Ladyfinger near death... help!!

miaella · 06-21-2007, 03:23 PM

I have a dwarf ladyfinger that is about 14 inches tall and has stopped growing. I think I over watered it (bad soil) and the leaves all started to brown and shrivel up. The leaf that was beginning to grow from the center has stopped.

I have re-potted the plant in better soil. What else should I do? Do you think it will come back?

momoese · 06-21-2007, 03:56 PM

The only hope for that plant is to remove the corm from what looks to be soggy soil, chop down the pseudo stem in increments until that black rotting center leaf is no longer showing black. You may have to cut it all the way down the the corm and possibly even dig out the middle of the corm to remove all the rot. Then let it dry out a few days and repot it in dry potting soil. I would not water it until I saw some sign of new growth or a new pup coming up.

It doesn't look good for your plant.

miaella · 06-21-2007, 04:07 PM

I've done some research but am not exactly sure what the corm is. Is is the "bulb" part?

Can you describe the digging out of the corm part? I'd rather not do any more damage than is already done.

momoese · 06-21-2007, 04:24 PM

The corm is the round bottom part of the plant underneath the soil line. The pseudo stem is the trunk of the tree. If you chop down the trunk all the way to soil line and you can still see black in the very center of the top of the corm, then the corm has started to rot and will require some surgery. You can use any sharp knife or an exacto blade and dig all the rotted material out that you can.

miaella · 06-21-2007, 04:34 PM

Momoese, thanks for the help!

I cut just below the top and the leaf was still green. I have taken the banana tree out of the soil to dry... do you have any more hope for my poor plant given its current status? Should I cut the roots off in case of rot below the corm?

Here are photos of the plant now:

momoese · 06-21-2007, 04:43 PM

It doesn't have much of a corm. Must have been a TC plant. Just repot it and leave the soil dry for a few days. Then water it lightly one time and wait to see if takes. Keep it out of direct sunlight. If and when it grows you can start adding some more water.

Do you see any soft dark rot on the roots or corm?

miaella · 06-21-2007, 05:01 PM

These is some soft dark rot on the ends of some of the roots. I can't really tell on the corm since it is so small.

(Not sure what a TC plant is, I bought this online from logee's)

momoese · 06-21-2007, 05:42 PM

TC = Tissue Culture

If there is not any rot on the corm itself it might survive but the corm is so small that it will tough for it to make a come back.

Go ahead and repot per my previous instructions and hope for the best!

miaella · 06-21-2007, 06:33 PM

Thanks again for the help!

This is my first attempt at growing a banana tree, hopefully it springs back to life.

Momoese, do you have any recommendations on where I could buy a bigger banana corm? I'm in MN so I probably won't have any luck locally.

D'Andra · 06-21-2007, 07:34 PM

Hi Miaella.

You may have some luck finding some good corms if you post in the For sale/swap & wanted forum. I think you can find it on this sites homepage.

miaella · 06-21-2007, 07:50 PM

Thanks D'Andra, I'll give it a try!

fish2026 · 06-21-2007, 10:20 PM

Let us know. Where you able to save it ?

JoeS475 · 06-21-2007, 11:09 PM

Make sure your plant (or replacement plant) gets great drainage, and is never sitting in water - from the looks of the first picture you posted the soil could be soggy, and the tray it is sitting in may be collecting water (tough to tell though).

Bananas LOVE water, but HATE sitting in it!

~Joe

miaella · 06-21-2007, 11:35 PM

The photo makes the plant look wetter than it was--I had a mix of 50% potting soil and 50% perlite so it drained pretty well (for the last week). The couple weeks before then it was in pure potting soil and was very wet...which seems to have done it in.

I'll be sure to keep you guys updated if it survives!

miaella · 07-02-2007, 07:30 PM

It has been almost two weeks since I began trying to save this Dwarf LadyFinger. The good news is that it is still green. The bad news is that it doesn't seem to be doing anything except for brown at the top. Anyone have any hope for its survival?

momoese · 07-02-2007, 08:47 PM

Is it getting any bright indirect sunlight?

You might want to continue cutting the top if looks like it's rotting. Turning brown and rotting are two different things though.

As for hope, yes, there is still some hope, even for your very small TC. Bananas are actually very tough plants that can surprise you!

If all else fails you have learned that bananas like sunlight and don't like to sit in water that becomes stagnant.

On a side not, I wouldn't recommend glazed pots as they don't breath and will promote root rot.

miaella · 07-02-2007, 09:42 PM

The plant was outside for the past week getting some sun. The top isn't rotting, just browning. I re-potted it just now and noticed that some of the roots were rotting so I cut those off and tried to remove any rot left on the corm.

mrbungalow · 07-03-2007, 03:47 AM

Put it in the compost and buy a new one. Unless there is a lot of sentimental value, there is no use utilizing time on a problem-plant that is easily replaced.

bencelest · 07-03-2007, 09:10 AM

Dwarf ladyfinger is hard to find nowadays. Logees run out of stock, the only source I found before.

