Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well!

paw465 · 07-20-2007, 07:11 AM

As a learner banana plant grower all advice is gratefully received
I have an Ensete Ventricosum grown from seed (it's now about 5 weeks old - 18'' high) which was doing really well until I went away on hols.
I've come back to find the leaves slowly browning from the tips and dying. It seems to be the more recent the leaf the more badly it is affected, to the point that the very latest is unravelling nearly black and crispy!
Any ideas? My son swears blind that he watered it while I was away and I've been back a week now and it seems to be getting worse every day
Help!
Paul

JoeS475 · 07-21-2007, 12:56 AM

Sounds to me like its being overwatered or not draining well enough. The banana I drowned a couple of years back had exactly the symptoms you describe.

Is your soil wet or saturated? Personally I'd let it dry out completely before watering it again.

Good luck!

~Joe

paw465 · 07-21-2007, 01:35 AM

Cheers for that Joe, could well be overwatering thinking on it, my son said he was surprised how thirsty it was so he's probably drowned the thing.
I'll see if I can save it with a bit of dry resuscitation

Thanks again
Paul

mrbungalow · 07-21-2007, 03:49 AM

Or he could just as easily have under-watered it. At this time of the year, ensetes do drink like an Icelandic sailor. But as you say, it could also be a drainage issue.

Same thing happened to a friends velutina while on vacation. This one only got watered a few times in a course of 2 weeks. The leaves browned, hanged, and dried up, but the next leaf that came out was fine, after a little water and care.

I bet it will bounce right back when you start to water in fair amounts again.

Erlend

paw465 · 07-27-2007, 04:45 AM

Just a quick update... I took Joe's suggestion that 'Ense' had probably been overwatered and re-potted him in fresh dry compost (the roots were completely waterlogged) and one week on although all the leaves have been damaged it's now sprung back into life, so thanks again.
Paul
(And doesn't something like that just go to show what a brilliant site this is?)

Kylie2x · 07-27-2007, 07:16 AM

Congrats!!!!!
I guess you just earned the first aid badge for "dry resuscitation"
LOL....
Kylie

paw465 · 07-27-2007, 08:25 AM

Tell me about it... I spent three hours trying to find a pulse... not to mention giving it the kiss of life

Paul

JoeS475 · 07-27-2007, 11:15 AM

Glad to hear Ense is on the rebound!

~Joe

Kylie2x · 07-27-2007, 12:22 PM

ROFLMBAO!!!!!!
Kylie

douglas gray · 01-16-2008, 10:49 PM

perfect !!! thats the exact symptoms I had on the same plant from seed, the same size - now I know why mine died !! I was getting confused seeing all these pics of bananas indoors and wondering why I couldn't get past this size! thanks you Joe and Paw. This site is great for advice, this year I want a tropical garden like Randy.....

Mark Hall · 01-17-2008, 04:48 AM

Douglas we all want a garden like Randys

magicgreen · 01-17-2008, 12:57 PM

That is the truth Mark! Ive been looking at my garden trying to fiqure out a new design. All these beautiful yards ive looked at this winter got me thinking about redesigning it!

I want purty pictures to show off my stuff TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

redtail_2006 · 01-17-2008, 01:50 PM

Well done paws mate.How long did it take for your seeds to germinate mate?Iv hade some venricosum seeds in the the heated prop for about 3 months now no sign of life as yet.

07-20-2007, 07:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
paw465 Junior Member Location: Herts, UK Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 13 BananaBucks : 8,779 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! As a learner banana plant grower all advice is gratefully received I have an Ensete Ventricosum grown from seed (it's now about 5 weeks old - 18'' high) which was doing really well until I went away on hols. I've come back to find the leaves slowly browning from the tips and dying. It seems to be the more recent the leaf the more badly it is affected, to the point that the very latest is unravelling nearly black and crispy! Any ideas? My son swears blind that he watered it while I was away and I've been back a week now and it seems to be getting worse every day Help! Paul

07-21-2007, 12:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
JoeS475 Winter Sucks... JoeS475's Photo Gallery Location: Northern New Jersey Find me on the map! Zone: 6-7 Name: Joe Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 290 BananaBucks : 103,636 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 7 Times Was Thanked 15 Times in 13 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! Sounds to me like its being overwatered or not draining well enough. The banana I drowned a couple of years back had exactly the symptoms you describe. Is your soil wet or saturated? Personally I'd let it dry out completely before watering it again. Good luck! ~Joe __________________

