# My banana plant is disintegrating!



## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

ferts?


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## mdfa.ca (Apr 27, 2009)

I have been dosing Excel.


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## Feral (Feb 26, 2008)

I don't think Banana Plants are sensitive to excel. Mine has never showed a problem. Are the "Bananas" partially buried? Because I think they have to be exposed to light.

I've heard that they don't live very long either. The only issue I've ever had was Otto's eating them (I was very surprised)


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## mdfa.ca (Apr 27, 2009)

Nope, the "bananas" are totally exposed, gently sitting on top of the substrate, but they have sent out a LOT of roots which hold the large plant up. I'll see if I can post a pic of it tonight.


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

Stronger light + CO2 but no fert dosing? You'll have to give specifics on the light intensity. It could have starved to death.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

yeah, when I said ferts, I meant nutrients, NO3, PO4, K, micros. 

If you're not providing plants with lights, CO2, and nutrients, they starve.


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## Vladdy (May 6, 2008)

That's exactly what happened to me! I moved my banana plant to a 20 gallon and it started melting. I only dose potassium and iron. The leaves keep melting.


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## mdfa.ca (Apr 27, 2009)

My banana has lost its nanas! Here is a pic:










As you can see, all the 'nanas are gone, gone, gone, but, strangely enough the plant is still quite happy and just sprouted another leaf. Color is good, no melting, no sign of stress that I can see.

To answer some earlier questions about specs:

* DIY CO2 for the past month or so
* lights: one 15 W fluorescent (for 20 G I'm pretty sure this is not enough)
* trace elements: none. I'm still not quite clear about this whole CO2/Light/fert thing. I have dosed some Excel Iron, but not regularly.

Tonight I'll cut one of the older leaves and let it float to see what happens.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

This has come up several times in recent strings. As the lilly matures and roots the ‘nanas’ are discarded as part of the plants life cycle. The surface leaves were adult shaped like a small lilly pad here in Florida. Left alone these grow larger with each new sprouting stem. This can be delayed but is a normal event for the plant.


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## mdfa.ca (Apr 27, 2009)

Yeah, I figured that out. The question is, will the plant survive much longer?


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Keep about three leaves on it and it will continue to grow just w/o 'nanas'


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## mdfa.ca (Apr 27, 2009)

Aha, the nana plant is sending a new lilly pad to the top! I will let it open and then snip the stalk at about 1 1/2" and let it float and, hopefully, grow another plant!


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## mdfa.ca (Apr 27, 2009)

Three weeks later and the lily pad which I snipped off the main plant is growing roots!!! They are about about 1/2 inch and are sprouting at the cut site. Now, my question is, what do I do now? Do I just let it float? Will it create the plant hanging in the water or will the roots continue growing until they extend all the way to the bottom?

Margaret.


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## BottomFeeder (Jul 26, 2008)

I've kept these a couple of times. In the same tank I've had a few take root and thrive while others will limp along for a month or two before they start to melt. Once they start to melt I can't save it.


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