HELP! My banana plants' stalk has separated! First the leaves had black spots shortly after opening which i thought may be burn from too hot of sun. Then today, after a torrential rain, i noticed the two newest leaves bent over, breaking. All 5 of the leaves have separated from the stalk and spread out. It's like the stalk has come apart! I also notice the interior of the stalk was dark in color too. I had sprayed a spider (which had webbed the inside) inside the stalk this morning with permethrin. I hope that didn't kill it. I was just getting it going good after it had almost died from bad drainage. It's now in a pot with play sand and has been growing rapidly for the past month enjoying plenty of miracle grow. It's about 2 -1/2 ft tall. PLEASE HELP!

That splitting thingy is very surprising! Maybe there is something wrong with it. According to myself, I think your banana is infected with the Panama Disease/ Fusarium Wilt, one of the most deadliest disease in the banana plants. For more information about the Banana Fusarium Wilt, try searching the internet. If it's not, search the internet for banana diseases or ask an agriculturist.
I You want, mind if you post in other of my new posts?

Thanks

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Plant a Banana in Soil;
And Before you know, it will start to grow...

Thanks, I'm researching that, but at this point it doesn't look like that. The black spots are big like burns. I will take some pictures and post them as soon as i can. I tied the leaves up ( around the stalk) so they wouldn't hang so far out & bend.

I see...

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Plant a Banana in Soil;
And Before you know, it will start to grow...
Edited by 157bananalover on Aug 3, 2007 at 10:09 PM

oookkkaaayyy...
I think it is fusarium wilt. Please answer these questions briefly:

Does the leave margines turm yellow and appers to be burnt?

Does the pseudostem splits?

Does the color of the pseudostem reddish?

Does the petioles break and form a 'skirt'?

Thanks

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Plant a Banana in Soil;
And Before you know, it will start to grow...

Maybe it is fusarium wilt. I cut it off to 3-4 inches, we'll see what happens.
I will try to answer your questions.
I wanted to post some pics but I guess I would have to use HTML to do it.
BTW, sorry I reposted in the other post.


Does the leave margines turm yellow and appers to be burnt?
some, but mostly large spots closer to center


Does the pseudostem splits? No- the petioles? ( outer wrappings of stem) separated from the stem - not like the pics I've seen


Does the color of the pseudostem reddish? No - green outside but a little darkish or brownsih under the newest ones that separated


Does the petioles break and form a 'skirt'? Skirt? I don't think so more like umbrella-ed out....maybe you'd call that a skirt...it's sort of like a few layers of 'skin' came off of the stem, of course with leaves attached.

I need to try & get pics on here. My son thinks it drowned, I thought maybe the poison that went down the stem may have caused it. Anyway, thanks for your help.

Pictures can be seen at this address:

http://bayimg.com/oafGNAABf

http://bayimg.com/PaFGAaaBF

http://bayimg.com/pafgcAabF

http://bayimg.com/PafgeAAbF

http://bayimg.com/paFGFAAbf
Edited by LA on Aug 6, 2007 at 05:42 PM

As far as I can see Iam going to point out the obvious. That tree is unhealthy. The pesticides or whatever you sprayed on it has badly reacted to the plant itself thus split. Take it out and grow another. Buddy of mine has done the same thing. He rinsed his through out and staked it with line for support. His seems a little better but still brown. Time will tell I guess if it lives or now but he has planted others.

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Rocc

Thanks Rocc. I recently discovered the permethrin (w/pbo) wasn't even watered down! Stupid move....just killing a spider which was in the stem building webs all over....should've just let it live. .......banging head on wall.....Anyway, I have already cut the plant down. I guess if it's okay it will grow back soon. I sure hope it isn't fusarium wilt...maybe I should burn it just in case and start new. The spots were already appearing just a few days after a leaf would open fully,starting with just a darkening, then the 'burnt' look. But is was growing a new leaf as soon as one opened.
I plan to wait till next spring and buy a nice new plant (probably too late this yr)....gotta figure out what species is good. I don't even know what I had. If anyone has any ideas let me know.

Im not sure what I have either. Im waiting for the fruit to come then I can guess what it is. Never knew there were so many different kinds. Your doing the right thing I think by cutting it down and starting fresh. With that spider, just get a stick and move the creepy crawly somewhere else. Guess its too late for that huh. Good luck in your future trees

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Rocc

Hi all
First permitrin can not kill a spider or a mite, and permetrin, or any thing ending in the rin, like cypermrthrin, will not cause damage on on the banana plant if it was used under the recommended concentration.

Another thing, I see from the picture, that the soil in the pot is white soil, and as I know that banana do not like to be grown or planted in calcareous soil.

Another thing, it is not infection of fungus on the leaves, because there are other leaves that do not show a symptoms of fungus, but the apical meri-stem (leader leaf) is dead, that means that there were some problem in the root system, and the roots were not working. Usually the roots do not work due to:
1. over irrigation leads to development of fungus on the roots and destroying them
2. or the soil is un clean or diseased with a certain pathogen, thus harming the root system.

I hope I tried to answer the question, but the important thing is to know the mistake which lead to killing the plant in order to avoid it the next time.

Bye,

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bob

I think your soil is not even favorable for the banana plant.

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Plant a Banana in Soil;
And Before you know, it will start to grow...

The soil is pure play sand and the banana loved it for a month. I transplanted it ino this soil after it wasn't doing well in soil that wasn't draining well. It took off when I replanted. It had a new leaf in only 1 day and a new leaf every week! Then we had rain every evening and the collapse was during an extremely torrential rainfall. Also I had left it sitting in the standing water (drip pan) for several days. No matter now anyway. It's gone and I'm getting a new one. Lesson learned. Thanks to everyone for the advice.