07-21-2007, 01:35 AM	#3 (permalink)
paw465 Junior Member Location: Herts, UK Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 13 BananaBucks : 8,779 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! Cheers for that Joe, could well be overwatering thinking on it, my son said he was surprised how thirsty it was so he's probably drowned the thing. I'll see if I can save it with a bit of dry resuscitation Thanks again Paul

07-21-2007, 03:49 AM	#4 (permalink)
mrbungalow Freezing member mrbungalow's Photo Gallery Location: Bergen, Norway Find me on the map! Zone: 8 Name: Erlend Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 598 BananaBucks : 50,916 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 14 Times Was Thanked 165 Times in 78 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! Or he could just as easily have under-watered it. At this time of the year, ensetes do drink like an Icelandic sailor. But as you say, it could also be a drainage issue. Same thing happened to a friends velutina while on vacation. This one only got watered a few times in a course of 2 weeks. The leaves browned, hanged, and dried up, but the next leaf that came out was fine, after a little water and care. I bet it will bounce right back when you start to water in fair amounts again. Erlend __________________

07-27-2007, 04:45 AM	#5 (permalink)
paw465 Junior Member Location: Herts, UK Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 13 BananaBucks : 8,779 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! Just a quick update... I took Joe's suggestion that 'Ense' had probably been overwatered and re-potted him in fresh dry compost (the roots were completely waterlogged) and one week on although all the leaves have been damaged it's now sprung back into life, so thanks again. Paul (And doesn't something like that just go to show what a brilliant site this is?)

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07-27-2007, 07:16 AM	#6 (permalink)
Kylie2x Senior Member Kylie2x's Photo Gallery Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,225 BananaBucks : 116,186 Feedback: 23 / 100% Said "Thanks" 313 Times Was Thanked 269 Times in 165 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 160 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! Congrats!!!!! I guess you just earned the first aid badge for "dry resuscitation" LOL.... Kylie

07-27-2007, 08:25 AM	#7 (permalink)
paw465 Junior Member Location: Herts, UK Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 13 BananaBucks : 8,779 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! Tell me about it... I spent three hours trying to find a pulse... not to mention giving it the kiss of life Paul

07-27-2007, 11:15 AM	#8 (permalink)
JoeS475 Winter Sucks... JoeS475's Photo Gallery Location: Northern New Jersey Find me on the map! Zone: 6-7 Name: Joe Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 290 BananaBucks : 103,636 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 7 Times Was Thanked 15 Times in 13 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! Glad to hear Ense is on the rebound! ~Joe __________________

07-27-2007, 12:22 PM	#9 (permalink)
Kylie2x Senior Member Kylie2x's Photo Gallery Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,225 BananaBucks : 116,186 Feedback: 23 / 100% Said "Thanks" 313 Times Was Thanked 269 Times in 165 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 160 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! ROFLMBAO!!!!!! Kylie

01-16-2008, 10:49 PM	#10 (permalink)
douglas gray Bananaman douglas gray's Photo Gallery Location: Berkshire, UK Zone: 8b..I think Name: Doug Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 44 BananaBucks : 7,550 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 9 Times Was Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! perfect !!! thats the exact symptoms I had on the same plant from seed, the same size - now I know why mine died !! I was getting confused seeing all these pics of bananas indoors and wondering why I couldn't get past this size! thanks you Joe and Paw. This site is great for advice, this year I want a tropical garden like Randy.....

01-17-2008, 04:48 AM	#11 (permalink)
Mark Hall Mark Mark Hall's Photo Gallery Location: Windsor u.k. Find me on the map! Name: Mark Hall Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 616 BananaBucks : 102,709 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 385 Times Was Thanked 282 Times in 123 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 15 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! Douglas we all want a garden like Randys __________________ Time Flies like an Arrow.....Fruit flies like a Banana.

01-17-2008, 12:57 PM	#12 (permalink)
magicgreen magicgreen's Photo Gallery Location: cincinnati OH. Z6 Find me on the map! Zone: Z6 Name: Lynn Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 840 BananaBucks : 17,796 Feedback: 8 / 100% Said "Thanks" 422 Times Was Thanked 208 Times in 141 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 124 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! That is the truth Mark! Ive been looking at my garden trying to fiqure out a new design. All these beautiful yards ive looked at this winter got me thinking about redesigning it! I want purty pictures to show off my stuff TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! __________________ (Started growing bananas July 2007) (Zone 6)

01-17-2008, 01:50 PM	#13 (permalink)
redtail_2006 Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 101 BananaBucks : 46,249 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Mayday... Mayday... Ense's not well! Well done paws mate.How long did it take for your seeds to germinate mate?Iv hade some venricosum seeds in the the heated prop for about 3 months now no sign of life as yet.

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