AnnaIkona
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Location: Canada zone 8b

Banana Tree has browning yellow leaves

Hello!
Haven’t been on here for such a long time- and is great to be back!
So two months ago I got a dwarf banana tree, so I planed into a bigger pot with drainage. It was by the window so it might have been a bit cold, and did not get any direct light. The leaves were green and fresh and fine... however the little leaf in the middle stayed rolled up and hadn’t grown for the whole month that it’s been there.
So I moved it further inside the house by the purple grow light by the heater. It did well and the leaf grew out and another one and another one. Until the bottom leaves started to brown and die. I decided that it’s ok. But now ALL of the three leaves, including the tiny one that is slowly unwrapping beginning to brown and turn yellow. It is getting worst every day.

Any ideas?

Thanks!!

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Banana is a kind of grass, and like grass ...or corn if that’s more familiar... it grows new leaves from the middle of rolled up tube. So outer leaves browning is fine, but you do not want the innermost new shoot to turn brown and mushy.

It might have gotten chilled by the window, which slowed it down to near dormant state. One thing you don’t want to do with dormant banana is overwater.

AnnaIkona
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Posts: 801
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2015 9:20 pm
Location: Canada zone 8b

035EE903-3015-4565-B9BA-860C83AA6DF3.jpeg

Thank you for the interesting information! I guess I will cut back on the watering. The soil looks moist all the time though.

Forgot to add this ^
We added blended bananas and water to the top of the soil (my husband decided it is a good idea :roll: ) but all that did was attract flies, so we dumped it out.
This couldn’t have caused this, right?

AnnaIkona
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Posts: 801
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2015 9:20 pm
Location: Canada zone 8b

Update:
The banana tree is not doing much better. And I noticed that when the water gathers under the pot, there are little oil-like, thin plates that float on the water. Sort of like gasoline. Any ideas? Maybe I should change the soil?
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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I see those floaters you describe when there is rusty metal in the water ...?

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Bananas like a lot of water, but does not grow in a swamp. The saucer should not be full of water or you will promote fungal diseases that will eventually cause banana to rot. They are giant grass, so they do need fertilizer. They need a lot of potassium and nitrogen while they are growing.



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