View Full Version : please help me with my banana tree
souljah
03-21-2017, 01:17 PM
hello!
i got this banana tree from a friend and now all leaves turn yellow.
any tips on how to save it? any help is really appriciated!
thank you!
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=61305&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=61305&ppuser=25315)
2961
sputinc7
03-21-2017, 01:50 PM
More info... Does it ever get light for instance? Where it is, it doesn't look like it. Have you been watering it? If so, how much? My best guess is overwatering with no more info than I have. Either that or it's just adjusting to a new home...
souljah
03-21-2017, 02:33 PM
thanks a lot for your quick answer!
it does get a lot of light actually. it's facing south.
i have been watering it. not too much i think but of course overwatering is a possibility.
any tips on how to treat this banana now?
thank you very much!
It takes time to adjust to it's new environment. Go easy on water... still not sure it gets enough light. Do you provide any artificial lightning?
Narnia
03-21-2017, 05:27 PM
Thanks for the photo.How long has it been in the pot and what type of banana plant is it?
It looks a bit like a Gold Finger.
edwmax
03-21-2017, 07:37 PM
Wow ... when was the last time the plant was fertilized? The yellow edge appears to be classic symptoms of magnesium deficiency. But, potassium and calcium deficiency symptoms are similar in early stages and 3 tie together. What is your fertilizer program for this plant?
To make things more complicated, what is the soil PH? the Ph should be in the range of 6 to 6.5. If this is far out, then the roots may not be able to take up the needed nutrients. Thus, deficiencies as stated above even tho fertilizer is available.
Banana pots in the house should be moist to nearly dry. Because the plant is in the house it can not expire water like outside plants. So it can be over watered very easily. Instead start misting the plant a couple of times a day with water because of the dryer inside humidity. I'm also finding out inside banana plants seen to benefit from air circulation. Use a small fan to blow on the plant to help it to expire and improve its circulation and to lessen the chance of fungus development.
Get a ph meter and a water meter. Your finger just is that good for checking when to water.
There is a lot that goes on with banana plants. But when they are move from the outside to inside potted plant, they lose the benefit of morning dew & rain (fresh moisture); the strong heat of sunlight (kills fungus & promotes expiration of water from the plant); and wind (expiration and drying of the outside stalk sheaf). Banana plants are 87% water.
sputinc7
03-21-2017, 11:37 PM
Please keep in mind, bananas like to be outside in the sun all day. Compared to that, how much light does it get? Also, how long has it been in a pot? Finally, it is very easy to over water indoor bananas, so be careful... Once the roots begin rotting it is a downward spiral that is hard to control.
souljah
03-22-2017, 05:08 AM
hello!
no i dont provide any artificial light. and i dont have the possibility to do so.
i live in austria by the way. so at this time of the year we dont have too much sun light. but i have bananas for many years and this is the first time they react like this.
thanks a lot for your advise. i think i will change the soil today, maybe i gave it too much water.
souljah
03-22-2017, 05:10 AM
hi!
sorry i dont know how long it is in this pot since i just got it from a friend. and neither do i know what kind of banana it is. i bought one many many years ago and this is just a sprig from this one, and my friend just raised it to this size.
edwmax
03-22-2017, 07:47 AM
Make sure the soil is VERY drainable, loose & airy. This helps to control root fungus and keeps the water from becoming stagnate in the pot. Throw out any water that drains out of the pot. Do not reuse.
kaczercat
03-22-2017, 07:58 AM
maybe could you please post a better pic in the day time? with the the entire pot? So we can see the size and of it and soil that's been used.
souljah
03-22-2017, 08:14 AM
hi!
i hope this pics are better now. if not i will take some more of course.
the pot has a diameter of 45cm / 17,7 inch and has a height of 36 cm / 14,1 inch.
i just changed the soil today. i put some clay pieces and sand on the bottom and then filled it up with regular soil.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=61309&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=61309&ppuser=25315)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=61310&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=61310&ppuser=25315)
sry i dont know why the pics turn sideways. in my pdfs they are upright. sorry for that!
hi!
i hope this pics are better now. if not i will take some more of course.
the pot has a diameter of 45cm / 17,7 inch and has a height of 36 cm / 14,1 inch.
i just changed the soil today. i put some clay pieces and sand on the bottom and then filled it up with regular soil.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=61309&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=61309&ppuser=25315)
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=61310&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=61310&ppuser=25315)
sry i dont know why the pics turn sideways. in my pdfs they are upright. sorry for that!
Regular soil is risky if you grow in pots indoors. It keeps too much moisture. I do my own mixes and always put at least 40% coarse sand in the mix. My nanners do great with that ratio. It drains well.
Your pot seems to be way too small for a nanner that size.
I'd put on some lights for sure and start thinking about fertilization.
