View Full Version : Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
Simply Bananas
09-16-2007, 02:34 PM
I have two groups of Ele Ele. They both get good fertilizer and plenty of water. They seem stumped at 5-6 feet.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/porkpi/ele3.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/porkpi/ele4.jpg
As you can see the leaves are HUUUUUUUUUGE. Shouldn't these plante be taller?
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/porkpi/Ele1.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/porkpi/ele2.jpg
Ice Creams, Sabas, and Tall Orinocos get the same treatment and have grown to the correct heights.
Bananaman88
09-17-2007, 06:34 PM
This brings up a question I've had for a while...I've got a similar situation with Dw. Cavendish. The DC I have I originally obtained about 5 yrs ago while living in St. Louis. It is a pup off of a DC that was about 7' tall at the time I took the pup. The odd thing is, ever since I've been in TX, it has never gotten over 3' tall. It's as if it has suddenly changed into a Super DC or something. I even divided some pups off of it here, took it to where I work where we have much better soil than I have here at home to see if it was a soil/nutrient issue, but it is currently no taller than 2' and we've had a ton of rain this year! Anyone know what could cause something like this? I'm beginning to wonder if it's bad genetics or a genetic mutation. My actual SDC is taller that this plant!
MediaHound
09-17-2007, 09:46 PM
Sometimes clones of the same banana planted in different spots on my property grow differently from the other spots where it's planted.
Just give it a good feeding and some tlc... maybe till the soil a bit.
mrbungalow
09-18-2007, 12:43 AM
I see you're in SC. You get fairly cold there right? If I remember correctly, Ele Ele is a very cold-sensitive plant that's a "little temperamental" as Pitangadiego would have said! That is: cold-sensitive compared to orinocos, Ice creams, and sabas.
An I suppose you overwinter the plants in the ground? I think this has something to do with it - When you loose some stem in the winter. I have also seen basjoos in extreme northern areas flowering at ridiculously low heights.
I also notice the colour of the plant is not dark brown as it should be. Do you by any chance know the pH of your soil? What are you feeding it?
Regards
Erlend
Simply Bananas
09-18-2007, 03:41 AM
The all get slow release 12-2-14 once a month, a fish head every now and then, and some vegetable scraps a few times a month. No, I don't know the ph, but they occasionally get some good charcoal ashes from the grill. I know it is not volcanic, but its all I got.
mrbungalow
09-18-2007, 05:34 AM
but they occasionally get some good charcoal ashes from the grill
Oooh, I would stop doing that. These barbecue ashes make the soil highly alkaline, and as far as I know volcanic soil is slightly acidic because of the sulfur. So that's probably why your Ele Ele is looking pale as a Finnish guy in the middle of winter.
(Actually, that's how my great grandmother would make soap in the good old days. She would mix water with ashes from the stove, and then mix this with animal lard. Best soap north of the equator! :nanabath: )
Anyway, I think all bananas love a pH on the slightly acidic side. 5.5 to 7 is probably in the ideal range.
Simply Bananas
09-21-2007, 06:38 PM
I thought ashes were acidic. They sure do rust the grill when combined with H2O.
mrbungalow
09-22-2007, 09:13 AM
Hello, I found this on Wikipedia (about soap) to backup what I am claiming:
Lye
Reacting fat with sodium hydroxide will produce a hard soap.
Reacting fat with potassium hydroxide will produce a soap that is either soft or liquid. Historically, the alkali used was potassium hydroxide made from the deliberate burning of vegetation such as bracken, or from wood ashes.
mushtaq86
05-12-2019, 12:36 PM
I have two groups of Ele Ele. They both get good fertilizer and plenty of water. They seem stumped at 5-6 feet.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/porkpi/ele3.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/porkpi/ele4.jpg
As you can see the leaves are HUUUUUUUUUGE. Shouldn't these plante be taller?
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/porkpi/Ele1.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y274/porkpi/ele2.jpg
Ice Creams, Sabas, and Tall Orinocos get the same treatment and have grown to the correct heights.
Simply
Are you still growing Ele Ele
Simply Bananas
05-12-2019, 08:14 PM
Simply
Are you still growing Ele Ele
Yes...and they are still short! However...my dwarf namwahs are really tall now..
mushtaq86
05-13-2019, 07:29 AM
Yes...and they are still short! However...my dwarf namwahs are really tall now..
I wonder if the lack of humidity in the winter months, have turned your Ele Ele into dwarfs, your dwarf Namwahs could possibly be tall Namwahs
I wonder if the lack of humidity in the winter months, have turned your Ele Ele into dwarfs, your dwarf Namwahs could possibly be tall Namwahs
Hmmmmm, I'm reading this thread "upside down" :drum:, I would find it interesting to be able to dwarf bananas on purpose :ha:, is lack of humidity a trick for that? Sounds a bit dangerous 'cause the line between low humidity and dry death is probably thin?
Simply Bananas
05-14-2019, 02:45 PM
I wonder if the lack of humidity in the winter months, have turned your Ele Ele into dwarfs, your dwarf Namwahs could possibly be tall Namwahs
Charleston has plenty of humidity for bananas.
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