Banana leaves keep breaking

[Chris Chance]

Not sure if it's from nutrient deficiency or what. I noticed that even unopened leaves start snapping and just kinda hang down. There really hasn't been much wind lately so I don't think that's the problem. What do you guys think? 

[Merlyn]

I don't see any obvious diseases, maybe it's just been really hot and dry and they are desperate for water?  What kind of bananas are they?

[Chris Chance]

7 minutes ago, Merlyn2220 said:

I don't see any obvious diseases, maybe it's just been really hot and dry and they are desperate for water?  What kind of bananas are they?

They're Rajapuri. I do give them quite a bit of water. It has been hot this summer but seems like this happens every year. They look great then they seem like the leaves are too heavy. 

[Merlyn]

I have ~25 different banana species growing here, but not Raja Puri.  The photos I've seen show the leaves and petioles as being completely green, your photo looks a bit yellow on the petiole.  That might be an environmental thing, or maybe a lack of nitrogen. 

I just remembered that the collapsing is something I saw with some red false Abyssinian bananas here aka. Ensete Maurellii.  They were all getting crown rot from the daily thunderstorms here in Floriduh.  I had to rip them all out eventually.  On mine the only obvious problem was when a gust of wind blew one over.  The base ripped apart and smelled completely disgusting.  The only thing holding it together was some thin strands of fiber.  I checked the 6 other ones and they all had drooping/broken fronds like yours, and were at various stages of crown rot.  Conventional bananas here have done fine ever since, though I haven't replanted a banana in the same spot where the others died.  You could check the base of yours just to make sure it's not crown rot.  Mine were kinda squishy to the touch and smelled kinda nasty even before removing them.  I gave one a little tug and it just fell over in my hands.

Hopefully that's not your issue.  I'm no banana expert, so I'm just guessing at the heat/dryness/water/nitrogen thing.  I toss mine a good couple of handfuls of 10-10-10 generic fertilizer a couple of times per year.

[Chester B]

Bananas need lots of potassium.  I use a fertilizer called Banana Fuel - it may be worth a shot.

I know there are a couple banana forums out there so maybe ask around there.

[Chris Chance]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I have increased the water and I'll look into getting some fertilizer for them. I have been putting down palm fertilizer and I add ash to the bananas. I haven't seen any signs of rot going on. 

[Mangosteen]

Sul-Po-Mag is supposed to be good for bananas. Seems to work on mine.

[Johnk9]

On 8/26/2020 at 1:27 PM, Chris Chance said:

Not sure if it's from nutrient deficiency or what. I noticed that even unopened leaves start snapping and just kinda hang down. There really hasn't been much wind lately so I don't think that's the problem. What do you guys think? 

Try Fruit Fuel Fertilizer 16-8-24 it work very well on banana plants

[Johnk9]

On 8/27/2020 at 8:42 PM, Merlyn2220 said:

I have ~25 different banana species growing here, but not Raja Puri.  The photos I've seen show the leaves and petioles as being completely green, your photo looks a bit yellow on the petiole.  That might be an environmental thing, or maybe a lack of nitrogen. 

I just remembered that the collapsing is something I saw with some red false Abyssinian bananas here aka. Ensete Maurellii.  They were all getting crown rot from the daily thunderstorms here in Floriduh.  I had to rip them all out eventually.  On mine the only obvious problem was when a gust of wind blew one over.  The base ripped apart and smelled completely disgusting.  The only thing holding it together was some thin strands of fiber.  I checked the 6 other ones and they all had drooping/broken fronds like yours, and were at various stages of crown rot.  Conventional bananas here have done fine ever since, though I haven't replanted a banana in the same spot where the others died.  You could check the base of yours just to make sure it's not crown rot.  Mine were kinda squishy to the touch and smelled kinda nasty even before removing them.  I gave one a little tug and it just fell over in my hands.

Hopefully that's not your issue.  I'm no banana expert, so I'm just guessing at the heat/dryness/water/nitrogen thing.  I toss mine a good couple of handfuls of 10-10-10 generic fertilizer a couple of times per year.

"I have ~25 different banana species growing here, " Can you post  the names of the 25?

[Merlyn]

7 hours ago, Johnk9 said:

"I have ~25 different banana species growing here, " Can you post  the names of the 25?

Sure, in order of size:  Super Dwarf Cavendish, Truly Tiny, Little Prince, Zebrina Rojo, Dwarf Cavendish, Dwarf Namwah, Sumatrana x Cross, Thai Black, California Gold, Goldfinger, Basjoo, Manzano Apple, Sikkimensis, Bordelon, Ice Cream, Saba, Kandarian, Mekong Giant.  The ones that died here are Dwarf Red (unknown type), Siam Ruby, Margarita, Mekong Giant (1 out of 3 died due to me stomping on it), a unknown small Ensete type, and Ensete Maurellii.  The Ensete types all got crown rot and died in various areas of the yard.  The Siam Ruby and Margarita may have died from cold or being bad tissue culture batches.