CoryS

I had a seemingly healthy, 3' dwarf cavendish banana tree and now it's dead. I don't understand. I gave it lots of water and it was in very rich potting soil. When it began to lean and the leaves began to brown, I moved it to the patio for better lighting. The stem developed soft, brown spots before it finally fell off and now there's nothing left! I emptied the pot and found only roots and lots of tiny, whitish bugs crawling around.
I want to get another one but not if it's going to perish like that. Can anyone please explain where I went wrong?
Thanks much for any assistance you can provide.

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Abnshrek

I bet you over watered it. If the corm was soft & squishy.. definately

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sunfish

I find that banana plants do not need any more water than most other plants. Can you post a pic of the white bugs ?

blownz281

Sounds like a water issue. The little bugs you saw are springtails which eat rotting stuff/compost.

CoryS

Thanks much, dudes! At least it appears I'll get a second chance. I found someone else here who grows bananas and have been promised pups from two of them; One is a dwarf cavendish - the other is an unknown variety but, I was told, grows tall enough to provide some shade. I will post photos of both when I recieve them.
In addition, I found information that supports the idea that brown & soft = rot = too much water. I assumed that bananas, being a very "wet" plant, required tons of water. From what I read, they should be allowed to dry out at times.
Sunfish: I wish I had taken photos. I was so discouraged, I simply tossed the plant leftovers, pot and all. I will certainly make more use of my camera in the future.
Thanks much, again, for all the help! Perhaps the new pups will have a better chance.

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LilRaverBoi

Definitely sounds like rot to me. Like you said...brown and squishy=rot. Bananas, despite what people initially believe, do not like being wet. They drink a lot of water, but they like well-draining soil. Also, they need to be allowed to dry out fairly well (definitely at least the top 2 inches or so) before watering them again. I'm sure the bugs were just feasting on the decomposing corm/tissue and not what caused the issue. I guess just be more cognizant of your watering methods in the future. Sorry to hear about your loss.

To further answer the question of if it's 'dead' I would say 'probably.' Rot tends to spread and rot bad enough to take out the plant probably would be too much for it to handle. However, I would let it dry out really good, then water lightly to see if you can get some pups to come up from any un-rotted areas of corm. You might get something out of it yet....but I wouldn't get my hopes up too high.

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enigma99a

DCs HATE lots of cool water. Even when it is hot you have to be careful with them

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Magilla Gorilla

It sounds like too much water. Many of us have killed/drowned our first or second banana plant. Good luck on the next!

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palmtree

Sounds like too much water to me as well. Bananas only like water when its very warm and sunny. Mine are occasionally soaked but always dry out this time of the year. Last june was the coldest june ever here and the rainiest and my dwarf cavendish actually started rotting but I quickly repotted it into a new and better draining pot with better soil and it grew very well after that.
But you learn from your mistakes. For some reason people think bananas really love water some think they make good pond plants but its not true. They can tolerate lots of water and dont like to dry out when its hot outside, but they dont like standing in water for long periods of time.

Good luck!

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Abnshrek

When I water I leave the black hose (200ft) out in the sun. I can water everything before it starts to get cool (doesn't work as good as dave's hot tub heater), then its time for me to cool off with the hose anyway. :^)

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CoryS

Off the top - Thanks much to everyone for all the assistance!

Yep, that was the story I got; "pond plants". I was told not to be concerned with planting it too close to a pool since they practically lived in swamps and rivers. Admittedly, if I hadn't discovered this forum, I might still be thinking the same.

The top 2-3 inches of soil? I'll use that method on my new plants, soon to arrive! I have access to several varieties [to include dwarf cavendish] but have been told, by a seasoned grower, that a type called an "ice cream" is much better suited to the summers here and easier to grow. I've also been cautioned not to expect bananas for several years if I grow that variety but, since they're easy to grow in this climate, it seems like a good place to start. I can always take on something more challenging, later!

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