Hello,

I've been growing my ice cream banana indoors for about 2 months now. Recently it started looking a little sickly. The leaves are loosing there color and the stem has a big black spot in it. I also noticed that there were webs on it and little tiny bugs crawling around on the leaves of the plant. I don't know how to describe them other than they are exceptionally small. I took a wet paper towel and carefully wiped down all the leaves but they just came back a few days later. Is there anyway to get rid of these bugs or to nurse the plant back to health!?

Also I'm not sure if I'm watering it enough. I've been watering it once a week but the soil is very fine so it dosnt stay moist long. Maybe I should water it every day?

Any help would be appreciated to help save Cabana Sam (My banana tree's name :] )

Sounds like spider mites...check this link out
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/Pubs/insect/05507.html

If the banana is actively growing I water often. During the dormant season I water about once a week. You might need to explain more about the living conditions of your banana ...light levels ...how much sun etc.

Well, It's by a window that faces north. But still that gives it a pretty good amount of light throughout the day. I'm really worried about the big brown spot on the stem. Here is a picture of it. http://img64.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0820071040fb0.jpg

Wow...that doesn't look good. Did the plant get a physical injury there? this side appears to be flattened.

No, there was no physical injury. That spot started to develop slowly.

Let's hope somebody else answers your question. I have several hundred bananas growing and I have never seen that before.

great.....

Perhaps your plant has been getting too much sun? The stalk/stem looks pretty young yet for 2 months. Did you use any fertilizers, maybe too much? I don't have a definite answer just throwing out some things I have encountered. As far as spider mites go you should be able to get a can of insect killing spay (Safer brand) at your local greenhouse etc..2-3 applications 3-5 days apart should do. Keeping the plant leaves moist usually keeps them at bay, which is hard when growing indoors : (

I think it is really sick and I think it has a dreadful disease. I only hope.

---

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

Hi again. This "forum" stuff is new to me and I don't know why my first message came up as anonymus. I'm a new subscriber to this forum and my call name is BANANASCHOONER. The message I sent was a reply to Jefferson987 about his call for HELP for his Ice Cream baby tree. If you haven't already found it its listed under most recent postings. IF I'm doing something wrong this message will be anonymus too. I'll keep trying til I get it right. FRANK

I've gotten these on a couple of my trees in the past. I've tried everyting from less/more water-light-air and there is no cure. It's a type of rot that forms for whatever reason - not enough light - too much water? The only luck i've had in dealing with it is to cut the tree back below the spot. The tree will come back over the next month or two- try to get it more light and less water at least during the next couple months.

Greetings!

Your Ice Cream banana is suffering a number of maladies:

---improper light---the condition began as etiolation as your photo verifies on the stem and petiole
---you are indeed overwatering (with a lack of length of time of direct light and a resulting methane condition set in from possibly poor drainage or sitting in water for too long
---what is you soil mix composition?---too much humus and poor drainage create excess acidity and eventually the aforementioned methane condition
---methane condition encourages small flying insects as they are attracted to the gas vapors of decomposition from the soil and will deposit eggs in the soil which will soon become larvae
---if not too late, remove plant from container and wash off all soil and re-pot with fresh new soil
---indoor culture in winter should include less water as conditions are far from ideal---why not simply store the rhizome in peat until spring? They are quite tough
---this methane condition encourages fungus within the plant and soil
---if indoors place in a southern window exposure during winter---as much sun as possible but not too close to the window pane as light is magnified in the daylight and is cold at night---in fact, remove from close window proximity during colder nighttime hours as this may also have precipitated ill health

Good Luck!
Mark Anthony