Banana bunchy top disease
 

My William is now 4 moths old and its still only 12"
High I'm thinking based on how the leafs are all real close in to the center that its got Banana bunchy top disease what do you all think it was 12" when i got it hasn't grown one inch but its putting new leafs on all the time they just seam to be clustered in the center of the plant heres a pic and its defiantly been properly Fed

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

Bunchy Top is a virus with its sole vector being a specific kind of aphid which I would think extremely unlikely to be in your area. The plants also do not show symptoms often at such a young age, as your plant is. In fact your plant looks rather healthy to me. Does it have similar growing conditions to your other bananas? Perhaps its a soil issue or a weak TC sport (unlikely), or lack of enough sunlight? Sometimes I've had plants start of really weak for a long time, but eventually they all ended up having their growth spurt at some point.

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

Gabe its defiantly a TC its getting sun from sunrise wish is around 5:45 now until 1ish its in native NV soil that was amended with DrQ its a bark and peat mix thats been amended with trace elements and sulfur to correct the PH the others i put in miracle grow garden soil mix that could account for the low growth its been fed with Vigro Palm food at double the rate and has been feed monthly maybe your right but the leafs are staying quite tightly in to the center with almost no stem extending out i really didn't notes anything until i saw how the Ice Creams were gaining inches a day and are almost 3 feet in just 2 months they have quite elongated leafs with substantial stem development its abveasly taking up nutrients I'm guessing this because of how dark green the leafs are could it be a sensitivity to water and soil Ph iv been watering with local sores H20 i have an Ro which i use on some of the more PH sensitive plants should i repot it in better soil would that hurt it to take the old soil completely of the rhizome/root ball i was also thinking that maybe its a response to the high temps there been asalating quite wildy this year 104 for three days then down in to the high 80 or low 90 perhaps this is stressing the plant out I'm also having tribal with my passiflora not growing either i just switched it to RO water and its started growing one thing i know for sure is that in the summer time Henderson switches from lake med H20 to well water do to high demand the chemical nature if well water here in Nevada is radically different from lake water its much salter and has Lots of dissolved contaminates Lime stone its vary hard !!!! i cant think of any thing els o got this TC from Stokes tropicals on the net hes in FL do thy have Bunchy top there? OK well all let you ponder all that info for a wail thanks for the response

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

My first suspicion would be the water. Chemically treated water wreaks havoc on bio. life in soil, also causing the pH to alter, sometimes radically. IMHO this is a hugely overlooked cause of many growth problems. Last on the list of possible problems would be a virus. I would try to use collected rain water, natural spring water, or the r/o on new, un-established plants. That would also rule out any salinity issues ( dissolved salts).

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

I have to say that I concur with Gabe. Your plant looks perfectly normal to me.

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

Here is a link with information on Bunchy Top, so if anyone here actually does get Bunchy Top, they will know what it looks like.
Banana Bunchy Top Disease in Hawaii: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Management

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

If you mean by perfectly normal, that it doesn't have bunchy top, I also agree!

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

I would move the plant to a smaller pot with straight potting soil. I would avoid using garden soil in pots, especially Vegas soil. I've heard the high levels of boron in the las vegas soil can effect the growth of some plants.

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

thanks I'm planing on it started using ro water on it yesterday its the only one i used NV soil on i new better but well did it any way. wish my Banana grew as well as my orchids i think I'm over watering a smig im cutting back on that too well its a learning process! one of my passiflora looks like hell to use NV soil on that one but funny the ones planted in the garden are doing fine

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

thanks hmmm rain water well you would have to have some rain! it hasn't rained here sins last sept that i can remember sorry for the sarcasm but i couldn't resist lol

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

thanks for all your help Gabe guess I'm being a horticultural hypochondriac!

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

IMHO? no clue

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

I would guess the roots are staying too wet. Most garden soil (especially ones with high clay %) does not drain well in pots.

Big pot + bad drainage + small root system = bad

Do you think the pot is overheating in the sun? The banana roots might not like that

The plant doesn't look too bad though for being pot-grown in Vegas!

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

In my humble opinion :0497:

Re: Banana bunchy top disease
 

well if by to bad you mean that its green well yes its defiantly green lol just kidding ya its growing new leafs its just not getting any taller so the leafs are really piling up on them selves its adjusted Farly well to the sun here but i do have to baby it or it burns I'm beginning to hate gardening in NV every summer its something new i should just plant Cactus and for get every thing ells "O except i hate cactus and most succulents"
OK I'm getting up for the computer i feel a "humungis" wienning tantrum coming on LOl