Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

I got my dwarf cavendish back in September. It had been damaged from the shipping and didn't look like it was going to make it. All its leaves had been bent and soon all of them withered away except for one new leaf.

Plant right after I got in and repotted it.

I nursed it back to health, and planted it in a pot with flower potting soil so it wouldn't be root bound. Over the next couple months it grew 5 new leaves without losing any. I had to take it home over winter break, and I couldn't give it sunlight, but gave it 24 hr artificial light and some fertilizer. It grew very little those six weeks of sitting in the relatively cold basement.

I took it back to college with me, and it seemed to be doing fine for two weeks. It gets roughly 3 hours of direct sunlight every day, and much more indirect sunlight. I keep it at 85 during the day and 65 at night. I water it before it dries out too much, but never enough to cause root rotting. There have been a couple of gnats in my room.

However, it has started to lose leaves. First, it was a leaf that had broken and been sickly for a while. That didn't seem too concerning. However, in the space of 6 hours another leaf went from being parallel to drooping. It withered away shortly thereafter. I was resigned to this being a one off thing, but now it had happened again. This morning the plant looked fine, but when I came back from classes, a third leaf, one of the bottom leaves had dropped again.


I really want to save this plant. Can any of you experts diagnose what is wrong with it?

Thanks a lot,

curious physicist

Re: Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

Looks etoliated to me but healthy.

Re: Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

Maby mites?

Re: Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

I'll guess mites also. Try looking with a magnifying glass and a flashlight or just wipe the leaves with some diluted neem oil etc.

Re: Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

Your plants look similar to a few of mine after a long winter inside.
Even though your plant is in the window it is still feeling the winter blahs ...not enough sun and warmth even in the window.



Once summer rolls around the plants will sort themselves out.
The plants really needs to be outdoors but it is too soon.
Do not water too much ......let the soil dry out even more than you thought. Now is the time to overwater and kill your plant.

.Spring plants
by
Hostafarian, on Flickr

Re: Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

Thanks for all your help!

The plant is still declining steadily:( I checked for mites, but couldn't spot any. I washed the leaves and stem with soapy water, and I've allowed the plant to get drier than I usually do. The leaf that was dropping in the pictures above is now completely withered away and another leaf has started to die. Right now it is losing 2 leaves a week and only gaining 1 every two weeks. If it keep up that pace it won't make it outside.

Any more recommendations? I have noted that the leaves that die are more likely to be above the radiator, could that be the problem?

Once again, thanks for all your help!

Best,
Curious Physicist

Re: Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

seems like every year there is a plant or two that act that way, usually they make it tho.
i have 2 small ones that look like they are not gonna make it
Fluff/aerate the soil, add some temp light and or heat, sing to it.
Next year no fert in the winter.

Re: Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

It's possible that the radiator is causing a problem, yes. Also, will it be going out in the spring? My experience is that bananas do not love the house. Mine don't. They pout all winter, and the pop back out like crazy once they go out at the end of March. Even though it's not cold in the house, it's also not nearly as warm as they want it. So I view their time inside more as a "I just have to keep them alive till march" rather than expecting them to do well.

Re: Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

Your 85F day temps are the problem, if your only getting 3 hours of sunlight temps should not exceed 65f.You should never have a banana plant next to a radiator.

Re: Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

I see that the pstem is blackening at the base... I would say you water it too much and your soil holds too much water. Try repotting in a mix containing at least 40 to 50% sand. Adding ventilation could help too. Remove all black parts. That's what I would do.

Re: Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

How is your plant? Did it survived?

Re: Please Help, my dwarf Banana is losing leaves
 

I watered the plant less, cut off the black parts, washed and inspected the leaves, and aerated the soil. I didn't think it would make it, but the plant managed to survive to the end of the semester, just barely. It is now outside, soon to be re-potted in better soil. Thanks to everyone for all the help!