virgin musa basjoo owner,are the bottom leaves suposed to die off?
 

help!! ive had my 2 musa basjoo now for 3 weeks i live in rhode island and right now the plants are indoors and in a well lit window,im keeping the soil moist, the plant has gotten almost 3 new leaves but the bottom leaves on both plants have curled/dried/died.... is this normal in order for the plant to grow the stalk?? and if so how often does this happen? should i be cutting them off ? thanks for any n all tips :)

Re: virgin musa basjoo owner,are the bottom leaves suposed to die off?
 

yup they die of and new bigger ones grow u can cut them off or u can wait till they dry up so the plant can absorb the nutrients out of them they r just the older leaves

Re: virgin musa basjoo owner,are the bottom leaves suposed to die off?
 

I haven't grown Basjoo's in containers but. It is normal for the lower leaves to turn brown. Cut em off when they are all brown. Be careful with overwatering in the winter. In summer you probably can't overwater but in winter overwater and you may rot the corm. One method is too check the top two inches and if its dry give a little water. Some use a wooden stick to check the moisture and that's what I use. Got the idea from Patty. Thanks. My bananas all look like heck in winter. Loosing the lower leaves. The idea is to get them thru winter without rotting the corm and get them out in the heat of summer where they will thrive.
Welcome and good luck.

I'm actually pretty new at this too so if someone has better judgment by all meas jump in here.

Michael

Re: virgin musa basjoo owner,are the bottom leaves suposed to die off?
 

Yes, this is normal. As a new leaf appears, a lower one typically starts to turn brown. You can cut them when they are yellow or brown.

Re: virgin musa basjoo owner,are the bottom leaves suposed to die off?
 

I would agree with the above posts, but it's also possible that you have spider mites. Take a look at the undersides of the leaves and look for tiny white specks. The leaves would tend to droop before yellowing. If this is the case, give your plant a shower and/or mist the leaves often w/ soapy water. In either case, clip the dying leaves off and throw them away. It sounds like it is just normal dying old leaves. Be careful not to overwater indoors. Mine get watered about once every 3 weeks. It won't be long before they go outside...

Re: virgin musa basjoo owner,are the bottom leaves suposed to die off?
 

I think thats normal for what you are saying but the problem I have is it gets pretty hot in certain time of the day (cookin plants) so I moved all my younger plants down in the basement under grow lights... More controlled enviroment... but I still sneak them upstairs for a little while. Theirs nothing like the sun... Do not over water!!! but some water is good.