musamusa

Hi there,

I am quite a novice in growing ornamental bananas. Recently I got my much coverted Siam Ruby banana.

But somehow it has stopped growing. The older leaves have been shed off and the plant's left with only 4 leaves. The four leaves got kinda smaller and lighter in colour in contrast to the usual deep red!

I am facing a problem - what is exactly happening? It is grown in a pot and in the outdoors in Singapore, a country near the equator in the Far East.

Would appreicate if someone here can give some insights...

TIA!

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MediaHound

Welcome to the forum!
What medium is it planted in? Are you fertilizing well?

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microfarmer

Have you moved it to a new spot with more or less light? Are there any signs of mites or other pests? Are your night temps going into the 40's?

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musamusa

Hi All,

Thanks for the info. I guess nothing will beat seeing pictures as the old saying goes - a picture tells a thousand words...

I have shifted it now to a place with less light since the lightening of the leaf colour suggests too much light?

How can I wake my Siam Ruby up a bit? Growth seems to be stagnant for quite some time already.

The plant is being grown a in large container with well-drained soil with compost supplemented.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...dsiamruby1.jpg
This pic shows the newest leaf on the plant. Obvious is the bleaching of the colour. Probably too much sun? In Singapore, I see people growing them in semishade.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/j...siamruby12.jpg
This is how the whole plant looks now. The leaves are somewhat folded due to the heat of the noon.

Thanks once more.

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MediaHound

Yours looks better than mine right now, fwiw.
I left mine out for the cold snap we had a couple weeks ago, it's burned it a bit.

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sandy0225

Forgive my ignorance of where you live, but is it winter or summer there right now? Because if it's winter, it looks pretty darned good!
If it's summer, I'd repot if it's been in that soil for a while, put it out in a little better light, and check it for spider mites. Actually check for spider mites summer or winter.
I've noticed the leaves on mine have gotten greener, less red over the winter, probably due to low light levels and cooler temps, but the color did fade first on the older leaves like yours is doing. Are your light levels less intense during this season?
Overall, a very good looking plant.

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musamusa

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the advice and leads so far.

I am residing in Singapore and it is summer all year round. Our sunshine here at the Equatorial tropics is perhaps more intense than in the temperature regions.

I notice Siam Ruby and related cultivars seem to be quite fussy with their soil conditions than others? Do you all agree?

It needs something really porous, organic and fertile in nature.

Thanks!!

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STEELVIPER

Maybe a bit less sun would be better for it. The sun down in your area can be quite brutal. Maybe moving it to a spot that get some shade during the hottest time of the day would help it.

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mskitty38583

if you cant move the tree, maybe you could use some of that shade screening. they sell it at most major home centers or you could order it onine.

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bengtang

Where do you get siamensis from in Singapore?