danpotts

I have a question hopefully someone can help me with, my banana tree seems to have stopped growing, it is about 8 feet tall.
It was shooting out and new leaf and it is almost all the way rolled out and it stopped. It hasn't had any progress for about a week and a half, although it shot off two new pups. One is about 2 and half feet tall now. Any ideas on what is going on? Thanks!

buzzwinder

Hi, and welcome to the Org. danpotts, can you post a pic of your Banana plant? Where abouts are you in Alaska, Wife has an Aunt that lives up yonder!!

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Bill

danpotts

Hopefully that worked, I put a picture of it on there. Im not sure what is going on with it...

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magicgreen

Welcome DanPotts!!!!
My siam ruby is doing that. Mine is croaking I think! But she has 3 or 4 babies from what I can see.
Where are you at up there? I lived at ft. greely, a little ways from Delta Junction at the top of the alcan hwy.
Can't wait to see the answer to this problem.

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(Started growing bananas July 2007)
(Zone 6)

Straitcats

Wow...Dan. I think your plant looks amazing! I sure don't know much about Banana plants, but was wondering... since you had a pup come up, could it be that the nutrients and growth energy is going to the pup? Rather than opening the leaf? If this makes any sense. I did read on this site that sometimes you can very carefully open the leaf up manually.

Good luck! It will be interesting to see what the experts on here have to say.
Jo

magicgreen

Thats what I figured too Jo. But I can't figure out why mine is dying.
I've read siam ruby's are finicky though. I might have stressed mine out when I put it in the ground and then fertilized it like a fool. I should of waited to fertilize it. dag!

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(Started growing bananas July 2007)
(Zone 6)

chong

From the picture, I can't see anything wrong. If anything, it looks healthy. It may not be getting enough light. Try moving it outside in the shade at first, then move it out to where it will get more sun. Just don't let it get dry. Make sure that the soil is evenly moist.

I know you have just under a month before the cold weather sets in. I lived in anchorage for two and a half years, and I remember that in late August, when my son would practice football with the West Anchorage High School team, we would watch on the sideline bleachers and we needed to wear a heavy jacket already. But if you want to see more growth, putting it outside now would greatly improve your chances.

When nighttime temperatures fall below 50°F, then it is time to move the plant back inside. When you do, place it in a place that has lots of light. Then take it easy on the watering, but again,do not let it run dry. Again, I know that by this time the light is getting less and less towards the year's end. You can augment the light by placing several fluorescent lights near it, or let it go dormant by further withholding water to the point that it's almost dry.

Good luck! And keep us posted with pictures of the entire plant, if possible.

Chong

danpotts

Thanks for all the info, I will have to try moving it outside. I have kept it inside all this time. Hopefully that does the trick. Do any fluorescent lights work, or do you need certain types? Thanks!

chong

Any fluorescent light will work. The brighter, the better. Just don't let the leaves touch the bulb directly, or it will burn.

Where are you in AK?

danpotts

I am in Anchorage. Do you think the pup is big enough to seperate? Its about 2 feet tall. Thinking about moving though, these summers are depressing, it has been raining pretty much the whole summer and I think it's only been over 70 a few times usually in the 60s...not like when I lived in California. Beautiful area though, love waking up and looking at the mountains.

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chong

Good job, Dan. Beautiful picture and plant. As I suspected, it was growing in low light.

Regarding the separation of the pup, my suggestion is not to do it right now because you probably have only 3-4 weeks of "warm" weather, if you're experiencing a mild summer. Separating them now will not give the plant sufficient time to recuperate from the stress before it get cold there again. Besides, this will simplify watering the plant. Also, after you bring them in for the winter, make sure you have a way to increase the humidity level around them, especially, if you are allowing them to grow inside, instead of letting them go dormant.

Usually, around this time when we were there, it could get as high as in the 90s, what with the sun around all day long! But if you've been getting overcast skies and rain, I can understand that it could cool down tremendously.

This just supports my observation that your plant could use more light. By placing it outside, you can maximize the light "intake" by the plant. Again, just don't shock it by placing in in direct sunlight right away. Move it in the shade first, then part shade after a few days, then after a few days again, into the full sunlight. If portions of the leaves show signs of sunburn, move it back into part shade for a few more days until it get acclimatized.

We used to live in a condo behind that popular bakery on Northern Lights and Minnesota. The street we were on was Lois Drive. It was just two blocks from West Anchorage High. Whereabouts are you?

danpotts

Yeah its been not much of a summer so far, I live near lake otis and dowling. I am actually thinking about trying something a little far fetched...I am going to try growing a few different palm trees outdoors this year, all year long. I lived in Ketchikan, AK and grew Windmill Palms outside and they did quite well. Of course it doesn't get nearly as cold there, I think the record low is 0. But I am going to build a little insulated shed and put some lights in it, and heat it minimally. Just enough so they survive. Hopefully it all works. I'm still thinking about it, if its really worth it or not. Might as well just grow it indoors though right, what with all the work. But hey its always fun to try something that's a little "out there." Need to get some out of my house anyways, if you saw in the background there were probably 50 Christmas Palm seedlings behind the banana pup. Haha not quite sure why I even have those, they stand no chance up here besides indoors...
Where did you move to?

chong

I've always kept a home in Seattle in spite of various work stints in other states. The monthly trips get so expensive.

50 Christmas Palms, huh? That's going to be a challenge. It was for me, anyway. I had 10 of them from Puerto Rico, and after one year they all expired. We had a large one in our house in the Philippines, and the fruits are sure pretty, with the various stages of ripeness. I recall that even there, they were difficult to propagate. We used to just get the pups. Then, I find out that in PR, the seeds germinate readilly.

The insulated shed with minimal heat would be helpful. If it totally enclosed, you might consider putting aluminum foil on the walls to reflect the lights back when they are on. There is no light comingfrom the outside anyway. Also, don't forget to get a little bit of ventilation in, to avoid mold build up. If the shed is attached to the house, you might connect ducts going to and from the house with a small circulating fan.

MediaHound

Welcome!! Nice looking banana plant, hope it pulls through and blooms for you.