Plants don't like when we move them so with time and a bit of care, it should be fine.
souljah
03-22-2017, 08:52 AM
hello!
thanks a lot for the tip! i'll try to get my hands on some coarse sand and then try it out!
well i think thats the biggest size they have in the shops around here! ;)
can you recomend a certain fertilizer?
thanks a lot!
edwmax
03-22-2017, 09:13 AM
I agree with JP. The regular soil is risky due to lack of air if the soil is packed tightly and water retention. I've seen potting mix recommendations for as much as 70 to 75% sand & 25 to 30% potting soil or peat. I think this is more a function of how fast you want the pot to drain and how often you want to water it. ... I haven't tried that mix because I plan to change to very course pine bark (1/4" size) with some potting soil. Nurseries in my area are using large nugget pine bark (up to 1" size) with some peat or soil. The pots drain very quickly and allow daily watering as any excess drains away.
edwmax
03-22-2017, 09:18 AM
If you repot again, please take a picture of the roots. They should be white. This plant looks like dwarf or super dwarf variety banana.
souljah
03-22-2017, 09:21 AM
i will as soon as i do so! thank you very much!
raygrogan
03-22-2017, 12:44 PM
Just to throw out another possibility I will mention salt (excess fertilizer). I don't grow bananas indoors, and in many years of growing them outdoors I have never seen salt damage. However, those leaves look a bit like salt-damaged taro leaves. The worst case I ever got was doing something you may be tempted by in Austria in March - I used road sand. I thought for sure the salt was washed out of it because it was in a flooded area where it had been tumbled by water for a long distance.http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=61323
You always wash the sand before using it... I wash the gravel before putting it in the bottom of the pots too.
souljah
03-22-2017, 01:07 PM
hi!
thanks a lot for all that info! luckily i bought some clean sand and did not use road sand! :)
so i dont think its a salt problem. but again thanks for the info. i really appriciate it!
Tytaylor77
03-22-2017, 02:52 PM
Sand is heavy and causes the root ball to break up upon transplanting. It works but I like perlite. Perlite is light and fluffy and bananas love it. My bananas don't stay in pots long but I use 50% perlite and 50% pine bark basised potting soil to plant any banana that touches a pot. It also makes the pot super easy to lift and move around. Why lift a huge sand filled pot when perlite is better and weighs 1/10th of sand.
Also I agree with overwatering. The yellow on the bottom of the leaves does look like overwatering or root problems.
souljah
03-22-2017, 03:03 PM
hi!
thanks for the info! that sounds good, i will definitely try that! :)
cincinnana
03-22-2017, 08:39 PM
hello!
i got this banana tree from a friend and now all leaves turn yellow.
any tips on how to save it? any help is really appriciated!
thank you!
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=61305&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=61305&ppuser=25315)
2961
Just an observation...... from the amount of quality leaves and the symmetry of the plant you received, it was grown under lights in a better environment and the plant got too big....thats why you have it? Yes?
I know that you have received a lot of great advice....... your plant will sort itself out once you move it outside as the other members have suggested.
BUT..
The plant was not in any way deficient of any nutrients in the short amount of time you have had it.
A larger container might be in order.
Big (awesome) plants once moved inside will show displeasure fast.
And they will show it in many different ways.
For your plant it's the oldest leaves that are first to go.
Your plant is just adjusting to the new environment.
That is a nice plant you have there
I have a couple plants look like yours due to the loss of heat, light and best growing conditions.....this is normal for big plants..
souljah
03-23-2017, 03:29 AM
hi!
yes you are right! :) except for the lights. it never got artificial lights. it was always indoors. but yes it got to big for my friend and thats why i got it!
but finding a better soil for my bananas surely cant hurt. if not for this one than for my future ones! ;)
thanks a lot for your information! i highly appriciate it!
cincinnana
03-23-2017, 05:48 AM
hi!
yes you are right! :) except for the lights. it never got artificial lights. it was always indoors. but yes it got to big for my friend and thats why i got it!
but finding a better soil for my bananas surely cant hurt. if not for this one than for my future ones! ;)
thanks a lot for your information! i highly appriciate it!
This photo shows what a few hours less light per day does to your plants.:(
The yellowing of the lowest oldest leaves happens first and fast.
The symptoms also can be confused with many other issues.
Once the leaves become fully yellow just cut them off for a nice tidy look.
Unfortunately the great shape and symmetry will be lost for a while and your plant will be a wee bit smaller.
For some awesome potting techniques/videos go to Youtube keywords banana potting/growing.
These videos can take the mystery out of repotting a really big plant like yours.
.https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5280/29532356483_0d5cd685d9.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LZF3G4)
Fall is here (https://flic.kr/p/LZF3G4)
by
Hostafarian (https://www.flickr.com/photos/hostafarian/),
on Flickr
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