51st state · 07-03-2007, 09:12 AM

Hi Erlend

what a pessimist!!...It's a banana after all, tough as old boots.

I 'found' a cutting from an unnamed banana outside a restaurant in Italy earlier this year and its just about to unfurl its first leaf. So patience is the name of the game.

I would give it lots of TLC, plenty of warmth and humidity (but with ventilation too), and bright conditions (but no direct sunlight) I expect to see photos of it sprouting in a week or two.

fingers crossed, good luck

Kev

06-21-2007, 03:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
miaella Junior Member miaella's Photo Gallery Location: Saint Louis Park Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 31 BananaBucks : 15,878 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Ladyfinger near death... help!! I have a dwarf ladyfinger that is about 14 inches tall and has stopped growing. I think I over watered it (bad soil) and the leaves all started to brown and shrivel up. The leaf that was beginning to grow from the center has stopped. I have re-potted the plant in better soil. What else should I do? Do you think it will come back? Last edited by miaella : 07-02-2007 at 07:34 PM.

06-21-2007, 03:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
momoese Banana grower momoese's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Zone: zone 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,590 BananaBucks : 3,990 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,747 Times Was Thanked 10,888 Times in 3,311 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 728 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! The only hope for that plant is to remove the corm from what looks to be soggy soil, chop down the pseudo stem in increments until that black rotting center leaf is no longer showing black. You may have to cut it all the way down the the corm and possibly even dig out the middle of the corm to remove all the rot. Then let it dry out a few days and repot it in dry potting soil. I would not water it until I saw some sign of new growth or a new pup coming up. It doesn't look good for your plant.

06-21-2007, 04:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
miaella Junior Member miaella's Photo Gallery Location: Saint Louis Park Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 31 BananaBucks : 15,878 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! I've done some research but am not exactly sure what the corm is. Is is the "bulb" part? Can you describe the digging out of the corm part? I'd rather not do any more damage than is already done.

06-21-2007, 04:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
momoese Banana grower momoese's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Zone: zone 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,590 BananaBucks : 3,990 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,747 Times Was Thanked 10,888 Times in 3,311 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 728 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! The corm is the round bottom part of the plant underneath the soil line. The pseudo stem is the trunk of the tree. If you chop down the trunk all the way to soil line and you can still see black in the very center of the top of the corm, then the corm has started to rot and will require some surgery. You can use any sharp knife or an exacto blade and dig all the rotted material out that you can.

06-21-2007, 04:34 PM	#5 (permalink)
miaella Junior Member miaella's Photo Gallery Location: Saint Louis Park Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 31 BananaBucks : 15,878 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! Momoese, thanks for the help! I cut just below the top and the leaf was still green. I have taken the banana tree out of the soil to dry... do you have any more hope for my poor plant given its current status? Should I cut the roots off in case of rot below the corm? Here are photos of the plant now:

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06-21-2007, 04:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
momoese Banana grower momoese's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Zone: zone 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,590 BananaBucks : 3,990 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,747 Times Was Thanked 10,888 Times in 3,311 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 728 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! It doesn't have much of a corm. Must have been a TC plant. Just repot it and leave the soil dry for a few days. Then water it lightly one time and wait to see if takes. Keep it out of direct sunlight. If and when it grows you can start adding some more water. Do you see any soft dark rot on the roots or corm?

06-21-2007, 05:01 PM	#7 (permalink)
miaella Junior Member miaella's Photo Gallery Location: Saint Louis Park Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 31 BananaBucks : 15,878 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! These is some soft dark rot on the ends of some of the roots. I can't really tell on the corm since it is so small. (Not sure what a TC plant is, I bought this online from logee's)

06-21-2007, 05:42 PM	#8 (permalink)
momoese Banana grower momoese's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Zone: zone 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,590 BananaBucks : 3,990 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,747 Times Was Thanked 10,888 Times in 3,311 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 728 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! TC = Tissue Culture If there is not any rot on the corm itself it might survive but the corm is so small that it will tough for it to make a come back. Go ahead and repot per my previous instructions and hope for the best!

06-21-2007, 06:33 PM	#9 (permalink)
miaella Junior Member miaella's Photo Gallery Location: Saint Louis Park Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 31 BananaBucks : 15,878 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! Thanks again for the help! This is my first attempt at growing a banana tree, hopefully it springs back to life. Momoese, do you have any recommendations on where I could buy a bigger banana corm? I'm in MN so I probably won't have any luck locally.

