Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

On Sept 28th I attended the Banana Festival at the Bamboo Farm in GA. My husband and I purchased 4 banana trees. They were basically dug from the mother plant and chopped off at 4 to 5 feet. I was encouraged to keep them inside until spring; therefore, I planted them in large pots with a good planting medium containing quite a bit of Vermiculite. Leaves began imerging the next day, but quickly came to a halt. They are now in our sun room. Two get west sun and 2 get south sun. Unfortunately, the cut tops began to turn dark and harden. It seemed to me the leaf was being strangled by the hard top. Today trimmed off about 6 inches of the top (left the leaf untouched and intact). I really don't know if I did bad or good. Are there other measures I should take? The temperature of the sun room is approximately 68 - 70 degrees. I am posting some before and after pics on my gallery. Thanks in ahead for any information that might keep my bananas till spring. Annie

Re: Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

Keep the pots warm if they haven't started growing slow. Don't know the temp's in your sun room.. Keep the pots on the dry side till you see growth. Wet & no growth= rott.. :^)

Re: Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

Thank you. I am keeping the soil only moist, not wet. Did you see the pictures I just posted to my photo gallery? What do you think about trimming off the hard, black top? I hope I did not kill my first four bananas! The temp in the sun room is 68 - 70 degrees. Not full sun, but facing West and South.

Re: Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

temperature of the sun room is approximately 68 - 70

Re: Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

Re: Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

They look fine to me.. :^)

Re: Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

This is exactly what a lot of plants look like this time of year.......mine included.
They look good in the greenhouse and at the store, but once you get them home, they look just like yours and mine....... normal, do not panic, even in a sunroom the plants lose the sunlight that they need. They will be fine.
Search these forums, there is some good stuff here on overwintering.

Re: Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

Thank you so much for the replies. These are my first bananas and I do want them to be ok. I'll be so glad when I can plant them outside in the spring!! I guess I was "going bananas".

Re: Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

This is the almost daily harvest of leaves from my plants....... Your looking good . Hold waaaay back on moisture, Your plants do not need it now. less is more in our winter situation.

Re: Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

Thank you for putting the pics on the thread Tony.

Re: Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

Re: Help - My New Bananas Doing Badly
 

Thank you Olaf. I can hardly wait to plant them out and see them grow. I'm in zone 8b - 9 in South Carolina. Should be able to plant outside by April 1st.