Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black?

bencelest · 03-26-2008, 12:33 PM

My 2 Calif Gold's new buds are coming out black? My other bananas are normal. There were no other bananas are like that.
Is it because they were left without protection last winter and were they planted on the ground? Or there are some fungus got inside the buds?
Here are their pictures:
The small one about 1 1/2 feet. Soil pH 6.7

Here's the large one
4 1/2 feet. Soil pH 5.8

Randy4ut · 03-26-2008, 12:50 PM

Benny,
what was you minimum low this year? Kinda looks like cold/wet damage to me. Strange to be on your CG and not any others, though. Will be interesting to see what the gurus have to say about it.

JoeReal · 03-26-2008, 12:57 PM

that's normal Benny. No need to worry about it. You will soon forget that you had it, come summer time. Those are frost or cold damages, could be chilling injury too especially with the tender young leaves.

bencelest · 03-26-2008, 12:59 PM

Randy the others were protected last winter at my backyard patio. I believe the lowest as I remember was 34 *F.
Maybe because when I put the new soil at my pergola plat it raises the soil about 1 1/2 feet covering the pstem of those 2. They could not breath or transpire. That's my thought so yesterday, I dug the soil around the pstem to expose the ones that were buried in the ground.

Randy4ut · 03-26-2008, 01:05 PM

Sounds about right. Temps don't seem to be problem... Moisture/semi rot looks like it to me. Sure look like they will be alright though. Let us know how they do for you... I would still like to try one some day...

bencelest · 03-26-2008, 01:06 PM

Ah! Joe. Thank you for the rescue. You ease my mind. Yeah, I tried to unravel the black portion and inside of those black leaves are light green.

JoeReal · 03-26-2008, 01:27 PM

Just a reminder to everyone. Frosts can form even if air temperature is 38 deg F.

The black leaves on Benny's pups could be a combination of factors and could be unrelated to temperature as Randy have pointed out.

Based on my experiences, cold temperature slows down bananas responses to diseases. That is why they are susceptible to rot, they have no metabolism to fight it off. That is why you should keep them on the relatively drier conditions instead of wet to discourage rot, especially the corms. When temperature warms up, the actively growing banana is able to fight off the rot.

STEELVIPER · 03-26-2008, 02:57 PM

Looks like stress damage from the cold temps. My namwah had this prob. But with the warmer temps, the new leaf after came out normal. I agree with Joe.

bencelest · 03-31-2008, 06:27 PM

Thanks to both of you.
You guys are right!
Here are the 2 CG as of today. The new leaf that are pushing out are all normal.

The small Calif. Gold

bencelest · 03-31-2008, 06:38 PM

Here's the larger one

sandy0225 · 04-01-2008, 06:44 AM

looks like cold/wet to me. Pretty normal for this time of the year for you. They're just really not happy yet with conditions. Give them a month or so and they'll be smiling again. Just don't water them too much in between this time and when they are happy.

bencelest · 04-01-2008, 08:54 AM

Yes, Sandy. We had too much rain last Jan, Feb. Thanks.

03-26-2008, 12:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
bencelest Banana Nut bencelest's Photo Gallery Location: California Zone 9 Zone: 9 Name: Benny Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,058 BananaBucks : 193,143 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 15 Times Was Thanked 1,415 Times in 653 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? My 2 Calif Gold's new buds are coming out black? My other bananas are normal. There were no other bananas are like that. Is it because they were left without protection last winter and were they planted on the ground? Or there are some fungus got inside the buds? Here are their pictures: The small one about 1 1/2 feet. Soil pH 6.7 Here's the large one 4 1/2 feet. Soil pH 5.8 __________________ Banana Nut Last edited by bencelest : 03-26-2008 at 12:39 PM.

03-26-2008, 12:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
Randy4ut Randy4ut's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,387 BananaBucks : 89,528 Feedback: 23 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,051 Times Was Thanked 1,324 Times in 444 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 87 Times	Re: Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? Benny, what was you minimum low this year? Kinda looks like cold/wet damage to me. Strange to be on your CG and not any others, though. Will be interesting to see what the gurus have to say about it. __________________

03-26-2008, 12:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 416,279 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? that's normal Benny. No need to worry about it. You will soon forget that you had it, come summer time. Those are frost or cold damages, could be chilling injury too especially with the tender young leaves.

