MinnesotaNole

This spring my son wanted to get a banana tree. Living in Minnesota I thought this was crazy, but I saw on a site I have bought many trees from that a dwarf cavendish could be grown in a pot outdoors in the summer and brought inside for the winter, so I thought why not. The plant was doing great outside, its sprouted up to about 5ft tall. Fast forward to today, we have moved the plant inside next to our sliding glass door in our kitchen/dining room. Now the leaves are starting to turn brown and starting to die off. I am just wondering if anyone might have some thoughts what I can do to help this plant survive the winter until I can get it back outside. I have cut back on watering it, only watering when the top inch or two of the soil is dry. Do you think its not getting enough sunlight, do I need to go buy a grow light? We keep the house around 70 degrees in the winter. Hopefully the images posted show up.

Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.

MinnesotaNole

I should add, the plant developed a new leaf in the center since moving indoors, but it as started to brown on the edges before it fully unwrapped. you should be able to see that in the pictures as well.

Thanks again for any advice

edwmax

How much and how often is the pot being watered?

Banana roots need to breath. So the potting soil MUST BE very well draining and must drain the excess water Out of the pot. ... No self watering pots.

Inside the banana plant needs very little water and the soil needs to dry out between watering. May be about a cup of water every two weeks if the soil drys out.

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Iowa

It may be too much water as they go domant in the winter. Make sure the pot drains well and let it dry out all the way before watering. But don't give it much. A light don't hurt, watch out for cold air from the sliding door opening.

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Growing Musa Orinoco since 1993 - Added 2018-Basjoo, Zebrina' Rojo, Ensete Red Abyssinian - Added 2019-Goldfinger - Added 2020-Kokopo (Short Cycle), Double (Mahoi), Highgate, Super Dwarf Cavendish - Added 2021-Pisang Ceylon(Mysore), Musa Margarita, Ensete Ventricosum - Added 2023 - Siam Ruby

MinnesotaNole

Thanks for the responses. I was watering it every 3 days or so. I will cut it back to once a week at the most and I will let the pot dry out before I start watering again. Should I remove the dried out leaves? If so, I am guess i just trim it back to where it meets the main stem?

Iowa

Yes, cut the dead junk off it will look better and the plant won't have to deal with it. It will come back.

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Growing Musa Orinoco since 1993 - Added 2018-Basjoo, Zebrina' Rojo, Ensete Red Abyssinian - Added 2019-Goldfinger - Added 2020-Kokopo (Short Cycle), Double (Mahoi), Highgate, Super Dwarf Cavendish - Added 2021-Pisang Ceylon(Mysore), Musa Margarita, Ensete Ventricosum - Added 2023 - Siam Ruby

cincinnana

First ....your plants look like some of mine.....which is somewhat normal for a sliding door situation.....do not panic...I have sliding doors and a few of mine are growing in the same situation.......and are freezing their corms off.

Plants withdrawn from optimal growing conditions (full sun)will do this.


Second....all the previous posts are spot on with your indoor issue....no sun to grow the plant and too much water....will slowly kill your plant
Third...
Indoor growers will tend to overwater anytime the plants leaves start to turn brown or yellow, wilt, stop growing.....Do the opposite, less water more light and as much heat as you can will help your plants over the winter is key.


Have fun...

.
image by
Hostafarian,
on Flickr

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a.hulva@coxinet.net

I agree with all of the above. Mine look worse than yours. I have all mine in pure sand which tends to drain a little too fast. I erred in not watering often enough but everyone’s situation is different. Good luck ��

Mark Anthony Phair

Because of such unforgiving winters and transplant shock and culture and light and water changes, it really is best (unless you have a greenhouse!) to treat your bananas as perennial bulbs and winter over in a dark and cool, DRY spot with temps to be controlled around low 60s F.
Cut back to 1/3 present size and store. Do not water while dormant!
They will react much more vibrantly when you plant the stored corms in late spring.
Your summer is not long enough to get natural height or proper fruiting in one growing season, so treat them as spectacular foliage plants in summer, but store in winter.
Best of Luck!

Gone Bananas,
Mark Anthony

Kelly00077

Good luck I’m doing my first one in a pot and made the mistake of over watering so I’ve been trying to dry out for two months now - praying root rot doesn’t take over

cincinnana

indoors is a harsh transitionn

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cincinnana

Soo .How they doing..mine are looking like they want to they want to go outside........Fast

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Tytaylor77

Also when you move them back outside don’t go directly to full sun! All the leaves will burn crip! Slowly move it under 50% shade, week later to 75% sun then week later to full!

For sure I see signs of overwatering. You could easily go 2 weeks between watering. Banana plants love full sun, warmth, and high humidity! Inside is the opposite!

Heating overwinter sucks the little humidity out of the house! Spraying distilled water from a spray bottle set on fine mist everytime you walk buy would help more than anything!

It will be fine! Once summer is here it will look perfect again!

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