white mold growing on banana tree and small flies on it and in soil

lydiebell · 07-05-2012, 12:29 AM

So I poste in here before asking for help with my banana tree. it has not died yet. the blackening and browning has ended. another new leave is forming and the black and brown 2 mostly dead leaves are still on it. spider mites are long gone. I am hesitant to cut off any more dead leaves from it since there i cut off the previous ones there has started to grow white mold on it. there are also flies all over in the soil that are getting starting to get on the tree. not sure what to do here. it is getting even sadder and it seems every time i start to clear up one problem another comes along. please help me save Benjamin, my banana tree

Here is a link to my previous post that talks about what have been the problems and how i have been trying to care for him. Help Sick banana tree browning and black

venturabananas · 07-05-2012, 10:23 AM

The little flies sound like fungus gnats, which you get when the soil is staying moist all the time. They won't harm the plant, but their presence suggests you might be overwatering. Cut off any parts of the plant that are completely dead and let the plant dry out to kill the mold growing on it. If the weather is appropriate where you live, getting outside in full sun should help, though don't shock it by taking it from outside and putting it straight into full sun.

Posting some new photos would help us see what is going on with the plant.

sunfish · 07-05-2012, 10:26 AM

Is it white mold or mealybug ?

Olafhenny · 07-05-2012, 06:36 PM

Hi Lydiebell

There is a fairly new product on the market, which I have tried after a fungus not only deposited
itself on the leaves of my grapes, but destroyed the fruit completely. The berries shrunk and
turned greyish black. Not a single edible berry remained on three large vines.

Sometime during the summer I heard about Serenade a biofungicide. It comes from Germany,
where the laws against chemicals in food are the strictest on the planet. It can be used right up
to the day of harvest.

I bough a liter of the concentrate for just under $30.-, which will last me a decade, and sprayed
3 times at weekly intervals, beginning when the leaf buds just started to break open. My vines
have never looked as healthy as they do now.

See:

BASF Serenade biofungicide for zero pre-harvest intervals - YouTube

If the white stuff is any kind of fungus, I'd highly recommend the product.

Good luck,
Olaf

caliboy1994 · 07-05-2012, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olafhenny

Hi Lydiebell

There is a fairly new product on the market, which I have tried after a fungus not only deposited
itself on the leaves of my grapes, but destroyed the fruit completely. The berries shrunk and
turned greyish black. Not a single edible berry remained on three large vines.

Sometime during the summer I heard about Serenade a biofungicide. It comes from Germany,
where the laws against chemicals in food are the strictest on the planet. It can be used right up
to the day of harvest.

I bough a liter of the concentrate for just under $30.-, which will last me a decade, and sprayed
3 times at weekly intervals, beginning when the leaf buds just started to break open. My vines
have never looked as healthy as they do now.

See:

BASF Serenade biofungicide for zero pre-harvest intervals - YouTube

If the white stuff is any kind of fungus, I'd highly recommend the product.

Good luck,
Olaf

I wonder if that would work against more serious diseases like black sigatoka and Panama disease?

Olafhenny · 07-05-2012, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caliboy1994

I wonder if that would work against more serious diseases like black sigatoka and Panama disease?

I am not familiar with either of the two, and since I live in HZ 6 in Canada, I am not likely to be
confronted with them. However, since they are both fungal diseases, I would certainly give it a try.
The most you can lose is ~$30 for the concentrate, though you still can use it for all kinds of other
fungal problems, in case it does not work on those two.

venturabananas · 07-05-2012, 08:07 PM

I have found Serenade to be effective for some fungal diseases and not others (on tomato plants). But it is certainly worth a shot. There's also a similar product called Actinovate, which some folks think is better and would cost less if you were having it shipped because it comes dry, in very small packets.

Olafhenny · 07-05-2012, 09:11 PM

Actinovate would certainly be the way to go, if you have it shipped to you, because S&H often
exceed the costs of the product.

However I prefer to buy in a store (either product), since it helps your local economy and is
usually cheaper, even if the product costs more.

07-05-2012, 12:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
lydiebell Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 12 BananaBucks : 20,851 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 3 Times Was Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	white mold growing on banana tree and small flies on it and in soil So I poste in here before asking for help with my banana tree. it has not died yet. the blackening and browning has ended. another new leave is forming and the black and brown 2 mostly dead leaves are still on it. spider mites are long gone. I am hesitant to cut off any more dead leaves from it since there i cut off the previous ones there has started to grow white mold on it. there are also flies all over in the soil that are getting starting to get on the tree. not sure what to do here. it is getting even sadder and it seems every time i start to clear up one problem another comes along. please help me save Benjamin, my banana tree Here is a link to my previous post that talks about what have been the problems and how i have been trying to care for him. Help Sick banana tree browning and black

07-05-2012, 10:23 AM	#2 (permalink)
venturabananas venturabananas's Photo Gallery Location: Ventura, CA Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Mark Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,845 BananaBucks : 245,347 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,752 Times Was Thanked 3,969 Times in 1,713 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 39 Times	Re: white mold growing on banana tree and small flies on it and in soil The little flies sound like fungus gnats, which you get when the soil is staying moist all the time. They won't harm the plant, but their presence suggests you might be overwatering. Cut off any parts of the plant that are completely dead and let the plant dry out to kill the mold growing on it. If the weather is appropriate where you live, getting outside in full sun should help, though don't shock it by taking it from outside and putting it straight into full sun. Posting some new photos would help us see what is going on with the plant. __________________

07-05-2012, 10:26 AM	#3 (permalink)
sunfish Banned sunfish's Photo Gallery Location: San Diego Find me on the map! Zone: 9-11 Name: Tony Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 18,429 BananaBucks : 1,010,644 Feedback: 8 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,210 Times Was Thanked 20,592 Times in 7,760 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,716 Times	Re: white mold growing on banana tree and small flies on it and in soil Is it white mold or mealybug ?

07-05-2012, 08:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
venturabananas venturabananas's Photo Gallery Location: Ventura, CA Find me on the map! Zone: 10 Name: Mark Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 2,845 BananaBucks : 245,347 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,752 Times Was Thanked 3,969 Times in 1,713 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 39 Times	Re: white mold growing on banana tree and small flies on it and in soil I have found Serenade to be effective for some fungal diseases and not others (on tomato plants). But it is certainly worth a shot. There's also a similar product called Actinovate, which some folks think is better and would cost less if you were having it shipped because it comes dry, in very small packets. __________________

07-05-2012, 09:11 PM	#8 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 252,072 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: white mold growing on banana tree and small flies on it and in soil Actinovate would certainly be the way to go, if you have it shipped to you, because S&H often exceed the costs of the product. However I prefer to buy in a store (either product), since it helps your local economy and is usually cheaper, even if the product costs more. __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

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