Stunted growth problem
 

Hello, this mother plant is having some issues. It's an african rhino horn plantain bought at local South Florida nursery before last spring and since about 2 months it's slowed growing. The pseudostem thinned and the current leaf started to get brown lines about a week ago. It has been making suckers (last picture shows them) from the time I bought it and they are growing fine.
They are being fertilized with a low P organic fertilizer and are being mulched.
It has been making a lot of new suckers constantly.
https://scontent.fmia1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...5a&oe=5C4F251D
https://scontent.fmia1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...74&oe=5C4719C1
https://scontent.fmia1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...59&oe=5C546EF4
https://scontent.fmia1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...60&oe=5C52F954

Re: Stunted growth problem
 

No banana photos!!!! Where are they? ... Are you just spamming your Facebook page? Please link your photos directly to the post. ...

Re: Stunted growth problem
 

No, not spamming my facebook page! I only have the pics on my facebook and just copied the url. How else can I get them in the post?

Re: Stunted growth problem
 

Added the single pics url now in the original post, but it's just a link, not showing the pic in the thread....and deleted the facebook link to the post with the pics all together.

Re: Stunted growth problem
 

Sorry for the miserable greeting. Bit uncalled for.
I have had some challenges for some reason with Rhino Horn Corms. They rot or are eaten away easily. Not sure what is going on down there. I found not planting them in the organic layer makes a big difference. They don't seem to thrive in the organic layer like most all my other banana plants. I plant them in the base soil and only mulch over that. I also found adding limestone base that they sell here to the organic layer made a huge difference. I can't tell you what is going on with you but that is what worked for me.

Re: Stunted growth problem
 

Thank you and also for your input! I have them in the regular soil, which is basically sand. I do see pill bugs on the trunk occasionally, but if they damage the plant or are only eating what's dead already, can't say. If your experience is that they easily rot, is that due to too much water/rainy season or something else?

Re: Stunted growth problem
 

I am not really sure what the causes the problem. Healthy tissue on top but hollow and mushy on the bottom. Same problem I have with malanga. None of my other bananas seem to suffer it. This year too much water was a problem for all of my bananas and they are just now recovering and thriving from the swamped conditions. You plants kinda look shaded. That could be a problem. Pill bugs are often not an issue since they normally decompose rotted and old plant material. There are species that can eat green material if there are too many.

Re: Stunted growth problem
 

Found spider mites :( But what are those round white circles? https://scontent.fmia1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...6a&oe=5C4A2BE5

https://scontent.fmia1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...d1&oe=5C3DF0AC

Re: Stunted growth problem
 

Hard to tell from the pic but white fly possibly.
John

Re: Stunted growth problem
 

Thank you. I think you're right. Had white fly on ficus many years ago and this looks familiar now that you mention it.

Re: Stunted growth problem
 

Thanks for fixing the links. I see now you are not spamming. ... I hate and don't use Facebook. Although, I do have an account. Facebook is fast becoming a platform for spam and false advertising. ... The link you posted just went to your page. I didn't find or see any another links to bananas. There is no reason other readers of your post should have to HUNT for your photos.


This forum does have a photo gallery that you can upload to. Just make sure the photos are less than 2000Kb in size (100 to 300 Kb better). Click on the Gallery to find uploading instructions. ... And, I think photos on Facebook can be linked in post too using the BB 'img' tags: or, use the img insert link in the post editor. The img URL link MUST be to the img file itself and not to a referencing page/link.