What can you do with a broken banana plant?

CoryS · 06-23-2010, 12:40 PM

I ordered a Black Thai banana plant from a nursery in Florida and this is how it looked when it arrived. The box was in perfect shape but the plant was broken almost in half near the bottom and every leaf was almost broken off. Is there any way to save it? Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

mm4birds · 06-23-2010, 12:47 PM

Plant up the base (dirt,corm and roots) and hope for the best. In my experience new growth will either come from the point beneath the break/bend or a new pup will show form the corm if it is developed enough. Good luck!

Dalmatiansoap · 06-23-2010, 01:08 PM

Pot it and stick it, U never know. I had same situation with one Basjoo last year and it recover without any problems.
Good luck!

CValentine · 06-23-2010, 01:10 PM

Hi Cory,

I would call the person/company about 'damaged goods'.
Sometimes they ask for a picture(which you have) and will send out a replacement.

If not, do what mm4 says...and hope it comes out of it!
I would pot it up in Well-draining soil & watch it carefully.
Remember to keep it in indirect sun/shaded area until you start seeing good growth again & move it into the sun gradually!

Best Wishes!!

~Cheryl

Gabe15 · 06-23-2010, 01:18 PM

I would cut it below the break. I know it sounds drastic, but this thing will be wanting to grow still, and having the break there can cause the growth to back up and eventually burst out side. There shouldn't be any problems and it will likely do just fine. Also cutting off the leaves it has will encourage it to grow new ones quickly. Just keep it warm and slightly moist with a bit of sun.

CoryS · 06-23-2010, 02:35 PM

Thanks tons for all the help!

I potted it before I got Gabe15's advice and have decided to cut the top off and see what happens. Thanks CValentine! An email has been sent to the company with the two photos I posted here. I hope they will send a healthy one but I don't want to see this one die, anyway.
Since I don't know who/what caused the damage, I didn't use the company's name in the post. I was told that plants can get bumped and move in the box during shipping so that might have been what happened. I just don't know.

Scott · 06-23-2010, 03:18 PM

After our freak-freeze, my buddy said he ran over his bananas with a lawn mower. So that's down to the ground.
Essentials: warm and not to much water. The roots are not supporting a large plant. So to much water and you'll rot the roots. It'll grow.
Personally, I would pot it then place it into a bush for outside shade...and forget about it. You'll get quite a surprise in a month

CoryS · 06-23-2010, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CValentine

Hi Cory,

I would call the person/company about 'damaged goods'.
Sometimes they ask for a picture(which you have) and will send out a replacement.

If not, do what mm4 says...and hope it comes out of it!
I would pot it up in Well-draining soil & watch it carefully.
Remember to keep it in indirect sun/shaded area until you start seeing good growth again & move it into the sun gradually!

Best Wishes!!

~Cheryl

Thanks for the advice! I just got a reply to the email and they said they would refund my money or replace the plant. I decided to try for a replacement. Since they already messed up once, the next one has a good chance of getting here in better condition.

Kostas · 06-23-2010, 06:14 PM

I too think it will be fine,just better keep it outdoors in a warm place with morning sun and shade afterwards,this should help with keeping it rot free while indoors it has more chances of getting rot from too much moisture it cannot transpire or guttate.

Cutting of as Gabe said will give a beautyfull plant sooner than waiting it burst its new growth out from somewhere. As the new leaf opens,it can get more sun.

DaveE · 06-23-2010, 06:47 PM

Looks like you have plenty of good advise, good luck!

Dave

sandy0225 · 06-24-2010, 06:46 AM

You should have ordered it from me. My plants get there in good shape.....LOL....
We put bamboo sticks in ours so that they can't move like that in the box.

TommyMacLuckie · 06-24-2010, 08:02 AM

Hit is with some Miracle Gro!

hortdoc · 06-24-2010, 08:22 AM

Sandy is right. The plants I ordered from her arrived in GREAT shape!

CoryS · 06-24-2010, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandy0225

You should have ordered it from me. My plants get there in good shape.....LOL....
We put bamboo sticks in ours so that they can't move like that in the box.

Cool!

And Thanks. I definitely have you on my special list for future banana plants. I have another member, here, on that list too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TommyMacLuckie

Hit is with some Miracle Gro!

Great advice and already done! They are sending another one but I decided I'm going to get this one growing anyway.

kaczercat · 06-24-2010, 01:48 PM

ohh what a SHAME TO SEE AND HEAR ABOUT! i really hope it recovers. such a beautiful rare banana to me at least , i aint got one

anyway fingers crossed for ya . make sure it gets warm weather. good luck !

CoryS · 06-24-2010, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaczercat

ohh what a SHAME TO SEE AND HEAR ABOUT! i really hope it recovers. such a beautiful rare banana to me at least , i aint got one

anyway fingers crossed for ya . make sure it gets warm weather. good luck !

