Does anyone have a banana tree?

[joflier]

I need some advice, if anyone out there has a banana tree in a cold weather climate. I have a red abyssinian banana plant. It did very well outside over the summer and early fall, and came in the house for winter. It''s still done quite well until this week. Suddenly overnight - 3 of the leaves are dropping to the floor.

The folks @ the greenhouse that I bought it from said that it should winter just fine in the house - just keep it in its pot so it''s rootbound, and it''ll thrive.......

I''m just so sad! I''m in love with my banana tree, and I don''t want to see it die!!

 

[joflier]

Here''s a picture of it in the house from a couple months ago.

 

[LadyBlue]

I used to have a papaya tree, on winter will look like dead, but every summer will go back to life.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Some plants shed leaves. . .not sure about a banana, but my Ficus sheds and it''s not a concern.

Move the plant to the brightest spot in your house. Make sure you have your window coverings near that window closed at night so less cold air is in contact with the plant.

I have quite a few house plants and with a few of them which normally grow in South America, a few things I do include making sure the soil doesn''t dry out (or get too wet) and spraying with water to increase humidity.

 

[CasaBlanca]

In my non tropical climate outdoor bananas are left in the ground...de-leaved/stripped...and then wrapped in thick insulation. Spring the insulation is removed and the stick looking trunk begins to flourish and in no time the leaves return. I hope hearing of that extreme will bring you comfort and patience...

I have other tropical fruit bearers...I thought it was best to bring them in to the most lighted area in my house, but have since learned that in some* it is best to hide them from the light and let them dormant or hibernate through the cold months. In a dark area with no heat vents etc. So there are conflicting advice out there.

I would continue contacting horticulturalist in your area and specifically inquire to them. (at my local store the employees have no experience other than sales.) Also, I find the best advice I have gotten in emergencys is to contact plant rental/service places. The ones in your city that service office, malls, and indoor installations. They will tell you what they do to rotate the plants...and what indoor area plants love the most over winter. Their plants are their inventory...so they are more experienced in nurturing them season to season...than say the stores that do a ONE time sale...

We have a YMCA with an indoor pool and one place takes most of the common tropicals there. The last answer I got was it wasn''t the heat or the sunlight they craved...but humidity. Ok so you need to make a bedroom a rainforest. Easier said than done huh?

Sorry no specifics for you...maybe something in this post poses a different angle?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 2/2/2010 12:28:58 PM
Author: CasaBlanca
In my non tropical climate outdoor bananas are left in the ground...de-leaved/stripped...and then wrapped in thick insulation. Spring the insulation is removed and the stick looking trunk begins to flourish and in no time the leaves return. I hope hearing of that extreme will bring you comfort and patience...

I have other tropical fruit bearers...I thought it was best to bring them in to the most lighted area in my house, but have since learned that in some* it is best to hide them from the light and let them dormant or hibernate through the cold months. In a dark area with no heat vents etc. So there are conflicting advice out there.

I would continue contacting horticulturalist in your area and specifically inquire to them. (at my local store the employees have no experience other than sales.) Also, I find the best advice I have gotten in emergencys is to contact plant rental/service places. The ones in your city that service office, malls, and indoor installations. They will tell you what they do to rotate the plants...and what indoor area plants love the most over winter. Their plants are their inventory...so they are more experienced in nurturing them season to season...than say the stores that do a ONE time sale...

We have a YMCA with an indoor pool and one place takes most of the common tropicals there. The last answer I got was it wasn''t the heat or the sunlight they craved...but humidity. Ok so you need to make a bedroom a rainforest. Easier said than done huh?

Sorry no specifics for you...maybe something in this post poses a different angle?

An easy way to create humidity is a pebble tray. You put a large saucer filled with gravel under the plant and then poor a bit of water in and that will create humidity. The objective would be to keep water in there but not too much that the water is absorbed through the dirt exposed through the holes at the bottom of the pot. Plus, spraying the plant.

 

[CasaBlanca]

One more little* thing... your pot you have it in is way too small. That plastic liner (that I see) was for transporting it to the sales point...but it should have been repotted. Usually in tropicals they use a sorry medium of bark mulch. It makes the plants lighter and easier to transport and not cost as much. But they have NO nutrients.

The leaf drop you are experiencing could be from the stress of soil/nutrient competition.

So in spring, you need to repot, and I am certain all leaves you loose now will return and bring their cousins with them. To have a plant that healthy in that teeny of pot...means you are doing SOMETHING very right. So continue as you have...but do make plans to give those roots more room to breathe and grow.

Next year...that banana isn't going to fit in your house!

ETA: WOOPs I just reread your op and they tell you ROOT BOUND IS GOOD. Ok, then. I stand corrected. I apologize for interjecting my opinion. MY bad.

 

[joflier]

Date: 2/2/2010 12:40:04 PM
Author: CasaBlanca
One more little* thing... your pot you have it in is way too small. That plastic liner (that I see) was for transporting it to the sales point...but it should have been repotted. Usually in tropicals they use a sorry medium of bark mulch. It makes the plants lighter and easier to transport and not cost as much. But they have NO nutrients.

The leaf drop you are experiencing could be from the stress of soil/nutrient competition.

