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View Full Version : Help!! newly planted 6' stalk dying...


Eddo
03-04-2013, 09:06 PM
Hello, I planted my first banana tree and it is not doing well, despite much attention...Like a noobie, I bought it from a home nursery in downtown L.A. at about 6ft tall, in a 15 gallon pot, and had no leaves...I brought it home and planted it next my old loquat tree at the bottom of a hillside, which is mostly packed decomposed granite, ph is around 6.5, in zone 9...I mixed in perlite, pumice, lava rock, orchid bark and whatever I thought would help drainage, and a lil 10-10-10 fert mix...Its been almost 2 months and nothing happened, except stalk got yellow, flaky and brown spotted...I thought maybe it was being overwatered (for no leaves), or buried too deep, or not draining enough (wet dirt for days). I raised the bulb a lil about 2 weeks ago, but that didnt seem to do anything...Its still ugly...Advice on bringing it back to life and flourishing? Any and all would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. Today I pulled it out of the dirt and potted it in a 24" (60qt?) giant round pot full of low peat cactus mix and lotsa pumice, then watered it with a mixture of miracle gro great start...The bulb looked good, but kinda slimy, and stalk was still solid...Will potting help? My next step would be to dig up the old location and backfill a large area with good draining soil...

venturabananas
03-05-2013, 02:56 AM
Sounds like you didn't do anything wrong except plant it at the wrong time of year. Bananas practically don't grow during winter in So Cal and watering and fertilizing them when you have night time temperatures down into the 30's and low 40's is a recipe for rot. Stop watering and fertilizing until you see some growth. Growth should pick up now that things are warming up. Good luck.

Abnshrek
03-05-2013, 06:55 AM
Hello & Welcome.. Like Mark said just the wrong timing. Maybe should've left it in the pot for another month. If the corm is still hard it will come back in the near future. :^)

Bob3
03-05-2013, 06:19 PM
...despite much attention...
Sounds like TOO much attention.
Stop watering it for at least a week or three; it's no doubt got damaged roots & cold + wet + damage = best possible recipe for rot.
Stop digging the thing up; leave it alone 'till you're actually seeing a significant amount of new growth & then re-plant it, after it's had a chance to recover.

Gotta walk away & forget about it for a couple months, probably the best way to let it survive.

Chironex
04-04-2013, 11:54 PM
First, a belated welcome to you.

Now, sharpen your machete and whack the whole p-stem off down to where it's still green. Don't water it until it puts out some leaves. After you lop off the dead p-stem, look again the next day. It will have grown out a half an inch or more from the center. Resist the temptation to water and fertilize. It has plenty now from what you've said.

Remember, it's not a tree and doesn't behave like one. The 'trunk' is the pseudostem. By clearing away the dead portion, the leaves can grow once again. Bananas grow fast in the summer, so your plant will be stronger than if you continue to try making it grow like a tree. This will also send energy to the root-making process. The end result is that your banana will be stronger and healthier than trying to revive the dying top of the p-stem.