View Full Version : Is this zinc deficiency?
siege2050
01-02-2014, 03:01 PM
My Musella Golden Lotus Banana's new leaf has come out very serrated and much smaller than the previous leaf. I have not changed light or growing conditions until today ( Put it in lower light until I figure out whats going on). I found Banana bunchy top virus described on the internet, and I have also found zinc deficiency mentioned, and will include link. The link did mention serated lamina. Do you think its zinc? There is no yellowing on the leaf edges yet. I looked on the bottle of my miracle grow and it does not contain some trace elements like zinc, but I looked on the bottle of my african violet fertilizer and it does contain them. should I give it some African Violet fertilizer? Also what is a good way to give Bananas, Musella, and ensete trace elements?
My plant
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=55525&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=55525)
Link to zinc deficency symptoms.
Zinc (Zn) deficiency symptoms ~ Tissue Culture Banana (http://tcbanana.blogspot.com/2011/07/zinc-zn-deficiency-symptoms.html)
cincinnana
01-02-2014, 10:06 PM
Sunlight
Richard
01-02-2014, 11:02 PM
What have you been feeding it? If it contains trace amount of zinc, the plant is getting plenty.
siege2050
01-02-2014, 11:19 PM
What have you been feeding it? If it contains trace amount of zinc, the plant is getting plenty.
I feed all my plants with miracle grow, but I read on the back of the bottle, and it does not seem to have zinc, boron, and a few others. I read the back of the Miracle grow African violet bottle, and it contains them, so maybe I will use it for awhile.
siege2050
01-02-2014, 11:24 PM
Sunlight
I dunno, thats a south window that gets full sun all day, I just pulled the curtains closed until I figure out what is going on with it. I have a ensete in the same window thats is majorly healthy.
siege2050
01-02-2014, 11:27 PM
Its got a new leaf coming up, I am going to foliar feed it with the African Violet mix that has zinc in it, and see if the next leaf is normal.
Richard
01-02-2014, 11:28 PM
I believe that except in very overt cases, judging deficiencies by leaf appearance is poor practice. If you shutter your plant and feed it african violet food, you may end up compounding the problem. What miracle gro formula are you feeding your plant?
siege2050
01-02-2014, 11:32 PM
I believe that except in very overt cases, judging deficiencies by leaf appearance is poor practice. If you shutter your plant and feed it african violet food, you may end up compounding the problem. What miracle gro formula are you feeding your plant?
8-7-6 all purpose, I use it with every watering as directed on the bottle. I dont mix it in the stronger dosage. I was just thinking that since Banana and relations are such heavy feeders maybe they deplete the potting mix of trace minerals that are not in the Miracle grow.
siege2050
01-02-2014, 11:41 PM
All my other Bananas are growing very well indoors right now, they are putting out a leaf a week, and each one is slightly bigger than the last, and they are putting out pups. Thats why I thought the musella was a acting a bit weird, and the serrated leaf edge is very strange. I read somehere that as they get ready to flower, the newer leaves are smaller, but I wouldnt think it would flower, its only about a foot and a half tall, and only has about 3 leaves, as it was shipped dormant.
Richard
01-03-2014, 12:17 AM
8-7-6 all purpose, I use it with every watering as directed on the bottle. I dont mix it in the stronger dosage. I was just thinking that since Banana and relations are such heavy feeders maybe they deplete the potting mix of trace minerals that are not in the Miracle grow.
I seriously doubt that the potting soil contained any minerals accessible to plants unless it came fortified with nutrients.
For feeding your ornamental bananas, I would recommend something that has less phosphate in proportion to nitrogen, and also has some secondary and trace mineral chelates. For example, the Miracle Gro 24-8-16 or Grow More 20-6-16.
sandy0225
01-08-2014, 09:12 PM
my bet is that it's reacting to lower humidity. it almost looks like the leaf was trying to stick to itself and not roll out correctly. It's nice and green and doesn't have any brown edges or any really bad looking problems. So I would not change anything you're doing.
siege2050
01-08-2014, 09:14 PM
my bet is that it's reacting to lower humidity. it almost looks like the leaf was trying to stick to itself and not roll out correctly. It's nice and green and doesn't have any brown edges or any really bad looking problems. So I would not change anything you're doing.
Thats very possible, I had not thought of that.
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