ExcitedAboutMusa

I just purchased my first ever houseplant two weeks ago. I wanted something tall and leafy, they suggested some "typical" house plants. Yuck. I went to the botanical center and in a moment of spontaneity... I bought a 4-leaf MusaGranNain for $8. I have looked up some of my initial questions here and online but found a complex, often contradicting, series of answers.

So here's why I need YOU. I need care suggestions.

I am keeping it indoors, in middle Illinois. So far it's got 4 leaves and a new one almost fully grown out of the top. I planted it in a 18" pot with drain holes and I used Mixed Potting Soil and added 20% perlite to add with drainage. I saturated water once and am letting it dry out to 1-2 inches dry at surface. The banana is growing at a temp of 78 day / 74 night. Humidity is 40% ish. No fertilizer yet.

1. Are parasites a big issue for me?
2. What fertilizer and how to fertilize?
3. Best ways to increase humidity?
4. What am I not thinking of?

I really appreciate any help, more posts the better.

Pictures In My Gallery.. Not sure how to attach.

H2O

Hi & welcome!

my [little] experience:

1- i had spider mite once, get rid of them with 1 application neem oil+water. (or just wash the leaves with water)

2- fertiliser : "banana fuel" -but no fertilizer in winter.

3- spray water on leaves
or put the pot on gravel bed + water in the gravel.

4- light ?

Other members advices will coming soon !

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2woodensticks

welcome..be careful of water this time of year..you might want to let dry out to 3 inches..reason is not much growth this time of year,even indoors,unless you are using 400 + watt lights..shallow pan of water under the pot will add humidity as it evaporates..similar to what you might do with an orchid..piece of wood or something inbetween pot and pan of water..i might use a REAL weak fert.until spring then increase amount as weather warms..again welcome and keep us informed

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got to love em..{neotropical rattlesnake..cascabell}

Abnshrek

Hello, Welcome, and Happy Growing.
1. Insecticidal soap w/ neem oil takes care of most critters, unless a moth lays eggs on your gran nain..
2, Banana Fuel & wood ash ( scoop to soil helps shore up the p-stem) watered in.
3. I use a humidifier, I think having a bunch of 5 gallon buckets of water takes up to much room.
4. Light or lack there of will make leaves get shorter. I have Goldfinger that the most recent leaf is a foot shorter than previous one. Unless its in a south facing window or you augment in a light source things happen. Come spring get it full sun eventually for growth, personally I'd grow a Goldfinger over a GN they grow faster. Hope this helps. :^)

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

ExcitedAboutMusa

Wow! What an active thread! I didn't expect this many responses.

Thanks AbnShrek, 2woodenSticks, and H2O! I have a little bit of browning/yellowing at the leaf tips and a wavy (wilt-looking) shape to my leaves. How can I add a photo to the thread to further describe my worry at the moment? I have uploaded 2 pix to my gallery, but how to I put it here 'in line' with my text?

Oh, my lighting is just natural outdoor indirect light in a brightly colored room. I'd I need to add light, move the plant, or buy a lighting system I'm willing to. What's ideal?

Abnshrek

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

sunfish

ExcitedAboutMusa

So now that the pix are up... What do you guys think? It is still adding lots of growth, that new leaf wasn't even present last week!

What is wrong and how do I save the leaves from Brown/yellow?!!!!!

H2O

It's normal for "old" leaves since new leaves keep on growing.

Select your pic in your gallery and copy/ paste the "Code for bulletin boards" in the text

example:
[ u r l = h t t p://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=51724][img] h t t p ://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=51724&size=1[/img][/ u r l]

gives this when reading :


I use HQI TS 150 w lamp that give approx 6500k colour light. (close to natural light) but i think that an economical bulb with the same 6500k will do the same for one plant. I put on the light from 6am to approx 10pm.
Next spring don't put your plant outside directly or the sun will burn the leaves. First a month in shade area. (sun is much more stronger than electrical light)

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ExcitedAboutMusa

So today I have made a decision to cut-off a leaf from my banana plant. it was brown and krinkled to the stalk. I have heard the plant will recycle the nutients from the leaf back into the plant.


Is this a good idea to let it "wither" back to this point before removing?
Is it better to remove all of it sooner to allow for quicker growth?


Oh! The new growth seems to be thinner leaves than the ones before. There are 7 that have grown, -1 old one removed. So four of the six are wide and the two new are thinner.

Is this normal or a sign of malnutrition/ lighting/ or what?



REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR GUY'S ACCURATE ADVICE! Thank you so much!

Abnshrek

The feat of just getting banana plants from cold weather indoors to spring-summer alive is the goal. How you do it can be ugly once it warms up things pretty much take care of themselves. :^)

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

bananarama2

Abnshrek is absolutely right.....just focus on keeping it alive until spring, don't put a lot of effort into making new growth. It would cost a lot of time and money to give your plant the kind of conditions that produce optimum growth in the summer, while still indoors. The yellowing/browning leaf tips are usually due to low humidity(40% is pretty low actually), too much soil moisture (typical problem with potted plants), and overall poor growth due to low light and cool temperatures, such as during winter months. Baby it along until spring, but don't "kill it with kindness" until growing conditions naturally improve. Good luck, and welcome..a lot of good voices here!

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If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

ExcitedAboutMusa

Thanks Again Everyone!

I keep trying to pursue giving this plant optimal growing conditions - I really appreciate everyone basically taking the edge off my stress. It's a plant, it'll fnd a way to live. I just get a little impatient - I guess that's the new guy syndrome.

Chironex

All good advice. "Banana Fuel" is a little spendy. One of our members here, Richard sells banana fertilizer that's cheaper and specially made for bananas, too. (Plus it supports our members) Richard is extremely knowledgeable in plant nutrition, not just bananas. His garden is huge and he grows a ton of rare and tropical fruit himself.

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Scot