So in spring, you need to repot, and I am certain all leaves you loose now will return and bring their cousins with them. To have a plant that healthy in that teeny of pot...means you are doing SOMETHING very right. So continue as you have...but do make plans to give those roots more room to breathe and grow.

Next year...that banana isn''t going to fit in your house!

ETA: WOOPs I just reread your op and they tell you ROOT BOUND IS GOOD. Ok, then. I stand corrected. I apologize for interjecting my opinion. MY bad.

you may be right....I don''t know. I''ve had some articles that say to repot, but then some that say rootbound helps them stay living longer in multiweather climates.......Wisconsin probably isn''t the easiest place to grow a banana tree!

 

[CasaBlanca]

Oh, Wisconsin...well, that explains it. You are a nut! You are about 5 zones beyond non tropical! A banana tree in Wisconsin? Impressed beyond measure!

Well, girlie, if you have a plant that healthy in Wisconsin...a tropical...then I respectively remove all my comments and stupid advice, IT IS you that should be doling out the advice. You rock!

 

[joflier]

Date: 2/2/2010 1:17:52 PM
Author: CasaBlanca
Oh, Wisconsin...well, that explains it. You are a nut! You are about 5 zones beyond non tropical! A banana tree in Wisconsin? Impressed beyond measure!

Well, girlie, if you have a plant that healthy in Wisconsin...a tropical...then I respectively remove all my comments and stupid advice, IT IS you that should be doling out the advice. You rock!

Your too funny casablanca! And no - you are not the 1st person to tell me that I''m a nut for trying to grow a banana tree in Wisconsin! lol - I appreciate your advice! I''m very much a novice with plantlife. I''m going to stop watering it for now - I''m thinking it might be waterlogged. We''ll see what happens. I''m just pushing him to hold on for a couple more months. "Make it to April and you can go back outside!"

 

[House Cat]

The browning on the tips of the leaves is a telltale sign of over watering. Roots need air as much as they need water. Are you feeding the plant?

My grandmother had a huge banana tree outside her house. Once it flowered, it died. She said that''s what they do. So, if you ever get it happy enough to flower, I''d cut the flower stalk off, to keep it from growing to maturity.

 

[Gailey]

Hey Jo

The type of banana you have looks to me like Ensete ventricosum maurelii. If you google it''s botanical name, you will find more information.

You might want to join Bananas.org where you will find quite a bit of information about your banana (if you look hard enough you''ll find pictures of my poor specimen!). They are a helpful crowd over there and will soon diagnose your problem.

From the little I know about them, I suspect your problem has to do with low light levels in the winter, but I''m no expert.

Good luck. Hope you have more success with yours than I did with mine.

 

[joflier]

Date: 2/2/2010 6:39:35 PM
Author: House Cat
The browning on the tips of the leaves is a telltale sign of over watering. Roots need air as much as they need water. Are you feeding the plant?

My grandmother had a huge banana tree outside her house. Once it flowered, it died. She said that''s what they do. So, if you ever get it happy enough to flower, I''d cut the flower stalk off, to keep it from growing to maturity.

Hmm....what do you feed a banana tree?

Your grandma should''ve replanted the flower - I''ve heard that if you cut that section off and replant it - a new tree will grow.

 

[Gailey]

Date: 2/2/2010 10:26:34 PM
Author: joflier

Date: 2/2/2010 6:39:35 PM
Author: House Cat
The browning on the tips of the leaves is a telltale sign of over watering. Roots need air as much as they need water. Are you feeding the plant?

My grandmother had a huge banana tree outside her house. Once it flowered, it died. She said that''s what they do. So, if you ever get it happy enough to flower, I''d cut the flower stalk off, to keep it from growing to maturity.

Hmm....what do you feed a banana tree?

Your grandma should''ve replanted the flower - I''ve heard that if you cut that section off and replant it - a new tree will grow.

This is correct. Like bamboo, it is monocarpic and will die if left to flower. The plant will live long enough for the plant to produce fruit (inedible) and for the seeds to ripen enough to be sustainable, so cutting off the flower stalk as soon as it appears may prolong it''s life.

As for replanting that flower stalk, I don''t believe this is correct - sorry.

Jo, one thing I forgot to mention yesterday is that these plants are particularly susceptible to spider mites when kept indoors. so you might want to check for them.

 

[joflier]

Date: 2/3/2010 8:55:30 AM
Author: Gailey
This is correct. Like bamboo, it is monocarpic and will die if left to flower. The plant will live long enough for the plant to produce fruit (inedible) and for the seeds to ripen enough to be sustainable, so cutting off the flower stalk as soon as it appears may prolong it''s life.

As for replanting that flower stalk, I don''t believe this is correct - sorry.

Jo, one thing I forgot to mention yesterday is that these plants are particularly susceptible to spider mites when kept indoors. so you might want to check for them.

Spider mites!!!

I checked around it, and I don''t see any, but that thought just totally grosses me out!!!! I haven''t watered it now for about 5 days or so, and it actually looks slightly better. I cut off the droopy leaves. We''ll see how it goes. I''m really thinking it was just overwatered - being that its indoors in probably a semi-dormant state....
Thanks for your thoughts!