imdocrob

Hi everyone, I have a little Ae Ae that was growing along well when last week it started to wilt up and the leaves all began to turn brown. I have had it sitting in my kitchens south window ever since I got it and it was doing fine. I don't know why it is doing this. Can anyone give me any suggestions. I don't want to lose this plant so if anyone can help me nurse it back to help I would really appreciate it.

Bananaman88

Have you checked for spider mites? I'd suspect that first if you've been keeping it indoors for awhile. Check the underside of the leaves for very, very tiny creatures and look for the presence of webbing. Hope this helps!

Cohiba

If the problem started last week, how long have you had the plant? With an indoor plant, especially if you've only had it a short time, I would think it might be due to over-watering. If you've had if for a few months, then this may not be the case.

JoeS475

I have found that a south facing window indoors over the summer isn't anywhere near as productive for plants as during the winter. The sun is much higher in the sky, and the trees are full of leaves in the summer, eliminating much light. Over the winter there are no leaves, and the sun never gets as high so I get DIRECT sunlight through the window.

Surely even in Oregon this time of the year you could have the Ae Ae outside?

My 2 cents,

~Joe

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cactus6103

I would definitely have it outside this time of year. I would also mist it occasionally with a spray bottle filled with water and add two or three drops of liquid soap. This will help with any type of bug problem and it will not hurt your plant. Red

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Family, Friends and Bananas

johndeltav

Your banana is not well. If you move it outside now the change may do it more harm.It's been my experience that Ae Ae's are difficult to grow. I have grown tropicals for 27 years and have tried them several times and 2 years is the longest they have lived. I've tried indoors,greenhouse, outdoors,shady, full sun,higher acid soil and lower acid soil without any luck. They are my favorite banana but after several hundred dollars I stopped trying. The only way I would try them again is if they were available as cheep tisue culture plants.John

imdocrob

Thanks guys for all your help. Maybe I will try it outdoors for a week and see if that does anything. I don't think it is a matter of overwatering because I usually only water it once a week when the soil gets dry. I did add some miracle grow about the time it started to wilt. I wonder if this might have done something? I would send pics but don't know how to get them online here. Thanks again for your suggestions.

bananimal

Doc Rob

My little Ae Ae stopped growing and started looking funny just last week. Do what I did to check it out. Make a Vulcan salute around the p-stem to support the root ball and pop the plant out of the pot. I found that the bottom half of the soil mass was very wet with few roots. Definitely overwatered since it has been in this pot for 3 months. Should have been fairly rootbound by now.

Removed all loose soil and did like pitangadiego says in his factsheet on the Encanto Farms website. Replanted the little Ae Ae in pure peat moss with a little pearlite added for drainage. Used a new orchid clay pot for max drainage and root breathability. Put a square of plastic screen door screening in pot first to keep soil from oozing out of large drain holes.

The pot now sits on the pool deck surrounded by 3 large dwarf orinocos - also in pots - to shade it from about 11AM to 4PM. It is now growing again. Keeping fingers crossed - in the true Vulcan manner of course. It should live long and prosper!!! I hope.

Dan