| Joined: |
Jan 1, 2006 12:08 AM |
| Last Post: |
May 3, 2008 11:41 PM |
| Last Visit: |
May 3, 2008 11:42 PM |
| Website: |
http://www.customcraftexteriors.com |
| Location: |
Illinois |
| Occupation: |
Director of Sales |
| Interests: |
Banana Growing |
| Avatar: |
How Ya Doing?
|
|
| Email: |
XXXXXXXX |
| AIM: |
|
| ICQ: |
|
| MSN IM: |
|
| Yahoo IM: |
|
|
wayneferr has contributed to 27 posts out of 2324 total posts
(1.16%) in 867 days (0.03 posts per day).
20 Most recent posts:
Daisy Let me be the first to welcome you to the forums and to this great site. I like to grow banana and coffee arabica. My banana tree started showing pups so I am excited to say we should have banana's soon .. hehehe.:-) I have been having a hard time with the coffee arabica. The problem I have been having with those is that I get a whole lot of new growth on the top of the plants but all the undergrowth dies and falls off. So my coffee plants look like sticks coming out of the ground with some green leafs on top ... lol. Anyway once again welcome to the site !!
Wayne Ferriera Director of Sales Custom Craft Exteriors 1346 W Irving Park Rd Ste B Bensenville, Illinois 60106 630.766.6999 Main 888.766.5421 Toll Free Email: info[at]customcraftexteriors[dot]com Web: http://www.customcraftexteriors.com
If your pups are at least 12" above the soil level then you should remove them from the mother. The reason for this is because if you allow the pups to stay you will not get a healthy high yield of fruit because half of the mothers energy will go towards the pups. Also depending on the zone you are in, you do not want the mother to be exposed to temperatures of 32 degrees and lower as this will kill off the mother. I am currently growing three dwarf cavendish in a container indoors so I do not have the temperature issue. As far as when you should pick the fruit there really is no specific time frame to wait due to the fact that banana plants grow differently depending on the conditions they are exposed too. Best of luck to you, and congratulations on the pups and fruit. :-)
you can order them from this site. :-)
It sounds to me like you were overwatering the plant. If you buy another plant the best thing is to make sure it has 12 hrs of light minimum. The soil should should be a mixture that will drain easily as to prevent root rot and I recomend the miracle grow ready mix. And last but not least do not water the plant everyday. Only water the plant every three days and this will prevent root rot and allow air to stay in the soil. The soil has air in it that the root sytem needs and by overwatering you push all the air out of the soil and in a nutshell you drown the plant. Only fertilize once a month with a fertilizer that has a 1-2-1 ratio as this is a good balance. Most importantly go easy on the fertilizer, because too much fertilizer in the mix will build up to many salts in the soil and will ruin the soil. Best results are from using the directions on the fertilizer mix. Best of luck to ya !! By the way I have been growing 6 different varieties indoors in pots with great success. Wayne
The roots typically grow down and out so if it were me I would move the plant at least 5 ft or more away from the concrete if you do not want to have problems with your husbands concrete. Best of luck with your plants !! Wayne
I would not plant them outside if you expect the temperature in your region to drop below 32 degrees as this temp will kill them off. Wayne
Opps!! Sorry I forgot to post the web link int my previous post. So here it is...... http://www.entocare.nl/uk/plagen_uk/armoured_scales.htm
Sounds to me more liked armoured scales like I had on my plant. However I did nothing about them because of the fact the banana plant was an ornamental and did not mean a whole to me. If you want to save your plant I suggest your check out htis link and take action. Best of luck to you.
P.S. I found this information through alot of searching to find out what was wrong with my plant. I was determined to find out if it was something I was or was not doing. And after my resaerch I found that the pup that was shipped to me was infested with them early on and i was not aware of it. So again best of luck to you !!
Recently I took my plants outside to give them a little sun and I found the same thing you are describing was happening to my plants. The difference being that my plants are in pots, so what I would recomend you do right away if there is a chance of saving this one is plant it in a area on your property where it is partly shaded so it is not in the direct sun, also try not watering as often and only fertilize once a month and go easy on the fertilizer you put in the water. One tablespoon per gallon of water seems to work best as it is not too little and not too much. I hope you the best with this plant.
First of all I have to agree with bamboochik in all her statements. As far as the pups go, they a typically little shoots near and around the base of the mother. If, as in your case the mother has already fruited then it is time to remove the pups and cut down the mother and allow the next generation take over. By leaving the mother you are just prolonging the inevitable. Here is the cycle of life you will be able to see. The mother will grow to a mature height which will depend on the variety you have and before the plant fruits you will see pups pop up from the ground first, because the mothers first mission is to proprogate new offspring. Soon there after you will begin to notice the mother will begin to show signs of flowering and then fruit will appear. You do not want to leave the pups attached for too long after the mother begins fruiting because the mother will focus more on the pups then producing good quality fruit. So as bamboochik said when the pups reach a height of about 2 feet high you want to remove them from the mother so the mother will focus on producing a high yield healthy fruit and once harvested it is time to cut the mother down as she will not fruit again. You will also will be able to make room for the next generation of pups. Well I hope this information helps you in some way.
Well I wanted to say in relation to your first post. The banana tree's first mission is to propagate pups (otherwise known as babies) before the tree will fruit. So I am assuming if you have fruit then you have pups. So when you see pups you know fruit is on the way, and you want to let the pups stay with the main tree till they are at least 2-3 ft tall. By doing so this will ensure that the pups have a sound root structure to maintain on their own when you remove them. So after your pups are at least 2-3 ft tall you remove them mainly so that the tree will focus more on producing fruit then pups. Once the tree has bore fruit and it has been harvested it should be cut down and used as mulch, because it should not bare fruit again. No as far as leaving them out all year round there are some varieties that are hardy for our climate in ILL but I do not recommend leaving them outside year round. So I would continue to bring them in as you have been doing. Depending on the variety you have they may be edible, but I would have to see the pics or tree's to determine that. As far growing them together, depending on how big the leaves fan I would spread them apart allowing both to get a great view of the sun. I am currently growing 3 different varieties of banana tree's of my own. Best of Luck !
