Unhappy Banana Plant

[Tim (BBC)]

I have a small Banana Plant (indoor). Over the summer it was very healthy,
new shoots, leaves and a thick stem, however, some small shoots have opened
in the soil at the bottom of the plant. Now it's winter and the once healthy
thick stem (trunk) has got very thin. Does anyone know what I need to do to
get it healthy again? Or is this something that happens in the winter?

Any help would be great!

Best Regards

Tim

[Dwayne]

Hello. My wife says to get a plant light and shine it on the trees. She
also takes a water bottle and "mists" them every day. You dont want to over
water them. If the soil is damp a finger length down, leave it alone.

You might also take a long sharp knife and cut the small shoots off and
transplant them into a separate pot of their own. You might feed them all
with a balanced fertilizer also. She does it about every 6 months.

Good luck. Dwayne

"Tim (BBC)" <t...@britishbuggyclub.co.uk> wrote in message
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[d...@ilshnopam.daemon.com]

Nanas are a devil to keep looking healthy in winter due to their
preference for very high light levels, heat and humidity. Almost
inevitably, plants kept in the house will look much sadder than those
kept in a warm greenhouse, simply because light levels indoors at this
time of year are so low as to be almost useless to such sun-lovers.
They simply lose more and more leaves, reducing to a feeble-looking
'trunk. Your best bet is to keep the plant in a cool, brightly lit
spot for the rest of the winter and allow the compost to nearly dry
out between waterings. This will enforce semi-dormancy until
conditions are more amenable to strong growth.

In spring, when your plant appear to be making concerted efforts to
grow, move it to a warmer, well it spot and increase watering
gradually. Once several new leaves have been produced, pot on using a
much larger container. Place plenty of drainage material in the
bottom and infill around the roots using a 50/50 mix of mutli-purpose
compost and John Innes No2. You should add extra sand, fine grit or
perlite to keep the medium porous and free draining. After about 3 or
4 weeks, you can resume feeding using full strength Miracle-Gro or
similar.

HTH

Dave Poole
TORQUAY UK

[Tim (BBC)]

Thanks for your help with this!
I'll give you sugestions a try!

Best Regards

Tim

<d...@ilshnopam.daemon.com> wrote in message
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[The Housekeeper]

Tim (BBC) <t...@britishbuggyclub.co.uk> wrote in message
news:6eLO9.12427$6o3.9...@newsfep2-win.server.ntli.net...

> I have a small Banana Plant (indoor). Over the summer it was very healthy,
> new shoots, leaves and a thick stem, however, some small shoots have
opened
> in the soil at the bottom of the plant. Now it's winter and the once
healthy
> thick stem (trunk) has got very thin. Does anyone know what I need to do
to
> get it healthy again? Or is this something that happens in the winter?

The demand for bananas often dries up in the winter, Tim, so perhaps your
plant should diversify and start producing different fruits on a seasonal
basis. Perhaps talk with your bank manager about ways of expanding the
plant. although you'll have to put those shaky foundations in order first!
The bank won't be tempted to invest in you if the soil beneath your plant
isn't what it might be. Consult a structural expert first, and be prepared
to knock down some parts of the plant if he thinks it's necessary. Much
better to have a smaller, sound plant capable of producing different fruits
throughout the year than a large, single-product plant which relies on
seasonal demand!

Hope that helps
Best wishes
Helga Walters (Housekeeper)
http://www.the14thdisciple.com