Hi everyone! I'm new to this site but am excited about all the information being passed around in regards to tropical plants, of which I am also new to. I am the proud Mama of two Musa Basjoo trees that a good friend passed on to our family. Apparently we have done something right because they survived their first winter in the Pacific Northwest since their transplantation and they are about 6 ft tall so far and each have about 5 leaves with new ones every week or so. My concern is that the leaves also have developed yellow splotches on them. Are they O.K.? or is my husband watering (loving) them too much? Any info. would be great concerning care for them in the Northwest. Other than the yellowing they seem to be doing just fine.

Aloha,
Are the yellow splotches developing brown dried centers? If so there may be several reasons for this condition.

One that I know of is that the leaves could be bitten by insects which may not be too detrimental to your plant if it appears to be growing healthly. Check the undersides of the leaves if this is the case. You may see the insect then and be able to treat your plant with an insecticidal spray if you wish to or if your plant appears in poor condition...i.e. slow growth or many dying leaves.

If there are no brown centers to the yellow splotches and the splotches seem to have a regular pattern and are formed within the grain of the leaves, you may have a sport of the plant that has a different color pattern than the species in general. Many banana species have color patterns to them mostly in reds but sometimes yellow.

As for overwatering, that's almost impossible with bananas if they have several healthy leaves. In the tropics, they can almost live in water. In the Northwest, if the temperatures are low and you've had lots of rain, mmm... maaybe. But you've written that you are having new leaves coming, so overwatering would be the least of your worries. The time when overwatering can be a problem is when the banana corm has no leaves. At this time it is suseptible to rot.

I hope this has been helpful. Write again with more details on the condition of your plant if the yellowing is different from what I described.
Aloha, Kahoa

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Aloha,
Are the yellow splotches developing brown dried centers? If so there may be several reasons for this condition.

One that I know of is that the leaves could be bitten by insects which may not be too detrimental to your plant if it appears to be growing healthly. Check the undersides of the leaves if this is the case. You may see the insect then and be able to treat your plant with an insecticidal spray if you wish to or if your plant appears in poor condition...i.e. slow growth or many dying leaves.

If there are no brown centers to the yellow splotches and the splotches seem to have a regular pattern and are formed within the grain of the leaves, you may have a sport of the plant that has a different color pattern than the species in general. Many banana species have color patterns to them mostly in reds but sometimes yellow.

As for overwatering, that's almost impossible with bananas if they have several healthy leaves. In the tropics, they can almost live in water. In the Northwest, if the temperatures are low and you've had lots of rain, mmm... maaybe. But you've written that you are having new leaves coming, so overwatering would be the least of your worries. The time when overwatering can be a problem is when the banana corm has no leaves. At this time it is suseptible to rot.

I hope this has been helpful. Write again with more details on the condition of your plant if the yellowing is different from what I described.
Aloha, Kahoa

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Aloha, thanks so much for the reply! No brown dried centers and the tree really looks healthy, just a little yellowing on the leaves so I think you are right---just it's unique coloration. I have to stop worrying. One more question while I'm at it though: my trees have not produced any pups. What may be the reasoning for this? I went by a plant store the other day and they had many small basjoos in containers and all of them had one or more pups. Is there something I can do to encourage this as we would love more trees?

Aloha,
No pups eh? Well I've noticed that with small banana plants ie...young corms, they tend to get pups early. I'm not sure with Basjoo, but my young Cavendish, which I just recently bought, is only 7 in. tall and already has 2 pups. Meanwhile a much older but unknown species I got as a gift from Louisiana as a large grapefrui-sized corm had only 1 trunk for 2 years (I grow in pots, the UP of MI is too cold for any species of Musa to be put in the ground, so there was no die back) until last year when it bloomed. Then pups were coming out left and right. I'll have to divide soon.

I suggest treat your plants lovingly and feed them often. Musa just love to eat! Wait and see. You may have to wait 'til they bloom or shortly before they bloom before any pups will appear. As long as your corm is well protected during the winter, and it looks like you've already succeeded once, I'm quite sure it will return the following growing season and produce another trunk and probably a couple pups.

If you succeed in blooming your Musa Basjoo you might try your hand at the fragrant gingers. Some come from the Himilayas where they get frosted, die back and grow again from their rhysomes. They were introduced to Hawai'i where I grew up and fell in love with.
Aloha Pumehana,
KAHOA

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Aloha Kahoa,

When you say feed them often, what do you feed them with? We have been feeding them basic "Miracle Grow" for lack of something better. Any suggestions? and how often is often? I tell you I've not loved a plant like this ever and it's been very exciting for us to watch these beauties grow. It's really sparked our interest in tropicals and though we live in the Pacific Northwest I know we can achieve the "tropical" look if careful and deliberate.

So...what about these gingers from the Himilayas? Any idea what they're called or where I might find them? and wow! you grow tropicals in Michigan, that's very encouraging! It must have been a shocking change from your homeland. Living in Hawai'i has always been a dream of ours. Just seems too expensive and out of reach.

Anyway thanks again for all the great advice!

Aloha,
TPL101

Osmocote X14. It's time released water activated. Otherwise you can use X13 but must water it immediately for it will burn the plant.

For containers Miracle Gro is excellent.

Yellowing leaves? Cut 'em off!