SonnyCrockett

I had a few mats where just one p-stem would start to grow a little as it warmed up, but then would stop before a leaf unfurled. Other p-stems the same size and age seem to wake up from the cold and start pushing leaves okay. What causes this?

I tried to peel back some of the dried leaves at the top of the p-stem as it warmed up to expose the center leaf. But the tissue in the center was white. Instead of pushing out a green leaf, usually the exposed tissue would turn darker, like a sunscald, and then start to turn mushy.

I tried to keep cutting down until I hit something approximating a developing leaf, but didn't see anything.

url=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=61408&ppuser=21632][/url]

url=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=61406&ppuser=21632][/url]

Any suggestions?

Sonny

Island Brah

I'd start by cutting all the dried leaves off and check the drainage of the soil in that spot.

has it always grown like that or just this year?

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SonnyCrockett

The strange thing is that all the other p-stems in the same mat will be healthy and fine - throwing up full sized leaves. In the pictures, you can see two p-stems the same size right next to each other, but one is not really springing to life and the other is fine. It just seems like every so often there's one p-stem in the mat that sort of chokes or fails or something. Not sure why though. Any thoughts?

Island Brah

is it at random or is it the same p-stem every time?

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Growing: Basjoo, Blue Java (The Real One), FHIA-01 American Goldfinger, Manzano, Tall Orinoco, Raja Puri (USDA TARS), Veinte Cohol (USDA TARS), Patupi, & SH-3640 High Noon (USDA TARS)

edwmax

I've had this to happen on several plants due to a stem infection or root infection. With the stem infection, The stem slowly died/rotted back to the corm. Then the top of the corm (top grow point) rotted out. The stem would continually show green as you cut the dead off. ... If root rot, the stem would slowly die back as the roots die & rot.

I have 5 pots now after 4 months (+) are popping up pups (2 or more). I cleaned, cut, scraped the rot off and heavily treated/washed with bleach water to kill the fungus. I don't expect the mother corm to survive, but the pups will be repotted soon.

Your plant, for a mild infection, the plant might recover on it's own. Give it time. ... Also, if that stem is more tan 2 years old it may be spent and dying back as part of the natural plant cycle. ... If the stem loses more than half its height, then more drastic measures & inspection of the corm may be need. .... just my opinion ...

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Island Brah

You washed the corm in bleach??? Yikes

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Growing: Basjoo, Blue Java (The Real One), FHIA-01 American Goldfinger, Manzano, Tall Orinoco, Raja Puri (USDA TARS), Veinte Cohol (USDA TARS), Patupi, & SH-3640 High Noon (USDA TARS)

SonnyCrockett

It's fairly random. 2 name wahs on 2 different mats and 1 raja puri. Maybe they were the original stems? It's hard to tell on the name wahs, since the suckers are as big as the original stems.

These were in pots until last March, so it's their first year in the ground

edwmax

YES! ... It is standard agricultural practice to disinfect banana corms, other plants, and equipment with bleach water solution. Another way is to submerge the corm in 'hot water' about 160 - 180 deg F which would also kill insects. ... I prefer to use bleach; it is quicker than heating water.

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Island Brah

That's wild! Would have never thought to put bleach on roots LOL. I'd never try that on mine

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Growing: Basjoo, Blue Java (The Real One), FHIA-01 American Goldfinger, Manzano, Tall Orinoco, Raja Puri (USDA TARS), Veinte Cohol (USDA TARS), Patupi, & SH-3640 High Noon (USDA TARS)

edwmax

It's hard to tell how old the plant is in the pot at the nursery. ... If the banana plant is pupping and the nursery/store is discounting the sell price, then it is likely older than a year. ... I bought a couple of bananas this way. The mother stalk has since died, but the pups are growing.

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edwmax

You should consider this when planting corms from someone else's patch. This is how to prevent spread of plant diseases. And it will certainly kill root rot fungus.

One should always practice safe se.... errrr .... I mean protect you banana.

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SonnyCrockett

A couple of the stems are now pushing out white leaves that got folded up somehow. Another stem has a half-ejected leaf that is slowly creeping out - less than 1/4" over the past few days. I'm wondering if it's the same thing. Maybe a leaf has gotten folded up in the middle and is getting caught.

I'm certainly overzealous with my fertilizer...maybe it was too much too soon. Or that late freeze we had. The rest of the stems are throwing up leaves like crazy though.

cincinnana

This happens to me too on a few of my plants.
The leaves get stuck/choked in the Pstem and cannot push out.
For me it only happens in the spring once I take the plants outside.

This happens to flowers also, it is called a choke.
Sometimes they pop out the side of the stem if the pressure gets too much and just keep growing.

Here are some pics of mine and this is what I do.

My chokes
Another choke

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Tytaylor77

Looking at the 2nd link, now I'm calling you the banana surgeon! Haha.

They can build pressure up in there too! I've cut tops of pstem early spring and they instantly push up 2-3" out the top. Now that's growing fast!

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cincinnana

In Texas ain't that called a Gusher?

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SonnyCrockett

Nice pics of the chokes. Thanks for sharing. I had a small Nam Wah that I thought was dead blow out the side of the stem about 2/3rds of the way up.

cincinnana

I have a few a year that do it in the spring.......now I just cut the pstem in half if I suspect a choke situation...ARG!!!

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SonnyCrockett

That's what I ended up doing to one of my Raja Puri stems. But the stem I cut back didn't do anything. The pups grew like crazy though.

Stonecutter

I use bleach in water reservoirs that may hold water for a week or more for watering plants to keep it from going sour, kill pythium and such. But I use it in eye droppers as in 10 drops per 5 gallons or so. Very dilute solution like that won't harm plants.

But I don't recommend doing this unless you are familiar with the procedure. Also that is MY dilution rate!! others may think to use a different dilution for different needs.

edwmax

At 2 drops per gal is approximately 26 ppm. ... The recommended rate to disinfect 'drinking water' is 6 to 12 drops per gal. That is approx. 79 to 158 ppm. ... Open air containers over time (few hours) the chlorine will dissipate and the water will have no chlorine taste or 'free chlorine' to kill bacteria. Chlorinated drinking water (aka: city water) should not hurt plants as this is used all the time to water plants in the city. ... A simple test for free Chlorine is taste or smell. ... You have a lot of room to increase the chlorine concentration if needed to maintain 'free chlorine'.


The concentration I used above is 2 TBs to 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water and I have used household bleach straight. Before someone gets their panties in a wad, household bleach is only 8.26% (82,600 ppm) or less bleach. At these concentrations the corms were only treated for 2 or 3 mins then rinsed clean and this may be done 2 or 3 times.

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