Problem with Musa Basjoo leaves, Help needed

Alex_cincy · 06-16-2014, 02:32 PM

Hello All,

I'm new to the forum and bananas in general. I'm having an issue with the new growth on my Musa Basjoo that I'm hoping someone can help me with.
As you can see in the pic, the last three leaves that shot up have turned brown and dried up around the edges. This happens approximately 1-3 days after the new leaf opens completely.

Some background:
-This is the second year I have had the plant. Survived the winter fine and was mulched.
- I live in the SW Ohio area.
- 4 weeks ago I put down some generic 10-10-10 fertilizer covering approximately 60 - 70% of the surface of a 12in radius around the plant. I saw the first issues after I fertilized.
- The plant gets approximately 3 hours of direct sun. The house and woods shade it most of the day.
- I have not watered much in the last two weeks as we've been getting a good rain every 2-3 days.
- The plant recently shot up its first pup.

I'm thinking maybe I over fertilized or possibly the plant has not been getting enough water? The afternoon sun has been pretty intense lately!

I'm hoping someone out there can point me in the right direction.
Thanks for helping out a nubie!

Abnshrek · 06-16-2014, 02:54 PM

I'd say its either water or Potassium Deficiency

kubali · 06-16-2014, 03:45 PM

that looks like a lot of fertilizer for that small of a plant, did you burn it with too much fertilizer. Looks like the fertilizer granules are right on the base of the pstem should never be that close on such a young plant...

siege2050 · 06-16-2014, 11:07 PM

Since you just put down the fertilizer before, I am thinking burn, especially if the surface was at one point covered up to 70 percent! Maybe remove existing granules, flush out the soil, and start with a lower dose.

Olafhenny · 06-17-2014, 02:15 PM

I tend to agree with Kub. This appears to be much too much fertilizer in such a small area.

Here is, what I would do:
- Scrape the remaining fertilizer away from at least 18 inches around the plant
- Thereafter try to wash out the excess fertilizer by liberally watering over the next couple
of weeks, longer, if your soil is non-porous.
- In future concentrate on fertilizing (much) less, but more often. For granular fertilizer
once every six weeks is a good guideline to start with, to be adjusted to your local
conditions.

I have recently been able to obtain some good quality, composted and bagged steer
manure. Previous editions had more wood chips than manure. I soak that for a few
days to a couple or weeks in water, to make "manure tea" and filter it. This stuff not
only contains fertilizer, but also lots of nutrients and can be applied liberally.

That stuff can also be used for indoor plants, because it is practically odorless (I
cannot smell it at all) and once it has seeped into the soil, even finer noses than
mine, should not be able to detect it.

Good luck,
Olaf

sman87 · 07-05-2014, 10:30 PM

I also have this problem, Last year I noticed the same exact "burning". Hopefully we can both find out the real answer to this.

06-16-2014, 02:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
Abnshrek Happy Growing Abnshrek 's Photo Gallery Location: Beaumont Texas Find me on the map! Zone: 8b, but 9b weather.. Name: Migael / Michael Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 9,493 BananaBucks : 320,009 Feedback: 45 / 100% Said "Thanks" 10,447 Times Was Thanked 16,443 Times in 5,238 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,318 Times	Re: Problem with Musa Basjoo leaves, Help needed I'd say its either water or Potassium Deficiency __________________ I'm a Nannerhead :^)

06-16-2014, 03:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
kubali kubali Location: lakeland,fl Find me on the map! Zone: 9B Name: kub Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 996 BananaBucks : 46,376 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,939 Times Was Thanked 1,439 Times in 627 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,608 Times	Re: Problem with Musa Basjoo leaves, Help needed that looks like a lot of fertilizer for that small of a plant, did you burn it with too much fertilizer. Looks like the fertilizer granules are right on the base of the pstem should never be that close on such a young plant...

06-16-2014, 11:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
siege2050 Hobby obsessor maximus Location: Oklahoma Find me on the map! Zone: zone 7 Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 1,092 BananaBucks : 434,346 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 854 Times Was Thanked 1,295 Times in 614 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 85 Times	Re: Problem with Musa Basjoo leaves, Help needed Since you just put down the fertilizer before, I am thinking burn, especially if the surface was at one point covered up to 70 percent! Maybe remove existing granules, flush out the soil, and start with a lower dose. __________________ If you don't eat yer meat, you can't have any Banana pudding! How can you have any Banana pudding if you don't eat yer meat?! Click for weather forecast Last edited by siege2050 : 06-16-2014 at 11:12 PM.

06-17-2014, 02:15 PM	#5 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 288,211 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: Problem with Musa Basjoo leaves, Help needed I tend to agree with Kub. This appears to be much too much fertilizer in such a small area. Here is, what I would do: - Scrape the remaining fertilizer away from at least 18 inches around the plant - Thereafter try to wash out the excess fertilizer by liberally watering over the next couple of weeks, longer, if your soil is non-porous. - In future concentrate on fertilizing (much) less, but more often. For granular fertilizer once every six weeks is a good guideline to start with, to be adjusted to your local conditions. I have recently been able to obtain some good quality, composted and bagged steer manure. Previous editions had more wood chips than manure. I soak that for a few days to a couple or weeks in water, to make "manure tea" and filter it. This stuff not only contains fertilizer, but also lots of nutrients and can be applied liberally. That stuff can also be used for indoor plants, because it is practically odorless (I cannot smell it at all) and once it has seeped into the soil, even finer noses than mine, should not be able to detect it. Good luck, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them. Last edited by Olafhenny : 06-17-2014 at 02:19 PM.

07-05-2014, 10:30 PM	#6 (permalink)
sman87 Zone: 5-6 Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 130 BananaBucks : 25,911 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 80 Times Was Thanked 69 Times in 36 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 10 Times	Re: Problem with Musa Basjoo leaves, Help needed I also have this problem, Last year I noticed the same exact "burning". Hopefully we can both find out the real answer to this. Last edited by sman87 : 07-05-2014 at 10:33 PM.

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