Seph

Hi all,

We bought our current house in Houston with two banana trees in the backyard. We honestly haven't really touched them in the ~11 years we've been here. However, they haven't looked too healthy in a while even though they're surviving so I figured it's time to actually so if I can do anything. I'm a complete beginner at gardening, especially banana trees, so please bear with me!

Here's some pictures of the first tree:
First tree

And the second:
Second tree

Both haven't fruited in many years now, but the second started fruiting again last year.

From what I can see online, it looks like the yellow and splitting leaves could be a sign of Panama disease. How should I proceed from here? Are they past saving?

Thanks!

edwmax

Welcome to the forum. Go to the Member Introduction forum to tell us a little about yourself.

Your banana mats are very thick and competing for water & nutrients. Bananas need lots of water and fertilizer if you want fruit. And most all banana varieties do not tolerate dry soils (nor WET/flooded soils) and drought contitions. Also, bananas do not tolerate high heat; ... at high 90's and 100s the leaves may sunburn. .... So the question is: What were you mid/late summer conditions and rain fall? This also effect fruiting.

Your bananas looks to be Orinoco and the fruit is about filled out. Some watering here will help. ... The yellow leaves are gone, but with some mat thinning, fertilizer and watering during dry spells you will see much improvement next year.

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sputinc7

I was thinking the same thing. Clean em up and even if you don't thin them out by removing suckers, they will do much better with some fertilizer and regular watering. I would get a couple bags of Black Kow and spread one among each mat and water in to start. Water once a week for heavier soil and twice for sandier soil, dump a bag of Black Kow every three months or so and enjoy! (In case you know a place to get manure free, by all means, do so, but let it age a few months before putting it around your plants.)

Now, if you want to get the most out of them, there is more specialized things you can do, but I gather you don't want a lot of work but a simple plan to get more, so I gave that to you.
Enjoy!
I also would personally recommend a better variety of banana as I do not care for Orinoco (burro) bananas.

P.S. It's doubtful it's Panama disease in Texas, they just need attention.

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If you lose your head and give up, you neither live nor win.

https://sputinc7.wixsite.com/covwc

Varieties I supposedly bought: Manzano, Cavendish, Blue Java, Sweetheart, and Gros Michel.
What it seems I actually have: Brazilian, Cavendish, Namwah, Dwarf Red, Gros Michel, Pisang Ceylon, Veinte Cohol and SH 3640, and American Goldfinger. FHIA 1, Paggi and FHIA 17... Always room for one more.

beam2050

that isn't 2 trees that's a banana ghetto. grandmother all the way down to the 20th granddaughter. also stuck together by their umbilical chords.

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npk of wood ash 0/1/3 to 0/3/7

npk of banana leaf ash 1.75/0.75/0.5

Botanical_Bryce

I have about 40 varieties now and Orinoco are near the top of my list as one of my favorites tasting. I have never fertilized mine and I can't seem to get them to stop producing. All I do is keep them thinned and I plant them deep and partially fill the hole to support the roots and then fill the rest of the hole with mulch. Mostly forest type debris. I have so many fruits I can't keep up so I am not sure why I keep hearing about fertilizer all the time. I never use it except wood ash and biochar. I just started planting a year ago and I have produced so many banana plants I had to give them away and throw some away that did not get taken just by thinning and mulching. I am producing so many fruits right now just using mulch I have to give away hundreds of fruits.