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Steppenwolfe
12-12-2015, 02:09 PM
I've repotted my banana plant 2 months ago. It was in a 6 inch pot and about 18 inches from the soil up and still is. Prior to repotting I pulled what I thought to be banana pups from the soil. The reason for it was because they looked barely alive. Right around this time banana pups started emerging from the soil. Right now they are 3 ranging in sizes from 3 inches to 6 inches. And they are flourishing and pushing out leaves almost weekly. The mother plant how ever is taking a month to push out one leaf that is not doesn't even shoot out all the way.

So I'm worried that mother plant is on the decline…

I have 4 reasons this might happening:

1) Removal of pups, caused the mother to shut down and put out more pups

2) Winter approaching and wants to secure replacement by putting out more pups.

3) I've recently have noticed mites, some white and some translucent red under the pot on top of the saucer. Maybe they're attacking roots of mother plant.

4)Overmisting? I mist a lot to make up for low humidity. I've read that this can close stomata and disrupt photosynthesis.

Olafhenny
12-12-2015, 05:58 PM
Not knowing the details, I would guess that this is due to low light conditions.

Pushing out a leaf a month is about all the production I get during January and
February and my plants sit right against a south facing window

In December the growth is still a bit better, because it takes the plant some time to
slow down. You did not have that latent growth activity due to recent transplanting.
Mother and pups come from the same corm and three little pipsqueaks hardly have
the same plant-mass as one leaf of the mother plant.

So relax, momma will resume vigorous growth as soon as light conditions improve
in March. Meanwhile count on no more than two to four leaves until then unless
you use grow lights.

Good luck,
Olaf

Steppenwolfe
12-12-2015, 06:14 PM
Not knowing the details, I would guess that this is due to low light conditions.

Pushing out a leaf a month is about all the production I get during January and
February and my plants sit right against a south facing window

In December the growth is still a bit better, because it takes the plant some time to
slow down. You did not have that latent growth activity due to recent transplanting.
Mother and pups come from the same corm and three little pipsqueaks hardly have
the same plant-mass as one leaf of the mother plant.

So relax, momma will resume vigorous growth as soon as light conditions improve
in March. Meanwhile count on no more than two to four leaves until then unless
you use grow lights.

Good luck,
Olaf







Thanks I was starting to get worried :nanadrink:

Olafhenny
12-12-2015, 07:28 PM
Another thing: I do not think, that misting has any impact at all. I live in a region,
which is much more arid than New York. In winter while heating the already humidity
depleted cold air it gets extremely dry. My bananas do fine without misting.

On the other hand some of the tropical rain forests, which are home to bananas, drip
on them constantly. So your bit of misting cannot possibly do any harm.

Steppenwolfe
12-14-2015, 01:01 PM
As far pups go, would low light effect pups.. because they are thriving pushing leaves out fast while the mother plant is stagnant.

Olafhenny
12-14-2015, 01:52 PM
As far pups go, would low light effect pups.. because they are thriving pushing leaves out fast while the mother plant is stagnant.

It would, once they are above ground. Also the lack of vigor by the mother plant
in low light conditions will probably affect the pups as well.