mksmth

By that I mean the next leaf to come out is faster than the previous. Before one can fully open the next is trying to and forces its way out and is kind of bent. Sometimes I have to tear open the leaf so the next one can push out. Its been hot I water almost every day and I fertilize with foliage pro weekly at half strength. Its in a 25 gallon pot and both p stems are about 3 feet tall. It only seems to be happening on what is the mother stem although both now are the same height. About a month ago or 4 or 5 leafs ago we had an intense heat wave and the leaf that was pushing burned and rotted. I was able to cut it and it pushed out fully after that. Its a little beat up from the heat/sun but seems to be doing ok other than this.
here is the full shot

here is the next leaf. I already cut it loose but you can see how it was bent


Any ideas
mike

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2woodensticks

its a condition called bunchy top...i do not know if there is any treatment..i do not know what causes it

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got to love em..{neotropical rattlesnake..cascabell}

mksmth

Well that stinks if it is true. I did some research, not a whole lot out there on the web, and what I read was that the aphid that spreads it can do so by first feeding on an infected plant and then feeding on an non infected plant within 15-20 days(its adult life span). does that mean the symptoms would show fairly quickly or is it something that can just pop up at anytime. I ask that because here in Oklahoma I cant imagine someone having an infected plant anywhere near me allowing for an aphid to spread the disease so I assume it would have been passed from the mother or spread in a greenhouse it may have been at. I have had this plant for almost 1.5 years now and this is the first time I have had this problem. I have also gifted a few pups to family members and wonder if they would have the same problems one day. Lowes has some DC's for $18 I wonder if I should replace this one with a new one.

Mike

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Yug

Not sure that is bunchy top. Just likes a leaf that did not unfurl properly.

sunfish

I don't think it's bunchy top either,just stuck leaves.You need to do some cutting so the leaves can emerge

mksmth

thanks everyone.

i wish I had taken a picture before I "free'd" the one in the photo.

Sun

where/what should I cut? The new leafs are pushing faster than the older one can fully unroll so they end up with the tip inside the previous leaf and the rest bends up, kinda hard for me to explain.

mike

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sunfish

Maybe take a razor blade and slit the side of the leaf

d-lilly

can you look down into the center? i had one do that and once I pulled out possible stuck leaf, and pulled some of the trunk loose, it grew beautiful. good luck

mksmth

Well im not sure what made it change its ways but the current leaf is coming out normal. Maybe it just didnt like the heat. IDK Ill keep an eye on it.

Thanks for all the advice!!


Mike

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venturabananas

Not bunchy top. Happens when the tissues grow faster than micronutrients (calcium and boron) that form the "skeleton" of the leaves can be transported into them. Warm temps, lots of water, plenty of fert -- all those things can contribute. Kind of like blossom end rot on tomatoes. Not a big deal.

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trebor

For what its worth! Mine did exactly as yous is! Not quite a s bad but same exact condition. Mine is in the ground. I noticed it was occurring after I fertilized so I cut way back on fertilizer and applied cow manure compost from Wall Mart $1.70 for 40 lb bag I fertilized 4 time with one bag.. My plant has fruit on it today....
Also I was reading how the mini Cavendish dont take to a lot of fertilizer being applied .. Im no chemist but perhaps some of the minerals are causing the plant to react unfavorably.. I am keeping the dwarf Cavendish on the low feeding routine and it seems OK..

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If ya can't eat it, it ain't growing in my back yard !

mksmth

Very interesting. thank you for the information. I have started backing off on fertilizer for all my tropicals since fall is approaching.

Thanks again

Mike

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mksmth

just wanted to update. it has put out 2 more leaves since and all have been normal. Only changes have been the temps backed down a bit and backed off ferts slightly. Now I just need to figure out where to overwinter it, LOL.

Thanks everyone
Mike

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