Thanks! I saw one in a thread (Clare SA, I think) and noticed that they seem to get really tall and grow good in zone 7 so I just had to get one.

I've been searching for any tall bananas that grow good in zone 7. This Black Thai, and an Ice Cream banana plant I'll be getting from a farmer's market before Saturday, seem to be just what I need! I saw Patty in Wisc & LilRaverboi's Ice Cream banana plants and they're like huge. But I'll definitely need all the luck I can get since I'm just starting to learn how to grow banana plants and already drowned two DC's, lol!

Abnshrek · 06-24-2010, 04:37 PM

Sounds like your on the path down the banana growing experience. It can only get better :^)

CoryS · 06-24-2010, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abnshrek

Sounds like your on the path down the banana growing experience. It can only get better :^)

It seems a lot like soccer: fall down, get back up, fall down, get back up... lol.
I think Gabe15 was right. I cut the entire top off, last night, and when I checked it this morning, the top of the stem was brown but it looked like there was a dark hole in the center. Anyway, I just checked it again and part of the stem is growing!

It's just the center part [where the hole was] but it's bright green and is now about 1 mm above the cut-line! I think this banana plant might still be alive!

I'll add a photo to this post later. I tried but it's too small to get a good shot of yet.

kaczercat · 06-24-2010, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryS

Thanks! I saw one in a thread (Clare SA, I think) and noticed that they seem to get really tall and grow good in zone 7 so I just had to get one.

I've been searching for any tall bananas that grow good in zone 7. This Black Thai, and an Ice Cream banana plant I'll be getting from a farmer's market before Saturday, seem to be just what I need! I saw Patty in Wisc & LilRaverboi's Ice Cream banana plants and they're like huge. But I'll definitely need all the luck I can get since I'm just starting to learn how to grow banana plants and already drowned two DC's, lol!

yeah they got some huge plants to take in for the winter. i hope to be building a greenhouse in aug- sept for all my big ones over winter. but next time anyone from the US wants to buy banana plants buy through Sandy, i personally cant buy cause im in canada but all the reviews on her plants are excellent. And they look amazing !! im so damn jealous !

john_ny · 06-24-2010, 06:31 PM

You got it, my friend!

06-23-2010, 12:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
CoryS Novice Gardener CoryS's Photo Gallery Location: OK Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 727 BananaBucks : 73,678 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,362 Times Was Thanked 709 Times in 302 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 46 Times	What can you do with a broken banana plant? I ordered a Black Thai banana plant from a nursery in Florida and this is how it looked when it arrived. The box was in perfect shape but the plant was broken almost in half near the bottom and every leaf was almost broken off. Is there any way to save it? Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks. __________________ Sunlight makes plants grow and people live. -Me

06-23-2010, 12:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
mm4birds mm4birds's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 260 BananaBucks : 39,421 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 32 Times Was Thanked 138 Times in 75 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? Plant up the base (dirt,corm and roots) and hope for the best. In my experience new growth will either come from the point beneath the break/bend or a new pup will show form the corm if it is developed enough. Good luck!

06-23-2010, 01:08 PM	#3 (permalink)
Dalmatiansoap Let there be light Dalmatiansoap's Photo Gallery Location: Makarska, Croatia Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Ante Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 9,160 BananaBucks : 606,906 Feedback: 10 / 100% Said "Thanks" 6,508 Times Was Thanked 8,381 Times in 3,031 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 720 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? Pot it and stick it, U never know. I had same situation with one Basjoo last year and it recover without any problems. Good luck! __________________ https://abnb.me/AXJty518xib

06-23-2010, 01:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
CValentine Prolific Epistemologist CValentine 's Photo Gallery Location: Bell County, Texas Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Name: Che Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 3,846 BananaBucks : 151,512 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 7,127 Times Was Thanked 1,782 Times in 625 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 362 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? Hi Cory, I would call the person/company about 'damaged goods'. Sometimes they ask for a picture(which you have) and will send out a replacement. If not, do what mm4 says...and hope it comes out of it! I would pot it up in Well-draining soil & watch it carefully. Remember to keep it in indirect sun/shaded area until you start seeing good growth again & move it into the sun gradually! Best Wishes!! ~Cheryl __________________ When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. - Jimi Hendrix

06-23-2010, 01:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
Gabe15 Moderator Gabe15's Photo Gallery Location: Oahu, Hawaii Find me on the map! Zone: 12 Name: Gabe Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 3,892 BananaBucks : 13,340,018 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 8,237 Times in 2,200 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 8 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? I would cut it below the break. I know it sounds drastic, but this thing will be wanting to grow still, and having the break there can cause the growth to back up and eventually burst out side. There shouldn't be any problems and it will likely do just fine. Also cutting off the leaves it has will encourage it to grow new ones quickly. Just keep it warm and slightly moist with a bit of sun. __________________ Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

