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View Full Version : Two questions on two different bananas from a newbie


pupwontbark
05-03-2020, 01:31 PM
Hello!

I have 2 bananas, a dwarf nam wah and “fake blue java” (FakeBJ) from wellspring gardens.

Issue 1: The past 3 leaves on my dwarf namwah have had a variegated pattern to it. I know that some nam wahs do come variegated, but I doubt that wellspring accidentally shipped me one. Could it be a nutrient deficiency?

Issue 2: The cigar leaves on the FakeBJ have dark spots that unfurl to dead brown areas (circled on the picture). The news cigar has less damage so I assume it’s getting better, but I’d like my next leaf to be normal. What could be causing the cigar leaf to brown?

Some Care Info:
Both plants are 1 month old and currently in a 2 gal pots. They receive full sun from about 8am – 6pm. I made sure to slow acclimate my plant for several weeks prior.

I water every 2-3 days unless it rained that day or the previous night.
Soil is a mix of mushroom compost, worm castings, topped with black cow and mulch. I added a good inch or so of dried oak leaves to the bottom for drainage.

I am feeding ˝ teaspoon per gal of wellsprings banana fertilizer 15-5-30 once a week. I am splitting the 1 gal feed between both plants since the pots are small. Both plants average a new leaf a week.

There are no roots poking through the holes of the pots.

I am not sure how to upload images to the thread, but everything is labeled in my gallery. :ha:

Thanks!

edwmax
05-03-2020, 02:59 PM
Too much water. Get a long stem moisture meter and water only when the middle & bottom of the pot is near dry. ... I suspect you will find the bottom of the pot is soggy. The potting soil needs 50% perlite to improve drainage.

Best day
05-03-2020, 11:43 PM
Your Dwarf Namwa does look variegated. It will be interesting to see if it grows out of it. Don’t worry about the Namwa. That happens when new leaves get caught up while coming out.

Bill

pupwontbark
05-04-2020, 10:24 AM
I re-potted both plants yesterday and added perlite.

The FakeBJ was moist but not wet. The root ball (baby corm?) of the Dwarf namwah was really wet and some roots were growing upwards instead of deep into the pot(probably to avoid the soaking wet dirt below).

My newest leaf from the dwarf is also variegated. I'll post pictures in a few weeks to see if the variegation goes away now that the soil is corrected.

Thanks Again!

Mikemooreflorida
05-05-2020, 08:29 PM
I've had similar variegation at young plant stages. Grew out of it within a couple months though.