I would like to see the pictures of the trees you. Where in Illinois are you located, because I am also from Illinois.
My first question I would ask is how long has it been since you noticed the pup(s). My suggestion to you is to let the pups grow until they are a least 1-2 ft tall because by this time they will have developed a good enough root system to grow on their own when you replant them. When it comes time to remove the pup use a spade shovel to dig up the pup. Draw a 12" circle around the pup so when you dig it up you with have a nice root ball with a most of the root system intact, and then transplant then where you desire. Best of Luck with the pups.
I would say you are not crazy to put them back in the ground, most banana tree's are pretty hardy so I believe once the trees get over the transplant shock they should be fine. So I wish the best of luck to you and your plants.
Julie
I have a couple of suggestions for you that might help you with the spider mites.
Option 1 : The first idea is to make a natural insecticide the mites can not stand. You will need the following items: Hot peppers (the hotter the better), onion, garlic, mince these items up and add a little water to the mix and let it stand for 24 hours. Strain this mix and save the juice and put it in a sprayer bottle and mist the plants with this liquid. Mites are generally on the undersides of the leaves so make sure you pay special attention to these area's.
Option 2 : The second solution is to buy a natural predator of the spider mite because this a great way to rid your plant of spider mites without harming the plant itself. The idea is the predator feeds on the spider mites and when they are all bone the predator will leave the plant to find more of them without ever thinking about harming the plant. I know of a website where you can buy some of these natural predators if you are unable to find them.
Is anyone familiar with any natural predators or disease's associaated with this strain ? I have purchased a musella lasiocarpa and it has been doing great and then all of a sudden one of the leaves starts to show signs on the leaves I like to call sunburn. Naturally these sunburn spots begin to die off. So what I am looking at is a green leaf with a few brown spots. As the days progress, it continues to spread and get worse. When I first noticed them I cut back on the lights in terms of time and distance. Well after watching this plant tilt and the leaf continue to get worse I cut off the half dead leaf and I was looking at one one of the three remaining, which by the way look fine in color. I noticed on the top of the leaf on what I like to call the stem of the leaf little spots that at first glance look like water blisters. Looking at them closer with some magnification, I do not notice anything strange. Is this possible signs of some kind of natural bug or worm infestation that could of came with it and is just now showing ? I just need to know so I can fix it before it kills my entire plant. Even though this variety does not produce edible fruit, I am still trying to keep from losing it. I look forward to hearing any reply that could be of some help on this matter.
The black spot that you are referrig to is the base of the stem rotting. This is due to one of two reasons: 1) Overwatering 2) The medium you have planted in is not very good at draining, causing the stem to rot. The fix here is to replant your Cavendish in this soil mixture I am gonna give you. You will need to mix the following three items together in equal portions. The items needed are top soil, sphagum moss, perilite. By making this mixture you will wind up with a fluffy soil that contains natural minerals and most importantly will drain nicely. Replant your cavendish in this mixture and within 1-2 weeks after you replant you should notice a good change in the look of your cavendish. Also try watering every other day and fertilize once a month with some good 20-20-20 fertilizer. Best of Luck to you !! Wayne
I would agree in killing the bugs but before I went out to Wal Mart and bouht some insecticide I would make some of my own naturally first, since some insecticides may not be safe for plants that bear edible fruits. Take some garlic, onion,and get some of the hottest peppers you can find and mince them up with a cup of water. Let this mix sit for 24 hours and then lightly spray on the plants in the areas you see the bugs. If this does not work and it should then consider a store bought insecticide. Also if you are growing more then oone plant be sure to get them seperated so the bugs do not contaminate your other plants. Best Of Luck !!
Knight The same thing was happening to my plant and what I found was I needed to add more humidity to the room I was growing it in. So what I did was get a vaporizer that you typically use for babies. I put a humidistat in the room and keep the humidity at about 60%. Also I had my plant in soil that was too heavy which aided in the poor growing. So I changed the soil and all worked well. Here is my secret mix for soil which I found works great. Go get yourself a bag of top soil ( not potting soil with added nutrients/chemicals ), a bag of perilite and a bag of sphaghum moss and mix together in equal parts. This will make a soil that drains well and allows air pockets to be formed in the soil for healthy root production. This with a light dose of fertilizer once a month will work wonders. Best of Luck !! Wayne
Soil: I just thought I would share this secret recipe of mine that seems to work very well for my plants which by the way I am growing indoors (at least until winter is over) The soil mixture I found works very well is equal parts of potting soil. perilite and sphagnum peat moss which can be purchased anywhere you can buy lawn and garden supplies. I have found that this mixture allows for good drainage which is vital to the root system and prevents the plant from rotting in the soil which is normally wet and heavy. Banana plants love water but do not due well when they sit in a heavy soil that does not drain well. Also the addition of soil in the mix allows the plant to pull some nutrients from the soil. The sphagnum also aids in drainage, so what you will wind up with is a medium that will be fluffy and allow oxygen pockets to be formed within the soil aiding in the production of the root system. With a little addition of some fertilizer once a month when watering makes for a winning combo. I am currently growing 4 different varieties with the following soil mix and all are doing great !! So this is my little piece of advice and best of luck to you all !! Wayne
|
|