Oh, I am so upset! I'm losing plants...

AnnaJW · 11-21-2005, 04:48 PM

I just found another of my plants laying down outside. I had thought it was the result of overwatering, but now it looks like something is eating the plants. This last one was very healthy and growing like crazy, but it was sheared off at ground level. What could be doing this???

momoese · 11-21-2005, 05:01 PM

I have never heard of anything sheering plants that large. Some seedlings have trouble from a certain worm that cuts them at the base but they are not very big. Could it be gophers or ground squirrels? Your husband maybe? Kids? Dogs crashing into them while playing? I had that happen to one of my reds once. I had to prop it back up and repack the soil. Maybe it's rot from over watering or lack of drainage? Have you mulched lately and left it high up on the P-stem?

AnnaJW · 11-21-2005, 07:22 PM

I just went out and mulched. This was just strange. The other two plants I pulled up were leaning over, so I knew something was wrong. But this one was fine yesterday and today it was totally broken off. My dog doesn't go around that area, and my husband only goes in the back yard to grill. (The yard is MY domain!) LOL!
There are a couple of K-Rats in that area, but they have been here as long as we have so I don't think it's them. We do have a major ant colony around there though. Oh, and on one of the plants I pulled up, there were two small centipedes on the bottom. I'm going to go out with a flashlight tonight and see if some nocturnal critter is visiting. With my luck, I'll run into a skunk. :-)

Bananavilla · 11-21-2005, 11:03 PM

Do you have gophers? They love bananas. I have had a bit of trouble with them here.
Mike

AnnaJW · 11-23-2005, 12:53 PM

I haven't seen any signs of gophers. (knock wood)

I did make some changes to that area several weeks ago and I'm thinking now that maybe that has something to do with the problem. I took out some Fountain Grass, Aloe, and Yarrow from around the bananas trying to give the bananas more "breathing space". Maybe those plants were actually helping the soil by drawing in excess water?

11-21-2005, 04:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
AnnaJW AnnaJW's Photo Gallery Location: Riverside, CA Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Name: Anna Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,310 BananaBucks : 219,521 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 120 Times in 89 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Oh, I am so upset! I'm losing plants... I just found another of my plants laying down outside. I had thought it was the result of overwatering, but now it looks like something is eating the plants. This last one was very healthy and growing like crazy, but it was sheared off at ground level. What could be doing this??? __________________ -Anna Banana - Living my life in MMORPG's

11-21-2005, 05:01 PM	#2 (permalink)
momoese Banana grower momoese's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Zone: zone 10 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 7,590 BananaBucks : 3,764 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,754 Times Was Thanked 10,888 Times in 3,311 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 729 Times	Re: Oh, I am so upset! I'm losing plants... I have never heard of anything sheering plants that large. Some seedlings have trouble from a certain worm that cuts them at the base but they are not very big. Could it be gophers or ground squirrels? Your husband maybe? Kids? Dogs crashing into them while playing? I had that happen to one of my reds once. I had to prop it back up and repack the soil. Maybe it's rot from over watering or lack of drainage? Have you mulched lately and left it high up on the P-stem?

11-21-2005, 07:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
AnnaJW AnnaJW's Photo Gallery Location: Riverside, CA Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Name: Anna Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,310 BananaBucks : 219,521 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 120 Times in 89 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: Oh, I am so upset! I'm losing plants... I just went out and mulched. This was just strange. The other two plants I pulled up were leaning over, so I knew something was wrong. But this one was fine yesterday and today it was totally broken off. My dog doesn't go around that area, and my husband only goes in the back yard to grill. (The yard is MY domain!) LOL! There are a couple of K-Rats in that area, but they have been here as long as we have so I don't think it's them. We do have a major ant colony around there though. Oh, and on one of the plants I pulled up, there were two small centipedes on the bottom. I'm going to go out with a flashlight tonight and see if some nocturnal critter is visiting. With my luck, I'll run into a skunk. :-) __________________ -Anna Banana - Living my life in MMORPG's

11-21-2005, 11:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
Bananavilla Senior Member Bananavilla's Photo Gallery Location: Crescent City California Zone: 9 Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 211 BananaBucks : 68,904 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 35 Times in 17 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Oh, I am so upset! I'm losing plants... Do you have gophers? They love bananas. I have had a bit of trouble with them here. Mike

11-23-2005, 12:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
AnnaJW AnnaJW's Photo Gallery Location: Riverside, CA Find me on the map! Zone: 9b Name: Anna Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,310 BananaBucks : 219,521 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 120 Times in 89 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1 Times	Re: Oh, I am so upset! I'm losing plants... I haven't seen any signs of gophers. (knock wood) I did make some changes to that area several weeks ago and I'm thinking now that maybe that has something to do with the problem. I took out some Fountain Grass, Aloe, and Yarrow from around the bananas trying to give the bananas more "breathing space". Maybe those plants were actually helping the soil by drawing in excess water? __________________ -Anna Banana - Living my life in MMORPG's

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