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View Full Version : Problem with Musa Basjoo leaves, Help needed


Alex_cincy
06-16-2014, 02:32 PM
Hello All,

I'm new to the forum and bananas in general. I'm having an issue with the new growth on my Musa Basjoo that I'm hoping someone can help me with.
As you can see in the pic, the last three leaves that shot up have turned brown and dried up around the edges. This happens approximately 1-3 days after the new leaf opens completely.

Some background:
-This is the second year I have had the plant. Survived the winter fine and was mulched.
- I live in the SW Ohio area.
- 4 weeks ago I put down some generic 10-10-10 fertilizer covering approximately 60 - 70% of the surface of a 12in radius around the plant. I saw the first issues after I fertilized.
- The plant gets approximately 3 hours of direct sun. The house and woods shade it most of the day.
- I have not watered much in the last two weeks as we've been getting a good rain every 2-3 days.
- The plant recently shot up its first pup.

I'm thinking maybe I over fertilized or possibly the plant has not been getting enough water? The afternoon sun has been pretty intense lately!

I'm hoping someone out there can point me in the right direction.
Thanks for helping out a nubie!

Abnshrek
06-16-2014, 02:54 PM
I'd say its either water or Potassium Deficiency (http://www.bananas.org/f310/signs-nutrient-deficiency-19605-2.html)

kubali
06-16-2014, 03:45 PM
that looks like a lot of fertilizer for that small of a plant, did you burn it with too much fertilizer. Looks like the fertilizer granules are right on the base of the pstem should never be that close on such a young plant...
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=56271

siege2050
06-16-2014, 11:07 PM
Since you just put down the fertilizer before, I am thinking burn, especially if the surface was at one point covered up to 70 percent! Maybe remove existing granules, flush out the soil, and start with a lower dose.

Olafhenny
06-17-2014, 02:15 PM
I tend to agree with Kub. This appears to be much too much fertilizer in such a small area.

Here is, what I would do:
- Scrape the remaining fertilizer away from at least 18 inches around the plant
- Thereafter try to wash out the excess fertilizer by liberally watering over the next couple
of weeks, longer, if your soil is non-porous.
- In future concentrate on fertilizing (much) less, but more often. For granular fertilizer
once every six weeks is a good guideline to start with, to be adjusted to your local
conditions.

I have recently been able to obtain some good quality, composted and bagged steer
manure. Previous editions had more wood chips than manure. I soak that for a few
days to a couple or weeks in water, to make "manure tea" and filter it. This stuff not
only contains fertilizer, but also lots of nutrients and can be applied liberally.

That stuff can also be used for indoor plants, because it is practically odorless (I
cannot smell it at all) and once it has seeped into the soil, even finer noses than
mine, should not be able to detect it.

Good luck,
Olaf

sman87
07-05-2014, 10:30 PM
I also have this problem, Last year I noticed the same exact "burning". Hopefully we can both find out the real answer to this.