Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

It is the rainy season here and I am hoping that the huge amount of rain we have had has caused my problem. The stems of the plants have split horizontally and vertically at the base as if they are exploding from the inside out, causing a couple of the big plants to break off at the base and fall over. Even some of the pups are affected. Has anyone any experience with this sort of problem? I am just hoping it is not a virus of some kind, although the plants look normal as far as I can tell. Help!!!!!!

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

Send pictures.

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

tried to upload pics today but someone had changed my camera to super high definition and I didn't notice so uploads failed - will do again tomorrow.

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

Pictures in my gallery - can't seem to get them on this posting tho'. One of those weeks!!

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

Cassie, have you eliminated insects as a possibillity?

Erlend

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

There are none to be seen Erland - no ants, aphids, rats or mice. But we have had 20 inches of rain which is why I suspected that might be the problem, although it is dry now. Could weedkiller have had this effect if (say) the neighbours had sprayed on a breezy day? Even the tiny pups are affected.

Cassie

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

Here ya go:

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

Thanks Media - probably the tears in my eyes at the state of my nanas stopped me doing it right. But I'm munching my way through the bunch I cut before disaster struck and they are delicious - gonna need help before I get to the end though - 60lb takes a lot of munching. lol

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

were the 60lbs of nanas from this particular plant that had the prob.?,or did this the plant have NO bunch at the time?

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

The plant lying on the ground is newish and I was expecting its first flag any day. Here they call them rulos, and the fruit is short and very wide, tasting of apples. The plants showing the splits are the 4 ft tall pups from the harvested plant, which I think is a cavendish type. Even the tiny pups are split on nearly all my other plants.

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

In answer to the orginal question, the trunk and leaves look quite healthy, and overwatering would most likely lead to root rot, and the plant leaning or falling over, not snapping off. I would have to do a lot of sawing to be able to snap off a plant like that. Very strange.

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

Unidentified Fruit Offenders (ufo's)?

It truly is sad though.:aliennaner:

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

I've never tried pushing one over, but could some animal be climbing it or using it as a scratching post? Rubbing up against it.

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

Reminds me of the guy on the Palm Society board who had his home caretaker go out and trash his plants one night in a drunken rage.

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

D'Andra - I have thought of that too, but the garden is walled and the trunks are unmarked. It is as if the core had absorbed too much water and split the outer. I have also heard a report of someone on Tortola whose bananas have suddenly fallen over. I will try to persue this one as Tortola is a dry island.

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

I think I have solved the mystery. WEEDKILLER!!!! The neighbours were spraying on a windy day and the drift has nailed my bananas, bougainvilla, balsa and goodness knows what else. I think my best bet is to cut the bananas to the ground and hope any surviving new growth is healthy. What do you think. Not much else I can do (before picking up my machete and going to interview the neighbours!!)

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

I would be pissed off!!!!

I don't want to give bad advice, but do you think flooding the area with water would be a good or bad idea? It would push the chemicals away from the corm but it could bring them to the roots where they're not wanted either... then again if you used enough water to flood it for a couple days...

Maybe someone else will chime in with some ideas...

But this is why I don't use weedkiller in my yard!

Sorry to hear all this bad news, Cassie.

RIP

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

Wow! What a nice looking plant.

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

Guess you won't be inviting the neighbors over for fresh tostones anytime soon....

Anyway, they are probably sorry, and will probably pay for your damages. If it was me who was your neighbor, I'd be REALLY embarassed.

The good news is that you now can start from scratch with new, different and exciting cultivars and plants. That's how I like to think, when the frost takes my butia palms year after year. How about a huge saba where your dwarf plant used to be? Or a black-stemmed Ele-ele in that corner?
:banana_ba

Erlend

Re: Is this problem caused by too much water?
 

I have never been able to find banana pups for sale here, and especially not unusual or named varieties. People just pass them over the fence saying this one is particularly good etc. I have posted on local message boards asking for different types of plant, but no replies so far. I will just have to keep my eyes open and ask around. The Dominicans seem to prize plantains above bananas for some reason. Well, this morning the men came to dig up the 4 plants that were worst affected, 1 seemed to have escaped and 1 they gave the benefit of the doubt to. They asked if I would like some pups to replace them with, but I don't know what they will bring.

Cassie