what's wrong with my bananas?

Engleman · 07-27-2009, 08:22 AM

Hi All,
I'm a new member living in SW Fl. I was hoping to give a cheery intro to myself and instead am asking for help? I have about a dozen different types mostly put in within the last year or so and am noticing this leaf distortion and die back on three or four. The worst case is on a FHIA 18 but it has also shown on a raji puri and an "apple". I'm enclosing some photos in the photo gallery (under 'engleman') and hope someone can identify the problem and help me deal with it.
Hopefully a 'cheery' intro to follow...

Bob · 07-27-2009, 04:32 PM

I hope someone with more expertise sees this and checks your gallery. The regular pattern of blackening on the ribs of the leaves look like it could be sigatoka which I believe may be in your area. Check some posts on this and look at the wiki for more info, copper sulfate should help control it. Good luck.

lorax · 07-27-2009, 04:36 PM

Looks like Sig to me. Copper sulfate to the rescue!

Nicolas Naranja · 07-27-2009, 09:17 PM

That doesn't look like a typical case of sigatoka to me, and from my own experience I have almost never seen sigatoka on the candela (new closed) leaves. However I have seen this problem on my own plants, and I think it may be nutritional or have something to do with the water status of the plants because it occurred right after I planted in the field. The plants all grew out of it and are now OK.

pitangadiego · 07-27-2009, 11:37 PM

I vote water deficiency in the past. Banana leaves show what happened a week or two ago, in many cases. You are looking at something that happened before the leaf emerged. So it does not represent current conditions, rather past conditions. Water deficiency is the result of under-watering, or overwatering to the point that the roots are rotting, which lessens water absorption, or any other reason for diminished root quantity (digging, pup removal, neighbors dog burying a bone, etc.)

With good consistent culture, it should grow out of it. Help the damaged leave unfurl, if necessary.

stumpy4700 · 07-27-2009, 11:39 PM

Mine had a lack of calcium and looked similar to that. I switched Fertilizers and it was corrected.

Engleman · 07-28-2009, 06:18 AM

Thanks for everybody's input. I spoke to the local county extension agent yesterday and he sort of agrees with a couple of the later posts, that it is not 'SIG" and that it is a water/fertilization/salts issue. It maybe possible salts in the bottom of a bag of fertilizer that I used a week or two prior to the leaves showing symptoms had concentrated themselves into the finer granules at the bottom of a bucket which got used on those last two plants. All my other plants are fine and showing good growth and healthy characteristics. I'll update this thread in a couple of weeks when the next set of leaves emerge.

Eric · 07-28-2009, 06:48 AM

If they were mine, I'd spray for Sigatoka just the same. It doesn't hurt the plants & sometimes pays to be on the safe-side. Remember, county extension agents are human, too, and can make mistakes.

Nicolas Naranja · 07-28-2009, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael James

If they were mine, I'd spray for Sigatoka just the same. It doesn't hurt the plants & sometimes pays to be on the safe-side. Remember, county extension agents are human, too, and can make mistakes.

If he was having issues with Cavendish bananas I would agree, however FHIA-18 is pretty resistant to sigatoka if my memory serves me correctly.

Richard · 07-28-2009, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Engleman

Thanks for everybody's input. I spoke to the local county extension agent yesterday and he sort of agrees with a couple of the later posts, that it is not 'SIG" and that it is a water/fertilization/salts issue...

Contacting the county extension office was a great idea!

Eric · 07-28-2009, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard

Contacting the county extension office was a great idea!

I totally agree. I just tend to be Overly cautious, myself.

birdman · 07-28-2009, 02:40 PM

I think you have a calcium problem. I have even added crushed oyster shells to my plants and they showed an improvement in leaf quality.

07-27-2009, 08:22 AM	#1 (permalink)
Engleman Engleman's Photo Gallery Location: SW Fla. Englewood Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 13 BananaBucks : 8,153 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 4 Times Was Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	what's wrong with my bananas? Hi All, I'm a new member living in SW Fl. I was hoping to give a cheery intro to myself and instead am asking for help? I have about a dozen different types mostly put in within the last year or so and am noticing this leaf distortion and die back on three or four. The worst case is on a FHIA 18 but it has also shown on a raji puri and an "apple". I'm enclosing some photos in the photo gallery (under 'engleman') and hope someone can identify the problem and help me deal with it. Hopefully a 'cheery' intro to follow...