06-21-2007, 07:34 PM	#10 (permalink)
D'Andra Senior Member D'Andra's Photo Gallery Location: Las Cruces, NM Find me on the map! Zone: 8 Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 224 BananaBucks : 4,253 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 9 Times in 7 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! Hi Miaella. You may have some luck finding some good corms if you post in the For sale/swap & wanted forum. I think you can find it on this sites homepage. __________________ D'.

06-21-2007, 07:50 PM	#11 (permalink)
miaella Junior Member miaella's Photo Gallery Location: Saint Louis Park Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 31 BananaBucks : 15,878 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! Thanks D'Andra, I'll give it a try!

06-21-2007, 10:20 PM	#12 (permalink)
fish2026 Junior Member Find me on the map! Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 47 BananaBucks : 46,792 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 4 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Id like to know what happens Let us know. Where you able to save it ?

06-21-2007, 11:09 PM	#13 (permalink)
JoeS475 Winter Sucks... JoeS475's Photo Gallery Location: Northern New Jersey Find me on the map! Zone: 6-7 Name: Joe Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 290 BananaBucks : 100,831 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 7 Times Was Thanked 15 Times in 13 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! Make sure your plant (or replacement plant) gets great drainage, and is never sitting in water - from the looks of the first picture you posted the soil could be soggy, and the tray it is sitting in may be collecting water (tough to tell though). Bananas LOVE water, but HATE sitting in it! ~Joe __________________

06-21-2007, 11:35 PM	#14 (permalink)
miaella Junior Member miaella's Photo Gallery Location: Saint Louis Park Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 31 BananaBucks : 15,878 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! The photo makes the plant look wetter than it was--I had a mix of 50% potting soil and 50% perlite so it drained pretty well (for the last week). The couple weeks before then it was in pure potting soil and was very wet...which seems to have done it in. I'll be sure to keep you guys updated if it survives!

07-02-2007, 07:30 PM	#15 (permalink)
miaella Junior Member miaella's Photo Gallery Location: Saint Louis Park Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 31 BananaBucks : 15,878 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! It has been almost two weeks since I began trying to save this Dwarf LadyFinger. The good news is that it is still green. The bad news is that it doesn't seem to be doing anything except for brown at the top. Anyone have any hope for its survival?

07-02-2007, 08:47 PM	#16 (permalink)
momoese Banana grower momoese's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Zone: zone 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,590 BananaBucks : 3,990 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,747 Times Was Thanked 10,888 Times in 3,311 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 728 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! Is it getting any bright indirect sunlight? You might want to continue cutting the top if looks like it's rotting. Turning brown and rotting are two different things though. As for hope, yes, there is still some hope, even for your very small TC. Bananas are actually very tough plants that can surprise you! If all else fails you have learned that bananas like sunlight and don't like to sit in water that becomes stagnant. On a side not, I wouldn't recommend glazed pots as they don't breath and will promote root rot.

07-02-2007, 09:42 PM	#17 (permalink)
miaella Junior Member miaella's Photo Gallery Location: Saint Louis Park Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 31 BananaBucks : 15,878 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! The plant was outside for the past week getting some sun. The top isn't rotting, just browning. I re-potted it just now and noticed that some of the roots were rotting so I cut those off and tried to remove any rot left on the corm.

07-03-2007, 03:47 AM	#18 (permalink)
mrbungalow Freezing member mrbungalow's Photo Gallery Location: Bergen, Norway Find me on the map! Zone: 8 Name: Erlend Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 598 BananaBucks : 47,327 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 14 Times Was Thanked 165 Times in 78 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! Put it in the compost and buy a new one. Unless there is a lot of sentimental value, there is no use utilizing time on a problem-plant that is easily replaced. __________________

07-03-2007, 09:10 AM	#19 (permalink)
bencelest Banana Nut bencelest's Photo Gallery Location: California Zone 9 Zone: 9 Name: Benny Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,058 BananaBucks : 189,368 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 15 Times Was Thanked 1,415 Times in 653 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! Dwarf ladyfinger is hard to find nowadays. Logees run out of stock, the only source I found before. __________________ Banana Nut

07-03-2007, 09:12 AM	#20 (permalink)
51st state many 'naners, little time 51st state's Photo Gallery Location: salisbury, UK Find me on the map! Zone: 8b ish Name: Kev Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 465 BananaBucks : 309,087 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 202 Times Was Thanked 259 Times in 126 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Ladyfinger near death... help!! Hi Erlend what a pessimist!!...It's a banana after all, tough as old boots. I 'found' a cutting from an unnamed banana outside a restaurant in Italy earlier this year and its just about to unfurl its first leaf. So patience is the name of the game. I would give it lots of TLC, plenty of warmth and humidity (but with ventilation too), and bright conditions (but no direct sunlight) I expect to see photos of it sprouting in a week or two. fingers crossed, good luck Kev __________________ a>

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