Mindless2831

Ok, so here I am again with a new set of issues. I resolvedy Gros Michel issue by getting some from someone who knew how to ship them. Now I have issues with 2 new plants and I hope you guys can help me before they die.

I got a blue java and Namwa pup sent to me from an amazing person on here, and I'd hate for them to not make it. He cut the tops off of both Pups as it would have been much more expensive to ship I'm guessing. So they arrived with just the cormb in a paper towel with a few roots on each one with quite a large pstem on both. They started pushing pencil growth from the center of the cut in the mail as you'd expect. But I planted them, covered with shade cloth until they pushed some leaves, and it hasn't stopped raining since. Upon his suggestion, I removed them from the ground and potted them as the new growth started to turn brown that way I could control the water they got. I have cut them off again until we had all green per his suggestion and they started pushing growth again in a few hours. This growth now appears worse on the dying side than it was when in the ground. The blue java is turning more and more brown top down the longer this goes on. I am including pictures of the cormb when it was removed from the ground, what they looked like in the pots, after I cut them, and what they look like now. The more green and smaller one is the namwa, and the more brown and much thicker one is the blue java.

Please help and let me know what next steps you suggest, should they go back in the ground in spite of the rain, etc. I really need help, badly, and I'm going to be devestated if the babies die. Thank you in advance.

Also the soil is 3 parts soil, 3 parts sand, 3 parts compost, 2 parts perlite, with a dash of azomite.

Blue Java:

Roots


Going into pot from ground




A Few days later


Cutting off the top


Browning within an hour of top removal


Cutting off top again so it was more green


The next morning


A couple days later


Tonight about 10 minutes ago




Namwa:

Roots


Moved into pot


After a few days


Top cut off


About 12 hours later


A few days later


Tonight about 10 minutes ago



They actually did better in transit with their cormb and roots wrapped in a paper towel and put in a ziploc than they have in the ground or potted. They did better in the ground but already started to brown as you can tell... I don't get it, my Dwarf Cavendish and Groals Michael's love their soil and the rain, I don't understand what the heck is going on here. Please help, I'll be extremely sad if these babies die. I will take any suggestions!

Akula

Too much water. Its always too much water.

Replant into a new pot with dry soil. After planting pour half a cup of water on the soil. No more water for a week. Keep plants on porch out of the rain and out of the sun until two leaves appear. If your area gets a lot of rain with poor drainage plant in a raised bed (1').

Banana plants need leaves and heat to properly use the water otherwise they drown, rot, etc. I've had plants dug out of the soil and tossed in a wheelbarrow in my garage all winter grow a leaf or two with absolutely no attention. On the other hand too much attention i.e. daily watering combined with cold and zero leaves = death for a banana plant.

Good luck.

Mindless2831

Interesting.

I've had them on the front porch and they only get rain when I starts raining sideways. I have not watered them at all. Maybe I should move them to the back porch which is much deeper and only gets rain if it is tornado type horizontal rain haha. This is crazy, we never have rain like this. I will do so immediately, do you think I should lop of the top again down to the green on the pstem?

Akula

Where do you live and what is your grow zone? What are the day and night temps? Low temps in a damp environment is a killer.

Brown is dead. If its dry you could leave it but if its mushy than cut it off to the green. They don't need any sun if they don't have any leaves. Make sure they are in a warm place though.

Mindless2831

I live in Central Texas zone 8b. It's never this rainy even during the spring. But Temps are anywhere from 70 to 90. So I should cut them both down all the way to green only, and leave them in the garage? It gets pretty stuffy in the garage during those 90 degree days, will that hurt it? Or should I just bring them in the house, not water them, and wait for them to push new leaves? I keep it about 76 in the house.

sirdoofus

I noticed you said your potting mix was 3 parts soil. What exactly does that mean and where did you get that component. Usually for potting purposes a soil less mixture is preferred.

I would also suggest, when you put them into a dry medium, you make one up without the soil. a mix of 1:1 potting mix and perlite is easy and often suggested on this forum.

Good luck

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Mindless2831

Really? No soil? So just peat moss and perlite? What about nutrients? I make my own potting mix typically, I find potting mix is too expensive for no reason when you can make all the different mixes yourself. Potting mix is typically peat and perlite... I can do a succulent blend of peat, sand, and perlite if that would be better? I just thought it would like a little soil since that's what it will be planted in when it goes in the ground to get it ready.

sirdoofus

That would work. Agreed on the DIY potting mix.

I wouldn't worry about the nutrients at the moment, what you need for now is a medium that is less likely to promote fungal growth. Once the plant revives and starts growing well again, then you can add the nutrients. I still, personally, wouldn't use soil in a potting mix though.

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Mindless2831

I don't do it for things that are going to stay in a pot, o ly ones that are eventually going in the ground. That way I don't lower the pH too much with a load of peat moss. But I'll keep that in mind. So 1 part sand 1 part peat and 1 part perlite?

smeash

When potting plants intended to go in the ground, the goal is root growth. The light well draining mixes such as the cactus blends are less likely to promote rot and are light and easy to push roots through. Once they have well established roots, they will take off when put in the ground. Looks like you got some good advice here.. keep us updated and dont panic if they dont make it, I have replacements available.

sirdoofus

Like Smeash said!

I personally wouldn't use the sand, for no other reason than it is weighty, but otherwise your 3 way mix should be fine. Just don't pack it down much, if at all, for now.

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Mindless2831

You are amazing, and that is a huge relief to hear my friend.

Mindless2831

Ok, they started getting way worse so I repotted them in a 1:1 peat moss to perlite mix as advised. Since potting mix is just peat moss and perlite I figure that was the same thing. Thankfully I noticed nice beautiful white roots coming off the corm that I stupidly didn't take a picture of. The soil underneath was still wet as ya'll expected. I have watered them a tiny bit to geth them to settle in their new p pot but I'm going to let them dry out some in the new mix. The blue java had white roots coming off the roots it arrived with and the namwa ones died but started new root growth off the side, so I think that means they will both make it. I stripped the ugly browness off the sides of the blue java to thankfully see all green underneath. I had to cut 75% of the top off the namwa as it's center ring was brown and horrible looking down to that point. Here are the new pictures, please tell me ya'lls thoughts.

Blue java:


Namwa:

smeash

The new root growth is good news. Ive had plants way worse make a recovery. Let them root in the new mix.. you may be surprised to see it send up a pup and the main stem die. Bananas have a way of surviving it seems! I recently sent a whole plant with leaves to an address near you. Shipping was almost 40 dollars for the larger box. Should you need new plants thats an option, but a bit more expensive for shipping. The plants would be no charge of course. Give these some time and lets see what happens.

sirdoofus

Excellent, looks promising, keep us posted!

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Mindless2831

I may take you up on that. I'm gonna give these like 2 more weeks and if they don't look better I might do that. I'm, of course, not gonna chunk these in the trash or whatever, but I want to get some height from them outside before winter so we can have fruit next year. I'll text you and let you know, because those bigger with leaves can go directly in the ground.