lear60

I am new to bananas and have planted 2 five foot tall Abasinnians in my back yard. I live in north texas and it has been VERY hot. The plants have only been in the ground a couple of weeks and the leaves look dry, brown, and cracked. The leaves that still look good just hang by the stem like a sheet of paper folded over a dowel. I am watering by soaker hose about every 2 to three days for about an hour. Some people have told me its too much water others say too little. it looks like too much sun to me but i dont know what i am doing. Please help

mikevan

My established nanners also fold their leaves a bit tighter especially during the heat of the day. This is not unusual. As to over-watering - the best way to tell is to simply stick your finger in the soil. If the soil is moist, you're okay. If you pull back a wet finger, it's been overwatered. You don't want it mucky - nanners hate water-logging and that will stunt their growth. But, they like it moist, so ensure a good deep watering when it starts to seem on the dry side of moist. It's young and hasn't had a chance to develop a decent root system just yet so it'll wilt a bit more. Providing some sort of bright shade would help, methinks.

Be well,
Mike

lear60

Thanks, Mike any suggestions on a shade?

mikevan

Get yerself a section of concrete mesh (the kind you lay down in foundations) and form an upright cylinder with it around your nanner (hoping it's tall enough for it) and cover that with a shade-cloth, is the first thing that comes to mind. Or root around your property to see if you have a suitable frame or materials to make one that'll shade the nanner. It's only temporary to get the plant over the hump.

Be well,
Mike