GoAngels

A little over 2 years ago, I bought an Ice Cream and a Manzano from ebay. About a month after I planted them, a visiting Labrador decided to eat both of them. In the two years since then, the Manzano has grown to about 9-10 feet with 6 pups. However, the Ice Cream is still only about 2.5 to 3 feet tall. Except for the lack of growth, it looks healthy. They are planted 5 feet apart.

I am in zone 9 and both bananas are planted against a south facing wall. Will the Ice Cream show more vigor at some point or is it a lost cause?

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sandy0225

sounds like maybe the soil might be different in one place than the other, or maybe more fertile, more water, or some variable. have you tried watering and fertilizing the ice cream banana?

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Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
1501 East Fuson Road
Muncie, IN 47302
www.northerntropics.com


specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~
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legumepole

I dont think its the variety.
My icecream is vigorous.
I am having the same problem as you but with a couple of dwarf orinokos.
They just arnt doing much, while others are just fine.

GoAngels

I just remeasured and they are actually only 3 feet apart. The manzano might get a little more water because it is closer to the natural drainage path in my yard. I fertilize a couple times a year with Citrus-Tone (I realize this is not a perfect fert, but it is what I use on everything else).

My main concern is whether the IC could have been permanently damaged by the dog. I'm wondering if I should just taking it out and put in another of the same variety.

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imclueless17

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GoAngels

Manzano on the left, Ice Cream to the right between the Manzano and the potted DC.

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sunfish

If that,s all it's grown in two years I would replace it.

john_ny

If you replace it, I'd try the original in another location, rather than throwing it out. There is the odd chance that there is something about the location, and the replacement plant might act the same as the original,

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John

mango_kush

my pineapples do the same thing, no growth then all of a sudden alot of growth.

i would dig it up and take a butchers look at the root system, see if the soil is really compacted around it.

i am a firm believer than a plant is either growing or declining.

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GoAngels

Could the lack of growth come from planting it too deep? It looks to me like I planted it deeper than the Manzano. But I would think it would have not still be alive after two years if that was the case.

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sandy0225

Planting them deeper isn't usually a problem with bananas. The dog eating it wouldnt have affected it for two years. So it has to be either a water, fertilizer, soil, or root issue. It doesn't seem like it would have lived for two years if it had a continuous root issue. So the cause must be soil or water or fertility of soil in my way of thinking.

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Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
1501 East Fuson Road
Muncie, IN 47302
www.northerntropics.com


specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~
check out our new online store at our website!

LilRaverBoi

Yeah, I'm with Sandy....likely some variation of conditions (soil, water, fertilizer, sunlight, etc) that is resulting in the growth. I would just let it be unless you are in some impatient hurry to get it to fruit (in which case you could relocate it). Plant looks very healthy from the pic, so nothing to worry about, really.

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ron_mcb

well it would help if you can tell what is that brown stuff in the bed?? is that mulch or did you do some burning? get a close up shot of the plant base and the ground. i believe your problem is caused by something you did to the soil.. dont think its the plant.

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GoAngels

The brown stuff is from burning the crabgrass about a week earlier...part of my ongoing battle against the stuff. I use a flame weeder with a small flame. The ice cream has actually been growing better since then. I really doubt it is from anything I have done because of how well the manzano is doing.

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