gander54

My main stalk died a couple of weeks ago. It really had a hard summer here in Oklahoma. This year I will keep it in a large pot and under the shade house instead of in the ground and in full sun. Well a pup came up before the main stalk died and yesterday I noticed all kinds of fruit fly's all over the soil well I dug it up and found five pups but there is a little rot on the main bulb, I washed it off an reppoted it in better new soil. My last average frost date is April the 15th so I need to save it almost a month before I can put it outside in the sun, what do you suggest?

Attached Images

	IMG_0300.jpg (116.6 KB, 40 views)
	IMG_0303.jpg (113.4 KB, 30 views)
	IMG_0304.jpg (104.7 KB, 35 views)

Steve L

Ae Ae are especially succeptible to corm rot during the winter. I've killed several. Once the rot starts, it's almost impossible to stop. You should treat it with a fungicide and keep it warm and dry. It has a wet appearance which further tells me there is serious rot going on.

Steve

gander54

Thanks actually its wet because I just washed and potted it in knew soil, and had just water it in. The rotten spot is very firm and not mushy.

Steve L

Well, if the rotten spot is firm, then maybe you have a chance. Is there any of a slim feel to the corm? That's another sign of corm rot

gander54

Really when I dug the corm up it looked pretty good. There was just that hole where the main trunk had been. I am afraid I did not plant it deep enough as all of this was under the soil level but I thought maybe it would be best if it was exposed to air to keep it from getting to damp. Also worried about the pups. Should I try and cover them or leave them exposed.I have a desk lamp with one of those swirl type florescent bulbs in it about 6 inches above the plant. I have a Hoya 2 rex begoias and a birdsnest fern and three anthirums all growing on my desk with this plant and they are all doing well.

mushtaq86

Make sure you have,perlite mixed in with any compost,very important especially with Ae Ae,if your not living in sub or tropical place.

varig8

This is so so very important if you want to save this pricey plant.........MAKE SURE that all parts of the corm which might have a tendency to rot further is COMPLETELY DRY BEFORE YOU RE-POT IT. It would even be better to allow it to dry in the air for several hours or more before re-potting. You should dust it with some fungicide powder or even some roottone powder (I would dust the entire corm with the Roottone to help aid in regrowth of some new roots as quick as possible). Im pretty sure that Roottone also makes one with fungicide added. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT>> Place it in a new potting MIX which should consist of 75% (or more) perlite and the rest peat moss. MAKE SURE it is a very well draining MIX>>NOT SOIL OR DIRT!! It is imperative that you plant it in a similar mix, even 100% perlite is fine for now. Place the corm with the sideshoots above the soil line so that they are showing. Water ONCE thoroughly and DO NOT water it again until its almost completely dry. DO NOT keep it moist all the time. Give it the strongest light possible. Full sunlight is best at this point, a window sill with some direct sunlight would be better than any indoor lighting, and of course warmth too. With the young suckers being above the soil line you can easily keep an eye on them and if worse comes to worse, it might be possible to cut away sections of the corm containing the suckers (like you would a potato) to repot IF your corm goes south. Good luck!!

gander54

Thanks so much for your replies. Hopefully I will be able to save this plant. Its only a few weeks until I can put it outside. I really dont have any good windows in this house that get good light. The ones I do have are cold and drafty and might do more harm than where it is. Why do you like perlite. I have never really liked the stuff. I am mostly a water gardener and I hate it when it gets in my pond.

Attached Images

	P1010042a.jpg (199.8 KB, 31 views)
	P1010068a.jpg (222.4 KB, 26 views)
	P1010043a.jpg (222.3 KB, 20 views)

The Hollyberry Lady

venturabananas

Buy a heat mat to keep the soil mix and roots warm. It is cheap insurance for your expensive plant. I have been using one and it has really cranked up the rates of growth of my small banana plants over winter and it allowed me to rescue a couple that were rotting in the ground.

__________________

varig8

Its not so much that I "like perlite", put it is the ONE potting medium which will not retain so much water and drains easily. If you dont like it in your pond, then dont put the potted AeAe corm any where near your pond. You do not understand that this is of utmost importance especially at this stage of trying to re-root out a damaged AeAe corm. It is difficult enough trying to establish a newly removed AeAe corm with no other problems! They WILL rot very easily. I have been rooting out and establishing rare banana corms for decades and also transitioning air-layers into potting medium from extremely rare variegated plants and I ALWAYS use almost 100% perlite to do this. I lost way too much money in the early days trying to re establish expensive delicate plants in potting soils, dirts, and mixes that cake up when dry, dont allow any oxygen to the roots, or hold too much water. Even a few days in a potting mix that is not suitable and not properly cared for will spell disaster, not to mention a couple of weeks! Even when things seem like all is well, AeAe can be more finicky and delicate than any other banana, so why would you want to take a chance?

gander54

Its not that I want to take a chance I just have not used perlite in a few years since I gave up my greenhouse and then I did not use a lot of it. I will have to try and find a small bag of it tomorrow on my day off.

Vickie H.

Gander I bought pearlite and spaghum moss last weekend at Lowe's.

gander54

Ok I found perlite one mile from my house. I did fail to say that the corm has live roots on it. It is very much alive, I shook all of the soil away from the live roots and corm and added perlite into a pot when it was half full I held the corm and gently poured more perlite around it. I did dust it with root hormone.

varig8

Good deal! Now, just be careful to monitor the amount of water that you give it. Not too wet and not too dry for too long of a period. Always better to be on the dry side than to be too wet. Another suggestion for you is to leave it growing in this pot until you are positive that it is well rooted out before you transplant it back into the ground. The less you disturb it at this point in time the better off it will be.

gander54

One question how about food do I just sprinkle some Osmocote in with the perlite or what?

varig8

Dont give it anything right now. Allow it to use its stored energy in developing a new root system. You could water it with some Superthrive or B12 mixed in the water if you like. Wait until we are at the end of spring or early summer to give it any type of fertilizer. The most suitable would be Fish Emulsion (you can buy this at most garden centers and its not expensive), or any other organic type instead of chemical as you wont have the chance of it burning any of the newly established roots.

Clare_CA

Gander54, Varig8's advice is gold here. He knows exactly what the best course of action is here. A while ago, I killed four AeAe's that I had just purchased due to rot. When I bought more, Varig8 gave me the same excellent advice, which kept me from killing the replacements I had purchased. They are now healthy growing variegated bananas in the ground -- primarily thanks to him. I was so grateful for his guidance and still turn to him for advice. We are lucky to have him on this forum.

sandy0225

You need a victoria waterlily or euryale for that nice big pond...I know someone who sells them...lol...

__________________
Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
1501 East Fuson Road
Muncie, IN 47302
www.northerntropics.com


specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~
check out our new online store at our website!

gander54

That big pond is for Koi only,, I dont have any lilies in it anymore. I have other places for them.