mari@adams.net

I do a lot of reading of recent and older posts so when this site is down, I try and find other forums on bananas. Thought maybe people on this site might know of some that I don't. What I have found isn't as active and informative as this site. I'm sure that managing a website isn't all fun and glory. Never seen this site down as much as it has been the past week +. Just have to bear with the problems here, but looking for other alternative sites when this one is down.

mari@adams.net

The end of the stock has a white discoloration on it (fungus/mold?) and seems to be moving up the stock towards the bananas. What do I do with this? Do I cut it off and treat the end with something? Thanks for any help with this.[IMG][/IMG]

Akula

I've had this happen on my Unknown plant that is in more shadowy, moist area without a lot of direct sun. The rot ran up the rachis until it hit the bottom hand where it stopped. I had about 6" of space between the bottom hand and where I cut the flower. I've never had this problem with my namwas.

Hopefully someone posts up a solution.

cincinnana

Sady, it looks normal.
Fungi and mold will populate the necrotic tissue of a plant, this is what happens in nature.

The mold will travel up the rachis till it reaches the inedible fruit... could take 30 days or so.
Keep an eye on the fruit, if it shows any sign of wrinkles/aging/dehydration then your done for the season

Then, the immature fruit just turns black and shrivels up and your pstem cracks in half and turns to mush.


For prepping those Basjoos go to the Bigbox store and get the color of mulch of your choice and apply a 6 inch+ layer if you wish.

Cost is about 4 for 10.00$ and it looks like you could use 8+ bags for the plants in the photo.
A small mound of mulch looks good and amends your soil at the same time.
Mulch has better insulating properties also.
In the spring just spiff it up with some pine straw and your good to go
Tarping over the plant is gardeners personal preference.

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mari@adams.net

Would it do any good to apply a fungicide on the fungi? Would that stop it from going further up the stock? I'm thinking the humidity in the room where I have the banana plants is too high, so may put a dehumidifier there for a while. I run a fan some. Thanks for the advice on the big box mulch, but I have already bought several bales of straw. I hope to be able to save the straw next spring if it is dry (in bags) till the next fall to use again. It worked well last winter. Even saved the Mother stem but I took the straw off too soon and lost her. All the pups made it okay.

mari@adams.net

Right or wrong, I cut the fungus off the stock of the Orinoco bananas. I disinfected the clippers and the stock with the fungus on it, then put peroxide around the new cut. Hope that stops the fungus from coming back.[IMG][/IMG]

mari@adams.net

I did a fresh cut on the stem of the small bunch of bananas 5 days ago, and the end of the stem is again turning brown. Is this from the soil being too dry? I have watered some but don't want to root rot as this is inside now in a pot for winter. Is it turning brown a good or bad thing? Would misting help keep the stem green? [IMG][/IMG]

mari@adams.net

I have a question about cutting back the hardy Basjoo for winter. I've read to wait until a frost on the leaves before cutting back the stems and mulching. Does the frost kill all of the stem? I want the Mother plant to survive winter so don't want the stem killed. Would the Mother plant have a better chance of survival if it is cut back and mulched before a frost?

geissene

I would wait for frost unless you get a true freeze first. Usually a frost just kills leaves since it only lasts a few hours.

I'm not sure what can be done with your fruit. Just enjoy them while you can.

bushwack

I am chopping all my Basjoo's off now when green (before the frost nips the leaves ) and covering them up,, did this last year to three of them and they all came back strong.

I dug the others up and dry stored them last year and none of them survived,, so I'm leaving all them in the ground this year

mari@adams.net

Thanks for the replies...I wondered if the frost on the leaves helped energy go down into the corm...don't know how much harm the frost does to the stem. Would like Mother stem to come back next year.

Backyard Banana Joe

in my limited experience I think you are fine. The neighbors cut the bloom on their bunch about a foot away from the bunch. it dried up several inches then just stopped dying. I think the drying is a natural process, as the stem is no longer a pathway (with the bud cut) to send nutrients anywhere (to the bud). I would stop cutting the stem back as the deadness it will just keep backing up towards the bananas. And, if you lose this bunch of bananas, you have a pup that will fruit several months after you plant it in the spring!

Backyard Banana Joe

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Backyard Banana Joe

As his plant is in the ground, it isn’t quite accurate, but if you watch the video, you can se that he pulled on the dry stock, and it pulled off. Obove it was a perfectly healed wound. You just have to cut it further away next time!!!!!!!!! Hopefully they ripen for you!

mari@adams.net

Since we are heading (in a few days) for a hard freeze (26*) I went ahead and cut the Basjoos down to prepare them for mulching. It was near 50* today but temps are to change fast Tuesday. Will mulch them in a day or so but wanted the tops to dry a little first. I miss seeing them waving to me from the front window. Hope we have a mild short winter.[IMG][/IMG]

cincinnana

OMG..............The Humanity.......

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mari@adams.net

LOL

mari@adams.net

Temps are supposed to get down to 26 in a couple days, so put the Basjoos to bed for the winter today. I'm sure the straw will settle a lot before Spring. Happy Halloween, everyone![IMG][/IMG]

HMelendez

Awesome job Mari!....

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mari@adams.net

Thanks, I want the mother plants to be able to grow in the Spring....don't know if I am 'over-doing' it, but our winters can be very cold and windy. This worked last year, so hope it works again this winter.