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 > Container Grown Banana Plants
Register Photo Gallery Classifieds Wiki Chat Map Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Container Grown Banana Plants This forum is for discussions about growing banana plants in containers.


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 04-06-2021, 12:04 PM   #1 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 9
BananaBucks : 3,136
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
Default Highgate always has 4 leaves

Is it unusual that my indoor container Highgate always has only 4 leaves? Each new leaf is larger than the last, but it perpetually maintains a total of 4.

As the oldest leaf starts to die off, a fifth shoot appears but doesn't open until the oldest leaf is dead.




Last edited by rpbp58 : 04-06-2021 at 12:21 PM.
rpbp58 is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To rpbp58

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 04-06-2021, 06:00 PM   #2 (permalink)
container grower
 
cincinnana's Avatar
 
Location: Southwest Ohio U.S.A.🇺🇸
Zone: HZ 6/5 Microclimate - Elevation 750 feet- 228.60 meters
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 8,771
BananaBucks : 1,030
Feedback: 7 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 3,860 Times
Was Thanked 11,691 Times in 4,865 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,943 Times
Smile Re: Highgate always has 4 leaves

Quote:
Originally Posted by rpbp58 View Post
Is it unusual that my indoor container Highgate always has only 4 leaves? Each new leaf is larger than the last, but it perpetually maintains a total of 4.

As the oldest leaf starts to die off, a fifth shoot appears but doesn't open until the oldest leaf is dead.



The plant can have as many leaves that it wants to sustain its growth for the area/enviroment that it is in....
Your plant will leaf out depending what the environment is giving it.

The plant is pretty much doing what a plant does......environmental factors drive growth. Length of day. pot size, temperature all affect the plants behavior.
Your plant is doing what plants do....
__________________
🌴

Last edited by cincinnana : 04-16-2021 at 12:31 PM.
cincinnana is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To cincinnana
Said thanks:
Old 04-06-2021, 06:18 PM   #3 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 9
BananaBucks : 3,136
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
Default Re: Highgate always has 4 leaves

Any guesses as to what might be causing this behavior?
rpbp58 is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To rpbp58
Said thanks:
Old 04-07-2021, 11:01 PM   #4 (permalink)
 
sirdoofus's Avatar
 
Location: Central Vancouver Island, BC Canada
Zone: AgCan 7b, USDA 6b
Name: Mike
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,029
BananaBucks : 16,399
Feedback: 1 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 3,129 Times
Was Thanked 1,157 Times in 592 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 98 Times
Default Re: Highgate always has 4 leaves

Quote:
Originally Posted by rpbp58 View Post
Is it unusual that my indoor container Highgate always has only 4 leaves? Each new leaf is larger than the last, but it perpetually maintains a total of 4.

As the oldest leaf starts to die off, a fifth shoot appears but doesn't open until the oldest leaf is dead.



Looks like you have a fantastic grow setup there, I am jealous.
__________________
Who keeps calling me nuts??
sirdoofus is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To sirdoofus
Old 04-09-2021, 10:47 PM   #5 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 9
BananaBucks : 3,136
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
Default Re: Highgate always has 4 leaves

Thanks, but I wish the banana agreed with you. It's been in the 4-leaf mode since I got it. Spring, summer, winter.

I don't think it's the lucky kind of 4 leaf. It's on its 3rd repotting in a good cactus mix of pumice, charcoal, perlite, compost, peat moss, and sand.
rpbp58 is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To rpbp58
Said thanks:
Sponsors

Old 04-10-2021, 12:15 AM   #6 (permalink)
 
sirdoofus's Avatar
 
Location: Central Vancouver Island, BC Canada
Zone: AgCan 7b, USDA 6b
Name: Mike
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,029
BananaBucks : 16,399
Feedback: 1 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 3,129 Times
Was Thanked 1,157 Times in 592 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 98 Times
Default Re: Highgate always has 4 leaves

I am no banana expert so I probably won't be much help, but a few questions I can of think are:

What size pot is it in or what size pots have you tried, do you add fertilizer and if so how much/often, is it in the greenhouse during the warm season and if so how hot does it get and what is the humidity level, have you tried other bananas in the same situation, have you had success with other bananas in that soil mix and if not have you tried a different mix, how often do you irrigate it in the different seasons?
__________________
Who keeps calling me nuts??
sirdoofus is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To sirdoofus
Old 04-10-2021, 12:37 PM   #7 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 9
BananaBucks : 3,136
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 0 Times
Was Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times
Default Re: Highgate always has 4 leaves

At the moment it is in a 7 gallon pot, and the pseudo stem is 3 feet. It looks taller because it is propped up on the 30 gallon pot that I hope it will grow into.

Before that it was in a 3 gallon pot, and before that a 1 qt. pot.

I add a combination of miracle grow and seaweed juice every other watering. Watering happens whenever it is dry more than an inch down. This can range from 36 hours in the summer to every 2 weeks in the winter, It stays in the greenhouse year round. In the winter it is maintained at around 70 degrees, except Jan/Feb when I let it go down to 65. There is powered ventilation, so it doesn't usually go above 85 in the summer. The humidity is not controlled, so it is whatever the ambient is during the summer, and anywhere from 40 to 60 in the winter depending on whether I have watered the plants recently.

