texasmusa

Update 6/24

Keywords: musa aeae, variegated, splitting, stem, stalk, root rot (maybe?)

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Growing a Variegated Musa AeAe indoors, here's my trial and error journal. Any advice is welcome!!

Best day

First off I would recommend that in the future you put more perlite in your soil mix. Perlite provides drainage and aeration, both of which banana plants like. My soil mix is about 60% perlite.

It is hard to tell from the photo if that is rot or just a brown leaf in the picture. I suspect a new leaf will pop out of that split in Pseudostem soon.

Good luck!

beam2050

[quote=texasmusa;348384]

with out seeing the whole plant, off hand to make a guess, i will give you a clue.

that is what happens to my shirt when i show off to the ladies and bulge my muscles.


bit of winter damage to outside layer of the p-stem, your plants growing?

is she still pushing up leaves?

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

Abnshrek

My view of it is it stopped growing @ some point and now its choking and the growth point going to pop out some where, or you could help your plant out by trimming it.

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

cincinnana

Trim the old dead leaf off .
Plants do this when you pick at them exposing the leaf underneath.
The outer most leaves all deteriorate just like what you’re experiencing
Take a photo of the whole plant to see what the other leaves look like .

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cincinnana

I have the same issue.


Container
by
Hostafarian,
on Flickr

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beam2050

yeah, but that aint your shirt ripping. thats your PANTs.

your showing stuff that aint supposed to be seen. oh the shame.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

texasmusa

[quote=beam2050;348387]Haha

No, she's not pushing out new leaves. I recently placed her under a grow light 600W. If the forum doesn't mind, I'll be posting her progress as she grows.

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Growing a Variegated Musa AeAe indoors, here's my trial and error journal. Any advice is welcome!!

texasmusa

I hope this helps anyone growing an indoor Musa AeAe in the future. Updates will come weekly/biweekly if there are no significant changes.

Mini update today #1.

The splitting stem is slightly longer, I'm sure the exterior leaves are prepared to die soon due to lack of sunlight. Before, they were stored in an IKEA DIY Greenhouse. I have ~10 anthuriums in there and they were all doing well. I assumed the Musa would be, but it clearly faltered. IKEA humidity maintained 70-80%, temp highest was 71F.

DIY Greenhouse #2. Moved all light-demanding plants to a mini closet on 6/7. The lamp is Mars Hydro 600W. The Mylar will be delivered today, updated pictures will be edited into this post. Humidity has dropped to 46% in this closet, temp risen to 86F. NOTE: The Mars Hydro is an exposed LED panel, I'm not sure how to introduce humidity without risk of shock/shortage. Still figuring this one out.





It looks dim in the photo, buts its very bright and more light than any window in my apartment (NW facing).

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Growing a Variegated Musa AeAe indoors, here's my trial and error journal. Any advice is welcome!!

beam2050

it maybe choking. as cinncinnana said, peel back the brown [dead] part of the p-stem. look for a noticeable bulge at the rip. you may have to cut it down above the bulge or at it. but as small as she is you could kill it. post a picture after peeling, would help those who know to tell you what to do. i had one choke this year after winter. is doing fine after surgery.

but it still can be recovering from winter. hard to say with one picture. maybe needs some fresh air. recovery from winter can take some time.

with an aeae, bright area but not much direct sun. and personally [for what it is worth and what i can see] i think it is just recovering from winter [hopefully].

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

beam2050

P1010502.JPG

click on the picture

here i planted a dwarf maoli tc. is still doing very well. used this and another one for many banana plants.

this pic was taken not quite 3 years ago. now that we have figured how to get pictures on this site with this computer......................

LETS ROCK AND ROLL.

:21 80:

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

texasmusa

This is the finished DIY Closet Greenhouse, now lined with Mylar. Humidity increased to 55%, heat maintains at 84F.

