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View Full Version : Help for my Ae Ae Musa paradisiaca banana


Klee
01-21-2013, 02:56 PM
Hello, I have two small Ae Ae / Musa paradisiaca / Variegated Hawaiian banana plants that are not doing well. They are my favorite plants and don't want to lose them! I got them 16 months ago. One has a trunk of 24" high and the other 14" high. They grow very very slowly and once in a while, they grow a new leaf (never have more than 3 leaves), but one leaf always gets brown before too long and I remove it. Unfortunately, one of the plants only has two leaves now, one alive and one brown, but I don't want to cut it down to one leaf. They get 75% shade from my other types of banana plants here in Soiuth Florida, so I don't think that's the issue. They have black mulch around them right now and I worry that the mulch may have damaged them. I plan to pot at least one of them and want to figure out how to help both of them. Suggestions would be most appreciated! Thank you!

parillo12
01-21-2013, 03:46 PM
Are they always cold?

Klee
01-21-2013, 04:28 PM
Thanks for your response. They are almost never cold. I live in South Florida where winter tends to be 80-50F, though there are dips in temperature once in a blue moon. I don't believe that tempereature is the issue because they suffered in hot months, too. Do you have experience with Ae Ae bananas? Do you have other ideas? Thanks!

Abnshrek
01-21-2013, 04:49 PM
What do use for Fert? :^)

Klee
01-21-2013, 05:10 PM
I use tropical fruit tree fertilizer 8-3-9. If my ph reader is accurate, the soil is at 6.5. Thanks. I am so worried about my plants.

sunfish
01-21-2013, 05:45 PM
Hello, I have two small Ae Ae / Musa paradisiaca / Variegated Hawaiian banana plants that are not doing well. They are my favorite plants and don't want to lose them! I got them 16 months ago. One has a trunk of 24" high and the other 14" high. They grow very very slowly and once in a while, they grow a new leaf (never have more than 3 leaves), but one leaf always gets brown before too long and I remove it. Unfortunately, one of the plants only has two leaves now, one alive and one brown, but I don't want to cut it down to one leaf. They get 75% shade from my other types of banana plants here in Soiuth Florida, so I don't think that's the issue. They have black mulch around them right now and I worry that the mulch may have damaged them. I plan to pot at least one of them and want to figure out how to help both of them. Suggestions would be most appreciated! Thank you!

I think I would dig them out and pot them up in some good potting soil with extra perlite. Your plants should easily be 3 times that size in 16 months

Klee
01-21-2013, 06:56 PM
Thanks, Tony. I think that's what I'll do. Thanks, everybody!

Greenie
01-26-2013, 09:05 PM
Get them out of the 75 percent shade ASAP.They need "full sun" just like any other banana.You might also be over watering and with these colder night temps,its not a good thing.
I would make 2 new different holes the are at least 4 feet in W. and 3 d. Add a ratio of 3 to 1 of good potting soil and black cow.Some vermiculite,minerals and only water them on the initial planting.
With these cold temps I only water once a week.

pushak513
01-27-2013, 10:27 AM
Get them out of the 75 percent shade ASAP.They need "full sun" just like any other banana.You might also be over watering and with these colder night temps,its not a good thing.
I would make 2 new different holes the are at least 4 feet in W. and 3 d. Add a ratio of 3 to 1 of good potting soil and black cow.Some vermiculite,minerals and only water them on the initial planting.
With these cold temps I only water once a week.

How do you keep the white from burning if left in full sun? I know they need just as much light as any other banana but my struttgart cannas look awful in full sun with a similar leaf type.

iz
02-08-2013, 01:36 PM
I had problems too when I just got my pup variegated banana back in spring 2012. What was happening was that it was forming root rot and some rot on the top trunk. I snipped/cut off the rotted area on the root, bulb and the trunk until I didn't see any rots. I got rid of the old soil that had .25% perlite and sprayed the affected bulb/root with fungucide spray. I planted my v.banana on .80% perlite and .20% soil, and it is doing great now. This spring, I will put it in a larger pot w lots of holes for good drainage and rest the pot in ground. It should do well on full sun w about .20 shade because i did this on my other healthy bananas last year.

Klee
04-01-2013, 03:55 PM
Hi there,
My Ae Ae bananas are still suffering. I changed the soil, new leaves still form, but then they still get brown and die. I saw photos of Black Sigatoka fungus online and it looks like what happens to my plants here in South Florida. Is there a special fungicide I should try for my variegated bananas? Thanks!