Hi!

I've noticed this, too, when I bring my banana tree in for the winter. The older leaves all start to brown and drop off, while the new ones grow a lot more slowly. For me, this process usually slows a great deal as the browning reaches the top layers of the plant. I think it's just the plant realizing it doesn't have the required energy to support so much foliage...at any rate, it's nothing to worry about. Just be really careful about over-watering it. I usually go so far as to let my banana begin to wilt before giving it another drink. Go light on the fertilizer, and if necessary, consider bringing in a touch of artificial lighting.

Good luck!

If its getting to a point where it looks bad, I would just cut all the leaves off and water very rarely (about once every 2 weeks). As long as the trunk stays nice and firm it will grow back right where it left off next spring when it goes outside. If its still a seeding though and doesnt have a very large trunk, I wouldnt do this. I would just keep it on the dry side (water once a week) and let it be. most banana plants dont grow all that fast indoors, but once outside they reach for the clouds!

look to make sure you're not getting spider mites as well. if you have them they'll look like little dusty webs usually on the bottom side of the leaves. They can cause silvering/bronzing of the leaves or patchy dead spots. If you have spider mites, mix up 1tablespoon of suave shampoo or dish soap with 1 tablespoon of liquid cooking oil, put that in a gallon of water and shake and use that to spray the leaves to the point of runoff, coating them well. It kills (soap)and also smothers (oil) the mites.