As a disclaimer, I am between jobs at the moment so I am able to monitor the closet. The light, humidifier, and fan are connected to an surge-protected extension cord that is unplugged every time I leave the house. I do not leave the lights on unsupervised.


https://i.imgur.com/2SAyld2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ft0Vw1G.jpg

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Growing a Variegated Musa AeAe indoors, here's my trial and error journal. Any advice is welcome!!

texasmusa

6/11 Less than 48 hours of introducing additional sunlight, a new leaf is emerging. The remaining stressed leaf is producing a more vibrant green, it is no longer folding over on itself, and the white markings closest to the stem are noticeably brighter. The pink vein is now pink instead of brown, a complete change from just days ago.


I was going to upgrade to TS1000W but will keep the 600W until the baby leaf matures. I wish I had done this sooner. To anyone who may be interested, this is what she was months ago when I first brought her inside. Pic

6/12. With a gentle nudge, the entire plant collapsed. For study purposes I took cross sections. Note: It smells like banana even when cutting the leaves!! So cute.

Issue from weeks ago, the dead leaf. For anyone who may be curious, if the new growth is dead like this and doesn't push out another... CHOP THE PLANT! Musa Aeae do NOT grow like philodendrons, pothos, or anthuriums or even lillies!! They cannot push out a new leaf under/aside the dead one, it means the vein within the plant is dead and the death will spread. It almost killed the new growth, I understand now what others meant by a "choke". (Pic dead new growth)

Cross section (image). Out of order so we'll refer to them as A, B, and C. C is the bottom section of the top leaf. As you may notice, the exterior leaves are healthy but there is no growth in the middle where the 'new' dead leaf was. Its solidly dead. A is the middle piece of rot taken from the midsection of the stem. The rot traveled all the way down to the base and started spreading outwards. Last, but not least, section B. The mushy black core could have reached the bulb, and all would have been lost. If you have a choke and are afraid of cutting your expensive plant, don't be. You must cut it at the choke.


A small refresh of ~1/4th cup water after insect soap spray. A little gleam of hope. Beautiful variegation already pushing through. Pic 1, Pic 2

If it wasn't so expensive it would be alright, but I am a little distraught. From research, it takes about ~6 months to regrow to its originally purchased height. I will update further when I introduce the 1000W light.

6/13.
Very healthy. Last photo of her in 600W light. The 1000W light has dimming options, so I'm keeping it. It is currently on the maximum output to determine if it burns the leaves. Barbaric, but necessary. Strong, white roots are coming out of the bottom of the planter. Bottom watered 2 cups, (the top 2" of soil was already dry). No fertilizer. 600W highest temp 88-92F, 66% humidity.

6/14. Pic 1, Pic 2.
18cm. The 1000W doesn't get as hot, max temp was 88F. 66% humidity. Watering only at night going forward, it seems to grow at night. 1/4th cup sprinkling over the leaves.

6/15. Pic 1
21 cm. Loving the 1000W light at max. Temps increased to 93F, 58% humidity. 0 water.

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Growing a Variegated Musa AeAe indoors, here's my trial and error journal. Any advice is welcome!!

texasmusa

Last post. 100% recovery and success growing musa aeae indoors... in a closet! Humidity 71-80%, temp 88-90F. 1000W Max settings.

Pic 1, Pic 2. Size comparison.

Assuming the growth is constant the rate will be ~26cm every week, or ~4cm per day. The original plant was 112cm so ~4weeks until its met that height.

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Growing a Variegated Musa AeAe indoors, here's my trial and error journal. Any advice is welcome!!

Best day

That’s good news. There really are beautiful plants. What is your plan for when the plant gets big?

Bill

Kingt82

How often and how much have you been watering it?

texasmusa

I didn't think of that. I may have to move the shelf up for the light. If it gets higher than 6ft (182cm) I'll have to cut the leaves in half until I get a bigger place.

1/2 cup of stratum water daily. Bottom watering, the humidifier keeps the top later wet.


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Update 9/30. My Aeae is approaching 6 ft. I have to move her outdoors or begin cutting the top leaves.

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Growing a Variegated Musa AeAe indoors, here's my trial and error journal. Any advice is welcome!!