Here are the photos.... I love the smell of raw banana when you cut the stems... It smells like that raw banana resin if you guys know what I'm talking about...

This is after I cut off some leaves and pulled back some stems...

My Zebrina has been growing also, her older leaves dry up and when they get real bad I do cut them off, she doesn't get much light at all and I water her a little bit a few times a month. You can see the 2 leaves that are starting to die off. She also has a pup starting to grow, but I don't expect it to make it.

Your's is looking great, I don't know your location, I'm in upstate NY so I've got at least 4 months before I can even think of putting her outside.

Hello Christine, I live on the other side of the Lake (by Toronto Canada).

I initially kept mine in the basement from Mid Oct to Early Jan.

In the basement it didn't get much light either.... somewhat cool, about 60-65F. It kept growing but slowly.... and that's when the problem began (Towards December).

I moved it upstairs to a nice big Window where it gets a good amount of light... and about 70-75F.... It is growing quicker now.... but the leaves are still struggling to outgrow the last one....

I haven't had much of a problem with my Banana drying up.... I try to spray them twice a day (I have 3 bananas different size growing). Sometimes, I cut off a big leaf and just keep it as a decoration and it can last at room temp for a week before it starts to dry up... pretty cool actually.... Maybe your house is too dry... or mine is too humid haha....

Anyways, best of luck with your banana Christine.... and I hope someone has an answer for my question xD

Probably needs more light and more humidity. If you have it near a heat vent, get it away from it or close off that vent. Most bananas light humid air and our winter indoor air is so dry.

Not sure I follow your reasoning. The plant puts a lot of its food reserves into producing a leaf. The leaf in turn photosynthesises and helps rebuild the plants food reserves. If you cut the green leaves off you're basically 'haemorrhaging' the plants reserves and putting it into a downward spiral. There's a limit to the number of new leaves it will be able to produce in that situation. They'll get progressively smaller until there's nothing left.

Interesting.... well my other option is to leave the leaves as is and they'll eventually clog up.... I was having this problem before I started removing leaves... By removing the older leaves, the newer one can open up somewhat....

Anyways, just asking for help... The other Banana forum didn't care or didn't know the answer either.

My plant currently has 3 leaves fully out, 1 leaf 3/4 of the way out and a new leaf already emerging from the semi-opened leaf....

If I let it be, that leaf will start opening inside the previous leaf and push out another new leaf in the middle of that mess.

I don't understand this "clog up" you mention. If you're in Canada then your plants will be climatically challenged. The temperatures you quote, about 20 -24C, are quite cool for a maximum, and your light levels will be way down. That is probably slowing the emergence of new leaves, they're not actually "clogging up".

I understand what you're saying... I'll just let the plant be.

With the stronger sun levels around the corner you'll start to notice a difference in March. Not to wworry this is normal for some.