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katykat
07-12-2017, 04:21 PM
My Cavendish banana is about 10 ft. tall and was planted this spring. Leaves are dark green except for the newest one, and it has four pups 1-2 ft. tall. I fed it 1/2 pound balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) earlier this week--first time I have fertilized.
Yesterday, I noticed that the cigar leaf is drooping--just curved over with the tip lower than where it sprouts from the center. It is very pale green. There is one other dark green leaf near the top that is curling up on one side, with the edges curled toward the midrib. The other leaves look fine . . . any ideas about what could be causing this? Sorry I can't upload a picture--the site never lets me :( Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me diagnose this!

sputinc7
07-12-2017, 06:17 PM
A pic would be helpful, though...
It sounds like it has something to do with that fertilizer... That is obvious.

Odds are your pics are too big. Try to get them down to around 1 meg and try again.

katykat
07-12-2017, 07:21 PM
Sputinc7, thanks for the size suggestion on the picture--it worked perfectly! Here's what I'm concerned about:
Banana Gallery - Drooping_cigar (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=61983&cat=500&ppuser=24513)

sputinc7
07-12-2017, 09:30 PM
It looks that nice without being fertilized? You gotta be using something... Grass clippings? Compost?
My guess is a reaction to the fertilizer. It still looks good, give it some time and a couple rains. I had one which, after fertilizing a bit much, had a pure white leaf.
If leaves begin turning brown on the edges or dying off, post again...
I am not the resident expert here, someone else may have better advice. Wait for it.

Tytaylor77
07-13-2017, 02:40 AM
It is from the fertilizer! The banana put out super fast growth since it was fertilized. The faster growth did not allow the new roller leaf to (harden) by the sun, wind, etc. it's nothing bad. The leaves can break but normally end up fine. Another effect is leaves that twist or curve. In fact it's what I do on purpose! I call it "Pushing" the plant.

Kegas76
07-13-2017, 10:32 AM
Be sure to manually unroll the leaf if it doesn't do so on its own or the next leaf will get jammed up inside the other.

Island Brah
07-13-2017, 10:40 AM
Exactly!!

It is from the fertilizer! The banana put out super fast growth since it was fertilized. The faster growth did not allow the new roller leaf to (harden) by the sun, wind, etc. it's noting bad. The leaves can break but normally end up fine. Another effect is leaves that twist or curve. In fact it's what I do on purpose! I call it "Pushing" the plant.

katykat
07-13-2017, 12:18 PM
Oh my-- great suggestion re unrolling. I would have been back here in another day or two with that very question, I'm sure. Just did a bit and managed to split the leaf in several places, then discovered that it's not completely clear of the previous stem. Thanks, everyone!

Botanical_Bryce
07-13-2017, 07:47 PM
I don't ever fertilize only mulch and have 2 varieties doing this constantly. I unroll the leaves then at some point the plants go normal.

sputinc7
07-13-2017, 11:20 PM
I don't ever fertilize only mulch and have 2 varieties doing this constantly. I unroll the leaves then at some point the plants go normal.

What are you mulching with? Bananas need to be fertilized here in the sand hill we call Florida or they don't grow much... Mulching with grass clippings, compost or manure is fertilizing, you know... :D

katykat
07-15-2017, 08:48 AM
We mulched with black shredded cedar. The nanas are planted in about four inches of "rose soil" from a local garden center over brown clay. The clay stays pretty wet due to frequent watering (by us and by our neighbors on the other side of our fence). So far, so good. But the bananas started looking lighter green--especially the new leaves--so I tried some fertilizer. Just hoping I did it right.

Botanical_Bryce
07-15-2017, 11:16 AM
What are you mulching with? Bananas need to be fertilized here in the sand hill we call Florida or they don't grow much... Mulching with grass clippings, compost or manure is fertilizing, you know... :D
I only use oak leaves and nothing else. Started producing corm to flower most plants in under a year. By not fertilizing I imply by my own default that i am not using chemicals. I fill my truck with other peoples oak leaves and pile them high and get incredible results. I expected 1000 pounds but we had a mega late freeze that cut me back to 100 or so.

sputinc7
07-15-2017, 12:10 PM
That is interesting. According to what I found, you might increase yields with something added with more K... Grass clippings, for instance... Chop the leaves with a mower / bagger which will add grass clippings. (It's possible this is already happening if you bag them with a mower.) I use grass clippings and they love them. My first couple bunches had almost nothing else and did great. I now have 12 varieties and not enough land to grow enough grass.
N-P-K Value of Everything (http://www.lundproduce.com/N-P-K-Value-of-Everything.html)

katykat
07-15-2017, 12:43 PM
Do you mulch right up to the base of the stem, or leave several inches of space?

Botanical_Bryce
07-15-2017, 01:02 PM
Do you mulch right up to the base of the stem, or leave several inches of space?
I just bury mine.

sputinc7
07-15-2017, 01:06 PM
I use green grass clippings, which have high nitrogen and even higher potassium, so I leave about 6-8 inches for 2 reasons.
1. When green grass composts, it can get hot, like 130-150 degrees F. That would not be good on the plant.
2. Sometimes grass clippings can mesh together into a water resistant pad which will slowly decompose from below if kept moist, which fertilizes and mulches. Water from me or the rain can get under from the space around the PS, just don't overdo it and cause the corm to rot. I check for this and break up this meshing so water can get thru. Once you break it up it won't re mesh until you add new clippings.
He is using oak leaves, most likely live oak leaves which I tried to use but they become impermeable to water and rot very slowly, from the bottom up.

Botanical_Bryce
07-15-2017, 02:14 PM
I use green grass clippings, which have high nitrogen and even higher potassium, so I leave about 6-8 inches for 2 reasons.
1. When green grass composts, it can get hot, like 130-150 degrees F. That would not be good on the plant.
2. Sometimes grass clippings can mesh together into a water resistant pad which will slowly decompose from below if kept moist, which fertilizes and mulches. Water from me or the rain can get under from the space around the PS, just don't overdo it and cause the corm to rot. I check for this and break up this meshing so water can get thru. Once you break it up it won't re mesh until you add new clippings.
He is using oak leaves, most likely live oak leaves which I tried to use but they become impermeable to water and rot very slowly, from the bottom up.
I get results and the oak leaves are loaded with worms so I am leaving good enough alone. I almost never see people collect clippings in Florida. Most people have mulching blades.

sputinc7
07-15-2017, 02:18 PM
If it works for you, great. I am a big believer in "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." but I always look for ways to improve what I have. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
What you have isn't broke if it grows bananas.

Botanical_Bryce
07-15-2017, 04:28 PM
If it works for you, great. I am a big believer in "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." but I always look for ways to improve what I have. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
What you have isn't broke if it grows bananas.
I do things other peoples way and it ruins me and other people try my way and it ruins them. I have had other types of plants under premium conditions and I fail miserably then I go to someone's house and they are succeeding with no care. Crazy how that works.