MentalFloss

Hello again, still facing newbie problems.

Came back from holidays and found my plant in a bad condition. Most of the leaves were dead and the soil was dry on the upper 1-2 inches, but deeper in the pot it was moist. I wasn't sure whether the plant was being over or underwatered, since I have drip irrigation system.

So, after my failed attempt to save my other nana from root rot ( Leaves drying, strange discoloration, possible spider mites) and since the symptoms were quite similar, I decided to repot 4 days ago, after I cut all leaves, because they were deteriorating very fast. Also, I cut all black and mushy roots and there was a peculiar smell. Finally, I dipped the roots in a water-bleach solution, just like edwmax suggested in the previous thread.

Here are some pics. Sorry for the low quality on the roots, I used a selfie cam without noticing.




I used a mix of regular soil, perlite and zeolite 50-40-10. I used zeolite because of its water-absorbing and potassium-releasing properties. Tried to research on soil, but most mixes that are mentioned on this forum are commercial and I can't find them here (Greece). I tested a portion of the soil and it seems to drain well.

So, after the repotting, the pup is growing new leaves, but the mom is not getting better, there are no signs of growing and I believe that I am seeing soft parts.




==So, my questions are: Should I separate the baby? Is there anything else I can do to save the mom?==

Thank you all, this forum is very helpful

edwmax

Yes, separate the pup. It's your chance to have a backup plant if the mother does not recover.



Clean the roots with bleach water to kill any rot. Remove any black soft roots and spots on the corm. Healthy roots are white. Then repot in 50-50 mix of potting soil and perlite. DO NOT use the zeolite! ... Bananas needs fresh water and do not tolerate stale water. Add only a small amount of fresh water (1/2 cup?) about every 10 to 14 days until you see new growth.

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MentalFloss

Thank you again!

I already bleached the roots and cleaned all soft parts. .
Just a question: why not the zeolite? I mean, i got advice from a plant store, its not that it came out of my head. But of course I do value this forum's expertise more.

About the stale water: I did follow your advice the last time, but automatic irrigation is my only solution when on holidays. It is better than no watering at all.

edwmax

Zeolite holds water which makes the soil soggy; promotes fungus growth (aka: root rot) and keeps air from the roots. Too much peat in the soil will do the same. So use commercial potting mixes low in peat. ... You only want the water that coats/sticks to the soil grains to remain in the pot. Not excess water filling up the pores between the soil grains. ... Does your 'plant store person grow Bananas? Bananas are a complete different game compared to other house plants. Treat Bananas more like it is an 'air plant' with daily misting for water & nutrients and water to the soil when the pot becomes dry.



How long are you on holiday? A well watered pot in the house should be good for 2 weeks. ... Also, you could use a bigger pot filled with 50/50 mix. It can hold more water without being soggy. ... Your pictures shows the pots are not filled with potting soil, thus using only a little more than 1/2 the pot volume.

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