I have never grown a banana before, so I can't compare different mixes. BTW, there is also some hardwood ashes in the mix.

The DLI in the winter is around 9-10 Mols in the winter and around 40-50 in the summer.
rpbp58 is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To rpbp58
Old 04-10-2021, 07:53 PM   #8 (permalink)
container grower
 
cincinnana's Avatar
 
Location: Southwest Ohio U.S.A.🇺🇸
Zone: HZ 6/5 Microclimate - Elevation 750 feet- 228.60 meters
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 8,771
BananaBucks : 1,030
Feedback: 7 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 3,860 Times
Was Thanked 11,691 Times in 4,865 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,943 Times
Default Re: Highgate always has 4 leaves

Quote:
Originally Posted by rpbp58 View Post
At the moment it is in a 7 gallon pot, and the pseudo stem is 3 feet. It looks taller because it is propped up on the 30 gallon pot that I hope it will grow into.

Before that it was in a 3 gallon pot, and before that a 1 qt. pot.

I add a combination of miracle grow and seaweed juice every other watering. Watering happens whenever it is dry more than an inch down. This can range from 36 hours in the summer to every 2 weeks in the winter, It stays in the greenhouse year round. In the winter it is maintained at around 70 degrees, except Jan/Feb when I let it go down to 65. There is powered ventilation, so it doesn't usually go above 85 in the summer. The humidity is not controlled, so it is whatever the ambient is during the summer, and anywhere from 40 to 60 in the winter depending on whether I have watered the plants recently.

I have never grown a banana before, so I can't compare different mixes. BTW, there is also some hardwood ashes in the mix.

The DLI in the winter is around 9-10 Mols in the winter and around 40-50 in the summer.
You plant will do what it wishes when small
Disregard most everything you have read.....about small plant leaf production.

Growing a small plant in a hothouse with supplemental led lighting changes many factors as well.
Moving the plant outdoors in direct sunlight brings even more change

You have really no issues with your plant
Do not fret......your plant is just growing and will sort itself out with subsequent growth.

Wait till it gets 6 feet tall and three leaves......
__________________
🌴

Last edited by cincinnana : 04-16-2021 at 12:38 PM.
cincinnana is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To cincinnana
Said thanks:
Old 04-11-2021, 11:41 AM   #9 (permalink)
 
sirdoofus's Avatar
 
Location: Central Vancouver Island, BC Canada
Zone: AgCan 7b, USDA 6b
Name: Mike
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,029
BananaBucks : 16,399
Feedback: 1 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 3,129 Times
Was Thanked 1,157 Times in 592 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 98 Times
Default Re: Highgate always has 4 leaves

My wife and I are beekeepers (OK, my wife is the beekeeper, I m the grunt) and one thing we always highly recommend to new beekeepers is to start with at least 2 colonies, for comparison, backup, experimentation, etc.

I usually apply that to other endeavors as well and would suggest considering acquiring another banana for comparative purposes - it may help to shed some light on the situation - besides, the more bananas the better
__________________
Who keeps calling me nuts??
sirdoofus is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To sirdoofus
Said thanks:
Old 04-15-2021, 02:20 PM   #10 (permalink)
Moderator

 
Gabe15's Avatar
 
Location: Oahu, Hawaii
Zone: 12
Name: Gabe
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,892
BananaBucks : 13,338,268
Feedback: 5 / 100%
Said "Thanks" 1 Times
Was Thanked 8,237 Times in 2,200 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 8 Times
Default Re: Highgate always has 4 leaves

If you wan't any chance of fruit as well as more leaves maintained (which are related), you will need to put it in a much larger pot, however, although it a "dwarf" that is relative to it's taller counterparts, but 'Highgate' can be still be rather large plant and not one I would consider a "small" variety, so in order to get it large enough to fruit effectively, it may outgrow your greenhouse.
__________________
Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.
Gabe15 is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To Gabe15
Said thanks:
Old 04-16-2021, 10:24 AM   #11 (permalink)
 
Location: Long Beach, CA
Zone: 10B
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 453
BananaBucks : 65,353
Feedback: 0 / 0%
Said "Thanks" 12 Times
Was Thanked 670 Times in 250 Posts
Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2 Times
Default Re: Highgate always has 4 leaves

It needs a larger pot. Put it in a 15 gallon pot. Then it will grow faster and have more leaves. To get it to fruiting size you will need a minimum of 25 gallon pot. A 45 gallon pot would be better.

Bill
Best day is offline   Reply With Quote Send A Private Message To Best day
Said thanks:
Reply   Email this Page Email this Page

Previous Thread: Spring Pots/ fabric pots
Next Thread: Repotting question





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


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
'Highgate' and 'Cocos' Gabe15 Main Banana Discussion 27 04-30-2022 08:34 AM
Highgate vs Gros Michel rpbp58 Banana Identification 3 02-25-2021 10:01 PM
I got my Highgate! Best day Main Banana Discussion 1 09-30-2020 03:51 PM
Highgate - Coming Soon!!! sddarkman619 Banana Plants For Sale & Auction 1 09-30-2019 04:10 PM
Highgate leaves not fully unfolding frankbrad Banana Plant Health And Maintenance Topics 6 04-14-2018 09:13 PM


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:55 PM.





All content © Bananas.org & the respective author.