03-26-2008, 12:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
bencelest Banana Nut bencelest's Photo Gallery Location: California Zone 9 Zone: 9 Name: Benny Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,058 BananaBucks : 193,143 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 15 Times Was Thanked 1,415 Times in 653 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? Randy the others were protected last winter at my backyard patio. I believe the lowest as I remember was 34 *F. Maybe because when I put the new soil at my pergola plat it raises the soil about 1 1/2 feet covering the pstem of those 2. They could not breath or transpire. That's my thought so yesterday, I dug the soil around the pstem to expose the ones that were buried in the ground. __________________ Banana Nut

03-26-2008, 01:05 PM	#5 (permalink)
Randy4ut Randy4ut's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,387 BananaBucks : 89,528 Feedback: 23 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,051 Times Was Thanked 1,324 Times in 444 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 87 Times	Re: Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? Sounds about right. Temps don't seem to be problem... Moisture/semi rot looks like it to me. Sure look like they will be alright though. Let us know how they do for you... I would still like to try one some day... __________________

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03-26-2008, 01:06 PM	#6 (permalink)
bencelest Banana Nut bencelest's Photo Gallery Location: California Zone 9 Zone: 9 Name: Benny Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,058 BananaBucks : 193,143 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 15 Times Was Thanked 1,415 Times in 653 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? Ah! Joe. Thank you for the rescue. You ease my mind. Yeah, I tried to unravel the black portion and inside of those black leaves are light green. __________________ Banana Nut

03-26-2008, 01:27 PM	#7 (permalink)
JoeReal Senior Member JoeReal's Photo Gallery Location: Davis, California USDA zone 9 Find me on the map! Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 1,034 BananaBucks : 416,279 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 108 Times Was Thanked 474 Times in 228 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 16 Times	Re: Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? Just a reminder to everyone. Frosts can form even if air temperature is 38 deg F. The black leaves on Benny's pups could be a combination of factors and could be unrelated to temperature as Randy have pointed out. Based on my experiences, cold temperature slows down bananas responses to diseases. That is why they are susceptible to rot, they have no metabolism to fight it off. That is why you should keep them on the relatively drier conditions instead of wet to discourage rot, especially the corms. When temperature warms up, the actively growing banana is able to fight off the rot.

03-26-2008, 02:57 PM	#8 (permalink)
STEELVIPER Mechwarrior STEELVIPER's Photo Gallery Location: Riverside,CA Find me on the map! Zone: 9B Name: Mark Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 724 BananaBucks : 77,386 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 44 Times Was Thanked 102 Times in 62 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 169 Times	Re: Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? Looks like stress damage from the cold temps. My namwah had this prob. But with the warmer temps, the new leaf after came out normal. I agree with Joe. __________________

03-31-2008, 06:27 PM	#9 (permalink)
bencelest Banana Nut bencelest's Photo Gallery Location: California Zone 9 Zone: 9 Name: Benny Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,058 BananaBucks : 193,143 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 15 Times Was Thanked 1,415 Times in 653 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? Thanks to both of you. You guys are right! Here are the 2 CG as of today. The new leaf that are pushing out are all normal. The small Calif. Gold __________________ Banana Nut Last edited by bencelest : 03-31-2008 at 06:37 PM.

03-31-2008, 06:38 PM	#10 (permalink)
bencelest Banana Nut bencelest's Photo Gallery Location: California Zone 9 Zone: 9 Name: Benny Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,058 BananaBucks : 193,143 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 15 Times Was Thanked 1,415 Times in 653 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? Here's the larger one __________________ Banana Nut

04-01-2008, 06:44 AM	#11 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 364,699 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? looks like cold/wet to me. Pretty normal for this time of the year for you. They're just really not happy yet with conditions. Give them a month or so and they'll be smiling again. Just don't water them too much in between this time and when they are happy. __________________ 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!

04-01-2008, 08:54 AM	#12 (permalink)
bencelest Banana Nut bencelest's Photo Gallery Location: California Zone 9 Zone: 9 Name: Benny Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 3,058 BananaBucks : 193,143 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 15 Times Was Thanked 1,415 Times in 653 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Question: Why is my Calif Gold spear Black? Yes, Sandy. We had too much rain last Jan, Feb. Thanks. __________________ Banana Nut

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