07-27-2009, 04:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
Bob Orang Puteh Bob's Photo Gallery Location: Washington Twp N.J. Find me on the map! Zone: 6a Name: bob Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 3,528 BananaBucks : 205,440 Feedback: 12 / 100% Said "Thanks" 9,537 Times Was Thanked 4,058 Times in 1,694 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 565 Times	Re: what's wrong with my bananas? I hope someone with more expertise sees this and checks your gallery. The regular pattern of blackening on the ribs of the leaves look like it could be sigatoka which I believe may be in your area. Check some posts on this and look at the wiki for more info, copper sulfate should help control it. Good luck. __________________

07-27-2009, 04:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
lorax Banned lorax's Photo Gallery Location: Ecuador, South America Find me on the map! Zone: USDA 13 / Köppen-Geiger BSh Name: Lorax Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,532 BananaBucks : 301,445 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 742 Times Was Thanked 3,039 Times in 1,188 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 464 Times	Re: what's wrong with my bananas? Looks like Sig to me. Copper sulfate to the rescue!

07-27-2009, 09:17 PM	#4 (permalink)
Nicolas Naranja Muck bananas Nicolas Naranja 's Photo Gallery Location: Pahokee, FL Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Nick Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 2,217 BananaBucks : 460,208 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 66 Times Was Thanked 5,663 Times in 1,562 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 7 Times	Re: what's wrong with my bananas? That doesn't look like a typical case of sigatoka to me, and from my own experience I have almost never seen sigatoka on the candela (new closed) leaves. However I have seen this problem on my own plants, and I think it may be nutritional or have something to do with the water status of the plants because it occurred right after I planted in the field. The plants all grew out of it and are now OK. __________________ Some people go bananas, I went plantains.

07-27-2009, 11:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
pitangadiego Senior Member Location: San Diego, CA Find me on the map! Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,481 BananaBucks : 129,463 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 2 Times Was Thanked 2,706 Times in 923 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: what's wrong with my bananas? I vote water deficiency in the past. Banana leaves show what happened a week or two ago, in many cases. You are looking at something that happened before the leaf emerged. So it does not represent current conditions, rather past conditions. Water deficiency is the result of under-watering, or overwatering to the point that the roots are rotting, which lessens water absorption, or any other reason for diminished root quantity (digging, pup removal, neighbors dog burying a bone, etc.) With good consistent culture, it should grow out of it. Help the damaged leave unfurl, if necessary. __________________ Encanto Farms Nursery http://encantofarms.com We Be Bananas http://webebananas.com

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07-27-2009, 11:39 PM	#6 (permalink)
stumpy4700 Going Ape for Bananas stumpy4700 's Photo Gallery Location: Satellite Beach, Fla Find me on the map! Zone: Zone 10 Name: Stumpy-----a.k.a Jeff Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,194 BananaBucks : 36,834 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,353 Times Was Thanked 678 Times in 349 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,300 Times	Re: what's wrong with my bananas? Mine had a lack of calcium and looked similar to that. I switched Fertilizers and it was corrected.

07-28-2009, 06:18 AM	#7 (permalink)
Engleman Engleman's Photo Gallery Location: SW Fla. Englewood Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 13 BananaBucks : 8,153 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 4 Times Was Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: what's wrong with my bananas? Thanks for everybody's input. I spoke to the local county extension agent yesterday and he sort of agrees with a couple of the later posts, that it is not 'SIG" and that it is a water/fertilization/salts issue. It maybe possible salts in the bottom of a bag of fertilizer that I used a week or two prior to the leaves showing symptoms had concentrated themselves into the finer granules at the bottom of a bucket which got used on those last two plants. All my other plants are fine and showing good growth and healthy characteristics. I'll update this thread in a couple of weeks when the next set of leaves emerge.

07-28-2009, 06:48 AM	#8 (permalink)
Eric Banned Eric's Photo Gallery Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 2,759 BananaBucks : 138,078 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,364 Times Was Thanked 855 Times in 421 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 163 Times	Re: what's wrong with my bananas? If they were mine, I'd spray for Sigatoka just the same. It doesn't hurt the plants & sometimes pays to be on the safe-side. Remember, county extension agents are human, too, and can make mistakes.

07-28-2009, 02:40 PM	#12 (permalink)
birdman Location: Pine Hill, Alabama Find me on the map! Zone: 8 Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 14 BananaBucks : 10,736 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 12 Times Was Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: what's wrong with my bananas? I think you have a calcium problem. I have even added crushed oyster shells to my plants and they showed an improvement in leaf quality.

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