who cares as long as the fruit are good?!
How do you make your plant healthy? Hard to say without knowing what the problem is and you would have the best idea. Is the soil always soggy and do you apply lots of fertilizer? If so, back off on the fert and water. If the soil is bone dry and you never fertilize, water and fert more.
Given its size, I'd plant it in the ground if that's a possibility for you, but you need to do it soon. I made the mistake of planting a few in November last year. The cold, wet ground caused a couple to rot, though I was able to save them by digging them up, cutting off all the rot, potting them, putting them on a heat mat, and hardly watering at all (winter only).
Follow Jon's recommendations on planting in the ground. Additionally, if you have heavy clay soil like I do, you might want to "lighten" it to ensure good drainage during our cool wet winters. I do this by adding pumice. I add nearly as much as compost to the planting hole.
Good luck.
caliboy1994
09-16-2011, 01:32 PM
Thanks. I guess I'll have to get the real Ice Cream off of Tony then and plant it next season. The good news is that I still have plenty of room in my yard. Maybe if I'm lucky one of these mystery varieties will be something good like 1000 Fingers or Praying Hands.
sunfish
09-16-2011, 01:43 PM
Thanks. I guess I'll have to get the real Ice Cream off of Tony then and plant it next season. The good news is that I still have plenty of room in my yard. Maybe if I'm lucky one of these mystery varieties will be something good like 1000 Fingers or Praying Hands.
Drive down here and I'll give you a Praying Hand,but you better hurry ,I'm tossing lots of plants,Bananas,palms ,Loquats,dragon fruit,dragon tree,etc
caliboy1994
09-16-2011, 07:32 PM
I don't think I could drive down to San Diego right now. I have a pretty busy weekend, and I live two hours away. Could you send it to me in the mail? If not I could just get one from Encanto Farms next season.
Blake09
09-16-2011, 07:42 PM
I like to dig a hole about 1ft to 1.5ft deep and a few feet out. I remove some of the bad soil (we have southern red clay) and then mix up the native soil with some compost and pumice until the soil is nice and dark. I would leave the leaves alone and back off on the fert for a wile until the banana gets established in the ground (then you can fert again). When your planting it keep in mind how you are going to overwinter it. I also dont think that this is the "real" Ice Cream just a good example of mislabeling in stores some times. Dont forget to mulch when you get done planting. ;)
I would take up on that offer from sunfish, he has some really good plants. :bananas_b
.
Blake09
09-16-2011, 07:45 PM
I made the mistake of planting a few in November last year. The cold, wet ground caused a couple to rot, though I was able to save them by digging them up, cutting off all the rot, potting them, putting them on a heat mat, and hardly watering at all (winter only).
Good luck.
Ive made that mistake in the past also, but it didnt turn out as well. :coldbanana:
caliboy1994
09-16-2011, 07:56 PM
I'm pretty bummed it's probably not the real thing. At least the good news is that I could probably easily get a real one, and I have a really nice spot that I'd like to plant it in.
pitangadiego
09-16-2011, 08:00 PM
Tangled leaves can be the result of over-fertilizing, in some varieties (it depends on the leaf style and how it emerges). It does take pretty heavy fertilizing to reach that point. Only solution is to back off the fert.
However, tangles/distorted leaves also result when a plant has been stressed not enough water, disturbed or damaged roots that can't take up enough water, dramatic changes in weather, etc.). Stress can cause a portion of the leaf to die, before it emerges out the top of the pseudostem, and is evidenced by brown patches on newly emerging leaves. Those dry patches often prevent the rest of the leaf from unfurling properly. If that is the case, remove that portion of the leaf, and help the rest of the leaf unroll.
caliboy1994
09-16-2011, 08:06 PM
That's what's been happening with this plant for a while now. Portions of the leaves have been coming out brown. It's been in the pot ever since we got it, and it was just planted today. I think that the problem was the really tiny 5 gallon pot. It obviously didn't have enough space to grow. If that was the case, then problem solved, it's been planted!
And by the way, do you guys at Encanto Farms have the REAL Ice Cream (NOT the HD) instead of the fake ones that other nurseries are selling? I think I've been duped. This one and the other Ice Cream that I bought were labeled Ice Cream but I don't think that they're the real thing.
Blake09
09-16-2011, 08:09 PM
do you guys at Encanto Farms have the REAL Ice Cream instead of the fake ones that other nurseries are selling? I think I've been duped. This one and the other Ice Cream that I bought were labeled Ice Cream but I don't think that they're the real thing.
Or you can put a wanted ad in the classifieds section of the org. and get an ice cream from a trusted member.
caliboy1994
09-16-2011, 08:11 PM
That's a good idea, but I'm not looking on getting it planted until next spring if I get one, and I don't want it getting too big for a container. I think I should wait before I get the actual thing.
Ok, now I am curious, how do you determine if it is a "true" Ice cream?
They are pretty much the only ones that survived the brutal summer here in Dallas (yes we broke the record so we officially had the warmest summer ever when we hit 107 this Tuesday!) Now it has cooled down substantially and it is finally raining!
But I have three variants, from these sources:
- local nursery, high end one and they did not have the red sides of the leaves when young
- Going Bananas, also no red stripe at the end of it
- online nursery (dont remember which one) and this one does show a little bit of red on the pups coming up..
So if what I rad above is correct then the last one is not a true Ice cream?
sunfish
09-16-2011, 08:54 PM
Ok, now I am curious, how do you determine if it is a "true" Ice cream?
They are pretty much the only ones that survived the brutal summer here in Dallas (yes we broke the record so we officially had the warmest summer ever when we hit 107 this Tuesday!) Now it has cooled down substantially and it is finally raining!
But I have three variants, from these sources:
- local nursery, high end one and they did not have the red sides of the leaves when young
- Going Bananas, also no red stripe at the end of it
- online nursery (dont remember which one) and this one does show a little bit of red on the pups coming up..
So if what I rad above is correct then the last one is not a true Ice cream?
Venturabananas pic from Quail Gardens
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=45565&ppuser=7760><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=45565&size=1 border=0></a>
caliboy1994
09-16-2011, 09:02 PM
If I'm going to get one, should I wait till next season or get it now?
pitangadiego
09-16-2011, 11:59 PM
I understand your pain. I have three "Ice Creams" that are NOT. However, I do have one from a trusted personal source that is the real deal. Should have some pups.
caliboy1994
09-17-2011, 12:29 AM
I understand your pain. I have three "Ice Creams" that are NOT. However, I do have one from a trusted personal source that is the real deal. Should have some pups.
I just might want to get a pup or two next spring. You can ship, right? I'm in state and two hours from San Diego.
pitangadiego
09-17-2011, 09:52 AM
Si!
caliboy1994
09-17-2011, 12:20 PM
Awesome! :D You'll be hearing back from me next spring!
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