Bananas.org

Welcome to the Bananas.org forums.

You're currently viewing our message boards as a guest which gives you limited access to participate in discussions and access our other features such as our wiki and photo gallery. By joining our community, you'll have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload photos, and access many other special features. Registration is fast and simple, so please join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Go Back   Bananas.org > Banana Forum > Banana Plant Health And Maintenance Topics
Register Photo Gallery Classifieds Wiki Chat Map Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Banana Plant Health And Maintenance Topics This forum is for discussions of banana plant health topics such as coloration issues, burning, insects, pruning, transplanting, separating pups, viruses, disease, and other general banana plant health and maintenance issues.


Members currently in the chatroom: 0
The most chatters online in one day was 17, 09-06-2009.
No one is currently using the chat.

Reply   Email this Page Email this Page
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 08-07-2013, 07:48 PM   #1 (permalink)
 
kellerjack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 5
BananaBucks : 2,091
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was Thanked 8 Times in 3 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
Default Total Banana Newbie here! Help!

I've always wanted a plant (or 6 as it now stands ) and the banana plant really attracted me so I have 2 now. Why I'm writing this post is for the big guy, Mr. Banana, he's a red abyssinian. I bought him where he was sitting outdoors so some of his leaves are splitting (from bugs, normal for being outdoors?)

I'm pretty sure when I bought him he didn't have this translucent spot on his leaf! What happened? Is it a fungus? I've been trying to do research but I'm SUCH a newbie I'm still learning here. What should I do? Cut it off? And for the torn leaves, is that okay? Should I cut away brown sections? I LOVE my new banana guys and want them to be healthy. I also have questions about soil and fertilizer but perhaps those are for another thread.

Also, I live in Canada in an apartment where humidity is generally low.. but it's August so definitely warm out and I have him by the window.





The lil' guy Edgar seems to be doing okay as far as I know (feel free to point out anything I'm doing wrong though!) I also plan to change pots and soil quick here with these guys..



Thanks for any help!
kellerjack is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To kellerjack

Join Bananas.org Today!

Are you a banana plant enthusiast? Then we hope you will join the community. You will gain access to post, create threads, private message, upload images, join groups and more.

Bananas.org is owned and operated by fellow banana plant enthusiasts. We strive to offer a non-commercial community to learn and share information. Receive all three issues from Volume 1 of Bananas Magazine with your membership:
   

Join Bananas.org Today! - Click Here


Sponsors

Old 08-07-2013, 11:54 PM   #2 (permalink)
 
Illia's Avatar
 
Location: Forks, WA
Zone: 8b
Name: Illia Chavez
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 418
BananaBucks : 14,827
Feedback: 2 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 243 Times
Was Thanked 311 Times in 202 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 117 Times
Default Re: Total Banana Newbie here! Help!

How's humidity? The spot may be from spider mites, which go crazy on bananas an begin stripping it like little secret ninjas when humidity is too low. (A common occurrence indoors)

Edgar definitely needs a new pot but looks happy

Anyway, check all the leaves of your big guy closely and look out for tiny little tan colored things running around the surface of the leaves, especially around the tips and possibly developing webbing on the underside. If you do see them, you can wash off all the leaves of the banana with cold water, both on the underside and topside of the leaves. It's best to have help tipping the banana so you can do it without hurting the plant. After that, keep things more humid. Spider mites are an easy fix, but will continue to show up if the place is not humid enough.

You can also kill them with pesticides or soap and water, but, from my experience the easiest to do is a quick cold shower.
Illia is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To Illia
Old 08-08-2013, 10:35 PM   #3 (permalink)
 
kellerjack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 5
BananaBucks : 2,091
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was Thanked 8 Times in 3 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
Default Re: Total Banana Newbie here! Help!

Thanks for the reply!

I checked Mr. Banana for any evidence of buggies and couldn't find anything moving or webs. How often should I be watering this guy? Through my internet searches I have been told that banana plants are thirsty YET do not over water or you get root rot. I've done the one inch soil moist test so haven't been watering every single day. Could the transparency be caused by this? And if I get him back on the right track, will his leaves just work it out themselves or should I be pruning anything away?
kellerjack is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To kellerjack
Old 08-08-2013, 11:13 PM   #4 (permalink)
Nanner Time!
 
LilRaverBoi's Avatar
 
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Zone: 5
Name: Bryan
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,937
BananaBucks : 113,293
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 534 Times
Was Thanked 2,243 Times in 1,245 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 855 Times
Send a message via AIM to LilRaverBoi
Default Re: Total Banana Newbie here! Help!

