Pruning frost damage
 

Hi all -

When can I start pruning the brown crispy leaves from my plants? So far I've managed to leave them be. There is so much new growth now! And my SDC in a pot had three pups hiding under the burnt leaves!

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Brown, cripsy (that is the important word) leaves can be pruned any time. If the weather is damp or rainy, their presence will sometimes become the starting point for rot on the trunk. If weather is warm and/or dry, their presence is not problem. Brown, mushy (important word) parts need to be removed immediately, as they will spread through the whole trunk, otheriwse.

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Anna, on most of my plants the part of the leaf stem that joins into the P-stem is where the brown mush started. It starts looking orangey/gold and then turns dark brown and eventually black in some spots. You can tell it's damaged because it feels soft to the touch.

To remove it I pulled the stems away from the p-stem a bit and then cut away all the soft frost damaged areas with a single edge razor blade. A lot of my pups were already turning black and the leaves that I used for mulch had to be removed because it was turning into rotten smelly stuff. I now have two truck loads of rotting and dead leaves going to the dump tomorrow.

Like Jon said, it's really important to remove any suspect plant material or it will rot the whole plant. I actually saw some black spots that had bled into to the p-stem under neath. In those areas I just removed more until it was clean and could dry out in the sun. I'm still not sure how my plants will fare even after all the trimming and cutting.

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Thanks Jon and Mitchel! My day is now planned for tomorrow.

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

How did it go Anna?

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

There has been a short delay. I can't find my pruning shears. If I don't find them in the morning I guess it's time for new ones! :)

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Hello Anna. How are the bananas doing? Did you enter that Ae Ae contest?:0519:

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Hey, Mark!

I planned on pruning this afternoon. Just as I was going outside, it started to sprinkle. No problem! Then, a huge clap of thunder, and a major (very cool!) downpour. Had to take it as a sign to wait to prune. :nanerwizard:

How are your plants doing?

If I did the contest, I'd have to drive to Florida! I sooo want an Ae-Ae!!! :2789: :2789: :2789:

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Hello Anna.All plants are doing great. I think we may be done with any frost or cold weather this year. But!! you never know.We just need more rain. Going to be in the high 70's in the next few days. Maybe an 80F or two. Got new growth on all bananas. My mexican lime that took it on the chin:0493: , is coming back. Right now im germinating some Musa chessmanii seeds i got from the UK. Thinking of getting a Burmese Blue to replace the Ice cream i lost during the Arctic snap. How is your "blue" doing? I want an Ae Ae also, but that orchid is very nice. You should enter. :2719:

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Yes, I guess I should enter the contest. :)

I just re-potted the Blue a couple of days ago. Oh, I was supposed to take a picture of it wasn't I? It's doing pretty good so far.

Got out and pruned the bananas today! The weather was so nice, I didn't want to come inside. Looks like I lost a Dwarf Red, Monkey Fingers, Dwarf Namwah, Saba, and SH-3640. Plus my three small Mahoi's. :( :( :(
I refuse to give up on any of them though!

Very cool that my two Orinoco blooms that I thought were totally gone, are starting to open up again! I don't know if the fruit will be edible? I'm hoping they're like a Late Harvest wine. Sweet and wonderful! :nanadrink:

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Well look at is this way. If your lost bananas do not come back, then its time to do a lil shopping. LOL!! :2738: <------ Anna shopping.

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Anna, scissors and a serrated knife work fine.

Here are some pictures of the nasty brown parts that need to go. The first pix is the outside layer (leaf), and the next three are the layers (leaves) beneath, showing how the rot has traveled from layer to layer.









This is a typical piece of removed material.

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Mark - Shopping YES!!! Always a good thing! :04: :416: :04:

Jon - I do have some smaller plants with that kind of rot. :(
If any of my larger guys had that, you would probably hear me crying down South. :-)

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Great info pitangadiego &
momoese :bananas_b ,I did some of this ''CLEANING'' to my newly planted pups and older banana plants today with an xtra sharp knife,what a difference!

Re: Pruning frost damage
 

Hmmmm... not happy with this cold spell we're having. Again. I hope I don't have to bring all of the banana blankets out again...

I found another SDC pup that was hidden! That is four pups now from the little guy. They were protected from the mom's crispy leaves.

Oh, please let Spring come soon! :)