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bryan_bennett29

Ice Cream Banana Tree Help??

10 years ago

Please see the 2 pictures. Bother were planted on the same day. Any idea what is wrong with the bad looking one? Can anyone help me fix it?

Comments (7)

  • 10 years ago

    They look like tissue culture plants. If they are, TC's are have very weak root systems. I would try some root stimulator on the sick looking one. I don't usually plant bananas in the ground until they've reached 1 foot in height in a pot.

    Steve

  • 10 years ago

    Ok great! I will do that and thanks!

  • 10 years ago

    It looks dry. Keep it moist. Put a layer of bark mulch or pine straw on top of the soil to shelter the soil from the direct sun until the plant matures more. It also looks like the bag soil I buy and use. Its very dark ,almost black with the charcoal dust they put in it. I filled in around a small plant that was already established for two years with a cheap bag top soil and the plant instantly killed over that week. I am thinking the dark soil over heated the plants root system due to it being in full sun. It was a happy plant up to this point and I had used part of the same bag soil in other parts of my yard and pots without any problems and still buy and use the same brand of bagged top soil for potting and such.

  • 10 years ago

    OK I will add some mulch. Thanks!

  • 10 years ago

    I have new growth today!

  • 10 years ago

    I am having issues with my ice cream as well. He only has a half a leaf right now :( My other bananas are doing great right next to him. I will try mulching


  • 10 years ago

    I'm glad your ice cream has come around for you, Bryan.

    I do echo with Steve on planting the bananas when they're at least a foot tall. Usually the pups that pop up near the mother plant are able to survive better as they're part of the comb. But pups that that are on their own root system usually are weaker especially when they're very small. So, the idea of a root hormone makes a lot of sense there. I do apply root hormones whenever I plant new things in the ground. I've tried that on my bananas and they're doing rather well (pictures attached below). They're pushing out new growth a few days into planting.

    I dug out some Mexican Red pups after its parent died. Some of them were transplanted to a new spot. The littlest one came loose on its own and survived in pot for a while, but it died recently when I placed it in a sunny location :( Apparently, I've forgotten that these young plants need some kind of sun protection too. Now, I have a make shift beach umbrella to help out my other young plants in the ground when the sun is too strong.

    Here are a couple of my newly planted bananas:

    Left: Mexican Red, Center: Musa Sumatrana X cross (I think), Right: Raja Puri Pineapple


    Right: Double Mahoi, Center: Kru (a red banana) and Right (Dwarf Namwah)


    Some of these varieties are cold sensitive ... especially "Kru" and possibly "Double Mahoi," "Mexican Red," and Musa Sumatrana. I love all these red bananas, but they don't seem to stand the cold too well. They have been in the pot and are doing nothing much, so I thought to let them at least try out in the ground. And I picked close to the house for added protection. We'll see how they do this Winter.

    Do share more pictures as your ice cream grows for you, Bryan.

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