Translucent spot has happened with my Ensete maurelii (same thing as 'red abyssinain,' different name). They just do this sometimes. Might be fertilizer or water-related. I doubt it is spider mites or any pest per-se'. Don't cut off the leaf...just leave it be, water when the plant is dry below the surface, fertilize every few weeks during the summer, less during winter.

As for spider mites, they suck. They are difficult to get rid of on houseplants and multiply rapidly/spread to other plants. I've battled them for years. They are NOT easy to get rid of...easy to reduce numbers of, but hard to rid yourself of for very long during the winter. I use neem oil/water solution. Seems to keep them at bay, but you have to really cover everything and use it fairly often to see a change in mite populations. Again, though....I doubt this is your case. But always be vigilant and check the undersides of leaves for spider-like webs, tiny clear/red/tan bugs especially near the midrib of the leaf underneath.
__________________
BANANA RAVE!
Feel the beat from start to stop, dancin' and movin' from bottom to top!
lilraverboi@genxglow.com
RIP Tog Tan. We love you and will always remember you!
I'm Bryan with a Y! There is no 'I' in BRYAN!
LilRaverBoi is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To LilRaverBoi
Said thanks:
Old 08-14-2013, 06:47 PM   #5 (permalink)
 
kellerjack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 5
BananaBucks : 2,091
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was Thanked 8 Times in 3 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
Default Re: Total Banana Newbie here! Help!

Thanks for all the suggestions! Phew today I got lil' Edgar repotted and by the looks of his roots in the store bought one he is going to be thanking me Mr. Banana still has that spot, but I've been watering him more frequently (every 2 days?) and so far nothing ELSE is showing up!

One more question.. When I repot the big guy, how big should I do? He's in a 12" pot at the moment but the way Edgar's roots looked, maybe this guy would like a big space. My boyfriend wants me to repot in like a 4ft pot, I told him he was insane.
kellerjack is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To kellerjack
Sponsors

Old 08-14-2013, 08:12 PM   #6 (permalink)
 
Duckfood's Avatar
 
Location: Knoxville, TN
Zone: 7
Name: Michael
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 329
BananaBucks : 39,134
Feedback: 2 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 1,084 Times
Was Thanked 275 Times in 133 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 361 Times
Default Re: Total Banana Newbie here! Help!

Mr. Banana would probably do fine in a 4 foot pot... Just remember that if he goes into a pot that size, the more likely he is going to try to reach his full height... Up to 20 feet...

Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' - Bananas Wiki
__________________
By the way, there is no cure for the human disease of growing bananas. ~~~ Richard 05/22/2014...
Duckfood is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To Duckfood
Old 08-14-2013, 08:22 PM   #7 (permalink)
 
kellerjack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 5
BananaBucks : 2,091
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was Thanked 8 Times in 3 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
Default Re: Total Banana Newbie here! Help!

20ft would be cool if I wasn't in an apartment! lol
I'd prefer a smaller pot for him. Would say, 2ft pot be good? I just want to make sure he's not suffocating in there, but yet want to encourage growth. I'd allow him to grow as high as the ceiling, a good 8ft
kellerjack is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To kellerjack
Said thanks:
Old 09-01-2013, 04:14 PM   #8 (permalink)
 
kellerjack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 5
BananaBucks : 2,091
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was Thanked 8 Times in 3 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
Default Re: Total Banana Newbie here! Help!

Just an update.. yesterday I was hanging out with Mr. Banana and saw tiny spiders on him Went out that minute and bought insecticidal soap! Sprayed him down and had to do some major pruning/amputating. Today i don't see the spiders, but it looks like he got a really bad haircut lol. Going to be keeping an eye on him for sure.
kellerjack is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To kellerjack
Said thanks:
Reply   Email this Page Email this Page






Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Here's my total collection and I need ID's Please! banarama Banana Identification 5 09-24-2009 07:33 PM
Total Noob in Northern California shirauo Member Introductions 7 04-05-2009 12:07 PM
ALL Planted! Total 115 'naners Tog Tan Main Banana Discussion 23 12-14-2008 12:01 PM
Total newbie hartgk01 Member Introductions 3 10-21-2006 03:14 AM
total care for banana's in zone 6 (Portland, OR) chiquitawannabe Main Banana Discussion 1 07-15-2006 05:27 PM


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:19 PM.





All content © Bananas.org & the respective author.