Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

I have seen this happen just once before and I just thought it was a freak happening; but now that I have seen it again, I am bewildered. Can anyone help me out?

The cigar leaf gets so big it droops over as though it were a full leaf, and never unfurls, preventing the next cigar leaf from coming out straight. What is this behavior called, what causes it to happen, and what are the preventative measures I should take?

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

That happens to me on several occasions I don't know what it is called but I help it a bit and just unfurl it with my hands and in a few days everything is normal again. They grow as if nothing had happened. Sometimes I bruise the leaf or tear it a little bit but it is not a big thing. The next leaf is normal normally. You won't notice it one bit.

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

its perfectly normal for leafs of the Musa to occasionally get stuck inside the older leaf thats coming out. Banana just grow fast and some times they get so fast it over take its self. i don't think theres any thing to worry about. it mostly happens in the mid juvenile stages. but can happen any time some times they will get stuck down in the P-stem and burst out the side this happens! theirs absolutely nothing you can do. if you are vary worried about it you can free them by had some times but i always end up riping a perfectly good leaf that way. its the nature of such a highly hybridized plant 10,000 years of human intervention doesn't always make things better.

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

my bananas are mostly all in full sun.i used to have leaves that seem to stay hung up and rolled for a week at a time.

call this crazy... i furgure central ga. is is hot and dry.. unlike south florida or lousianna where it is at least humid. the watering system i have only waters the roots. i take my hose nozzle and put it to the top of the plant and mist the entire plant several times a day.the leaf usually comes out and unfurls the same day.

yep when its hot and dry i water it from the top and wet the leaves.. at least it stops the leaves from looking cooked or droopy.
i believe that the choking is caused by extreme heat or cold conditions. :nanadrink:
also i may pull apart the last two unfurled leaves at the top of the plant holding the spear..(not advised).i only tug a little not using much force.

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

My 'Hua Moa' has been terrible about having this happen this year. The cigar leaf turns down in a "u" shape and won't unroll. The next leaf starts developing and gets all kinked up. I have been having some nutritional issues with this plant and I was linking it to that. I've had to help it unroll or even cut the last three leaves it has put out.

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

Brent iv noted this happens in heat and also were there mite have been a heavy application of nitrogen rich fertilizers

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

This is a problem one of my Red Iholenas exhibits when it is extremely hot and dry! Due to a local ordinance I have not been able to apply Nitrogen since May. I have fertilized with Potassium (0-0-22 with trace elements).

This supports the "choking" argument under adverse weather conditions made by Ron.

:2239:

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

why cant you apply Nitrogen?

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

I had this problem on one plant earlier this year. I cut the leaf longways with scissors only one layer deep. This of course eliminated about 1/4 of the leaf, but the rest unfurled part way within a day.

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

The plant in question is a Hua Moa pup that I recently cured and planted about 5" deep per the recommendation of the person who gave it to me. I recently applied about 3" of horse stable litter, and the temps were in the low 90's. I unfurled the U shaped cigar, leaving it a little ragged, and the next one just popped into place. Thanks team for all of your helpful and educational replies.

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

Perhaps this is an common issue for 'Hua Moa' when it is hot and dry. That would certainly describe our weather pattern this summer in the Houston area. We have recently started getting some rain so we'll see if the leaves start to unroll more normally. I had intermittant issues with this plant last year-another hot, dry year.

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

My RP did that earlier this summer when we had some 100s--I just helped it unfurl by hand a couple times. I also started watering the top of the plant--It seemed to help--the last couple leaves before the bloom were normal, but it also cooled into the 90s in July.

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

In the Philippines I don't see this phenom. But of course they don't fertilize or don't do nothing to their bananas until the fruit is ripe. That's all they care about. All bananas are on their own to seek their food. So the bananas are all normal to me.

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

I had a similar problem with my AeAe this spring. I posted my problem on a thread and the reply I got was that it as a nutritional problem. I added a slow released fert. with micronutrients, some lime, gypsum, and added some crushed egg shell. The problem shortly after was corrected and I have not had a problem since.

Rick

Re: Stubborn Cigar Leaf
 

Speaking of humidity, here in Phoenix it is as hot and dry as can possibly be. Now I don't know if this has anything to do with the humidity, but during the past summer months, I used to mist my bananas a few times a day, but the leaves still came out a little funky. When I stopped misting, the leaves became a little better looking, and didn't really have any problems emerging. Maybe the fluctuation in humidity causes leaf problems?