Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

I have two groups of Ele Ele. They both get good fertilizer and plenty of water. They seem stumped at 5-6 feet.


As you can see the leaves are HUUUUUUUUUGE. Shouldn't these plante be taller?


Ice Creams, Sabas, and Tall Orinocos get the same treatment and have grown to the correct heights.

Re: Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

This brings up a question I've had for a while...I've got a similar situation with Dw. Cavendish. The DC I have I originally obtained about 5 yrs ago while living in St. Louis. It is a pup off of a DC that was about 7' tall at the time I took the pup. The odd thing is, ever since I've been in TX, it has never gotten over 3' tall. It's as if it has suddenly changed into a Super DC or something. I even divided some pups off of it here, took it to where I work where we have much better soil than I have here at home to see if it was a soil/nutrient issue, but it is currently no taller than 2' and we've had a ton of rain this year! Anyone know what could cause something like this? I'm beginning to wonder if it's bad genetics or a genetic mutation. My actual SDC is taller that this plant!

Re: Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

Sometimes clones of the same banana planted in different spots on my property grow differently from the other spots where it's planted.
Just give it a good feeding and some tlc... maybe till the soil a bit.

Re: Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

I see you're in SC. You get fairly cold there right? If I remember correctly, Ele Ele is a very cold-sensitive plant that's a "little temperamental" as Pitangadiego would have said! That is: cold-sensitive compared to orinocos, Ice creams, and sabas.

An I suppose you overwinter the plants in the ground? I think this has something to do with it - When you loose some stem in the winter. I have also seen basjoos in extreme northern areas flowering at ridiculously low heights.

I also notice the colour of the plant is not dark brown as it should be. Do you by any chance know the pH of your soil? What are you feeding it?

Regards
Erlend

Re: Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

The all get slow release 12-2-14 once a month, a fish head every now and then, and some vegetable scraps a few times a month. No, I don't know the ph, but they occasionally get some good charcoal ashes from the grill. I know it is not volcanic, but its all I got.

Re: Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

Oooh, I would stop doing that. These barbecue ashes make the soil highly alkaline, and as far as I know volcanic soil is slightly acidic because of the sulfur. So that's probably why your Ele Ele is looking pale as a Finnish guy in the middle of winter.

(Actually, that's how my great grandmother would make soap in the good old days. She would mix water with ashes from the stove, and then mix this with animal lard. Best soap north of the equator! :nanabath: )


Anyway, I think all bananas love a pH on the slightly acidic side. 5.5 to 7 is probably in the ideal range.

Re: Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

I thought ashes were acidic. They sure do rust the grill when combined with H2O.

Re: Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

Hello, I found this on Wikipedia (about soap) to backup what I am claiming:

Re: Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

Simply

Are you still growing Ele Ele

Re: Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

Yes...and they are still short! However...my dwarf namwahs are really tall now..

Re: Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

I wonder if the lack of humidity in the winter months, have turned your Ele Ele into dwarfs, your dwarf Namwahs could possibly be tall Namwahs

Re: Dwarfing of my Ele Eles
 

Hmmmmm, I'm reading this thread "upside down" :drum:, I would find it interesting to be able to dwarf bananas on purpose :ha:, is lack of humidity a trick for that? Sounds a bit dangerous 'cause the line between low humidity and dry death is probably thin?

Re: Dwarffing of my Ele Eles
 

Charleston has plenty of humidity for bananas.