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06-23-2010, 02:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
CoryS Novice Gardener CoryS's Photo Gallery Location: OK Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 727 BananaBucks : 73,678 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,362 Times Was Thanked 709 Times in 302 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 46 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? Thanks tons for all the help! I potted it before I got Gabe15's advice and have decided to cut the top off and see what happens. Thanks CValentine! An email has been sent to the company with the two photos I posted here. I hope they will send a healthy one but I don't want to see this one die, anyway. Since I don't know who/what caused the damage, I didn't use the company's name in the post. I was told that plants can get bumped and move in the box during shipping so that might have been what happened. I just don't know. __________________ Sunlight makes plants grow and people live. -Me

06-23-2010, 03:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
Scott Location: Seminole, Fl Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Scott Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 162 BananaBucks : 19,025 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 129 Times Was Thanked 258 Times in 102 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? After our freak-freeze, my buddy said he ran over his bananas with a lawn mower. So that's down to the ground. Essentials: warm and not to much water. The roots are not supporting a large plant. So to much water and you'll rot the roots. It'll grow. Personally, I would pot it then place it into a bush for outside shade...and forget about it. You'll get quite a surprise in a month __________________

06-23-2010, 06:14 PM	#9 (permalink)
Kostas Kostas's Photo Gallery Location: Glyfada,Greece Zone: 10a Name: Konstantinos Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 787 BananaBucks : 217,418 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2,137 Times Was Thanked 1,063 Times in 464 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 8 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? I too think it will be fine,just better keep it outdoors in a warm place with morning sun and shade afterwards,this should help with keeping it rot free while indoors it has more chances of getting rot from too much moisture it cannot transpire or guttate. Cutting of as Gabe said will give a beautyfull plant sooner than waiting it burst its new growth out from somewhere. As the new leaf opens,it can get more sun. __________________ ''To try,is to risk failure......To not try,is to guarantee it''

06-23-2010, 06:47 PM	#10 (permalink)
DaveE DaveE's Photo Gallery Location: San Antonio, TX Find me on the map! Zone: 8 b Name: Dave Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 409 BananaBucks : 63,069 Feedback: 4 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,126 Times Was Thanked 569 Times in 192 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 54 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? Looks like you have plenty of good advise, good luck! Dave __________________

06-24-2010, 06:46 AM	#11 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 355,376 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? You should have ordered it from me. My plants get there in good shape.....LOL.... We put bamboo sticks in ours so that they can't move like that in the box. __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

06-24-2010, 08:02 AM	#12 (permalink)
TommyMacLuckie Howboutcha! TommyMacLuckie's Photo Gallery Location: Mandeville, Louisiana Find me on the map! Zone: 8B Name: Tommy Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 427 BananaBucks : 207,979 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 7 Times Was Thanked 375 Times in 202 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? Hit is with some Miracle Gro!

06-24-2010, 08:22 AM	#13 (permalink)
hortdoc Junior Member hortdoc's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 18 BananaBucks : 9,070 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 22 Times Was Thanked 15 Times in 10 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? Sandy is right. The plants I ordered from her arrived in GREAT shape!

06-24-2010, 01:48 PM	#15 (permalink)
kaczercat kaczercat's Photo Gallery Location: Southern ON Find me on the map! Zone: 5b 9b Name: Matt Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,874 BananaBucks : 220,082 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,116 Times Was Thanked 2,111 Times in 750 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 11 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? ohh what a SHAME TO SEE AND HEAR ABOUT! i really hope it recovers. such a beautiful rare banana to me at least , i aint got one anyway fingers crossed for ya . make sure it gets warm weather. good luck ! __________________ Matt

06-24-2010, 04:37 PM	#17 (permalink)
Abnshrek Happy Growing Abnshrek 's Photo Gallery Location: Beaumont Texas Find me on the map! Zone: 8b, but 9b weather.. Name: Migael / Michael Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 9,492 BananaBucks : 197,360 Feedback: 45 / 100% Said "Thanks" 10,447 Times Was Thanked 16,440 Times in 5,237 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,318 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? Sounds like your on the path down the banana growing experience. It can only get better :^) __________________ I'm a Nannerhead :^)

06-24-2010, 06:31 PM	#20 (permalink)
john_ny Member john_ny's Photo Gallery Location: Staten Island, NY - southernmost county in NY State. Find me on the map! Zone: USDA7- Sunset34 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,014 BananaBucks : 607,363 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,057 Times Was Thanked 2,284 Times in 832 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 37 Times	Re: What can you do with a broken banana plant? You got it, my friend! __________________ John

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