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View Full Version : Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well!


paw465
07-20-2007, 07:11 AM
As a learner banana plant grower all advice is gratefully received
I have an Ensete Ventricosum grown from seed (it's now about 5 weeks old - 18'' high) which was doing really well until I went away on hols.
I've come back to find the leaves slowly browning from the tips and dying. It seems to be the more recent the leaf the more badly it is affected, to the point that the very latest is unravelling nearly black and crispy!
Any ideas? My son swears blind that he watered it while I was away and I've been back a week now and it seems to be getting worse every day
Help!
Paul

JoeS475
07-21-2007, 12:56 AM
Sounds to me like its being overwatered or not draining well enough. The banana I drowned a couple of years back had exactly the symptoms you describe.

Is your soil wet or saturated? Personally I'd let it dry out completely before watering it again.

Good luck!

~Joe

paw465
07-21-2007, 01:35 AM
Cheers for that Joe, could well be overwatering thinking on it, my son said he was surprised how thirsty it was so he's probably drowned the thing.
I'll see if I can save it with a bit of dry resuscitation
:bed:
Thanks again
Paul

mrbungalow
07-21-2007, 03:49 AM
Or he could just as easily have under-watered it. At this time of the year, ensetes do drink like an Icelandic sailor. But as you say, it could also be a drainage issue.

Same thing happened to a friends velutina while on vacation. This one only got watered a few times in a course of 2 weeks. The leaves browned, hanged, and dried up, but the next leaf that came out was fine, after a little water and care.

I bet it will bounce right back when you start to water in fair amounts again.

Erlend

paw465
07-27-2007, 04:45 AM
Just a quick update... I took Joe's suggestion that 'Ense' had probably been overwatered and re-potted him in fresh dry compost (the roots were completely waterlogged) and one week on although all the leaves have been damaged it's now sprung back into life, so thanks again.
Paul
(And doesn't something like that just go to show what a brilliant site this is?)

Kylie2x
07-27-2007, 07:16 AM
Congrats!!!!!
I guess you just earned the first aid badge for "dry resuscitation"
LOL....
Kylie

paw465
07-27-2007, 08:25 AM
Tell me about it... I spent three hours trying to find a pulse... not to mention giving it the kiss of life
:2725:
Paul

JoeS475
07-27-2007, 11:15 AM
Glad to hear Ense is on the rebound!

~Joe

Kylie2x
07-27-2007, 12:22 PM
ROFLMBAO!!!!!!
Kylie

douglas gray
01-16-2008, 10:49 PM
perfect !!! thats the exact symptoms I had on the same plant from seed, the same size - now I know why mine died !! I was getting confused seeing all these pics of bananas indoors and wondering why I couldn't get past this size! thanks you Joe and Paw. This site is great for advice, this year I want a tropical garden like Randy.....

Mark Hall
01-17-2008, 04:48 AM
Douglas we all want a garden like Randys :D

magicgreen
01-17-2008, 12:57 PM
That is the truth Mark! Ive been looking at my garden trying to fiqure out a new design. All these beautiful yards ive looked at this winter got me thinking about redesigning it!

I want purty pictures to show off my stuff TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

redtail_2006
01-17-2008, 01:50 PM
Well done paws mate.How long did it take for your seeds to germinate mate?Iv hade some venricosum seeds in the the heated prop for about 3 months now no sign of life as yet.