Musa Basjoo - thin and curled

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

So my single Basjoo didn't do much over summer. It more or less just sat there in my yard and grew a leaf or two, but that was it. So, I didnt feel comfortable overwintering it in the dark corner of my basement with my other bananas and instead put it in my grow tent with my other plants over winter.

I had some spider mites attack it pretty good at one point and hacked it down and since then have been regularly cleaning it. My solution of water to castle soap was too strong at one point and damaged part of the leaves and pseudostem but I thought we were over that as the newest leaf popped out. However, when it unfurled it didn't exactly unfurl. Then after only a few days I came home to find it completely dropped over.

Anyone got some direct advice they think could help me here?

The one thing I did notice is this leaf seemed thinner than usual

 

[digitS']

I'd like to " like" you keeping us updated on your banana plants, Sprig'. However, I certainly don't know anything about plants like that!

You have pointed to a problem that gardeners can have with soap. Because we can use it on our dishes or hands doesn't mean that it is easy on plant tissue. I would rinse plants in the garden the following morning after spraying soap a little before sundown. Maybe, rinsing is a way for you to avoid future problems with Castile.

Recently, I sprayed some of DW's houseplants with dish soap and water. I hadn't noticed that she had bought a new green Palmolive that was supposed to be stronger! Luckily, they came through the experience okay. Aphids gone.

Steve

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

Thanks @digitS' . I actually ended up tossing out my scotch bonnet and jalapeno plants about a month ago after fighting the aphids for months. The soapy water was doing more damage to the plants was fighting the aphids but was in no way actually removing them from the equation. I eventually hit a point where it wasn't worth the risk of them spreading to my other plants (bananas, blueberries and willows).

The bananas were doing pretty great, aside from the fighting of the mites, but the Basjoo suddenly took this turn for the worse. I'm guessing the soap did something but its popped out at least two leaves since the last application and seemed to be doing fine.

Might have overwatered it :/

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

At least it has two pups coming out of the soil, so even if the parent dies I'll have two babies

 

[digitS']

Hey

!!

digitS'

 

[flowerbug]

i don''t know this plant at all, but by the looks of it it is a tropical rainforest plant and that means it could probably survive being overwatered once in a while.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

i don''t know this plant at all, but by the looks of it it is a tropical rainforest plant and that means it could probably survive being overwatered once in a while.

Ha! Most likely true. Hence me thinking the soap killed part of thw pseudostem that I can't see yet and it finally took enough toll

 

[flowerbug]

Ha! Most likely true. Hence me thinking the soap killed part of thw pseudostem that I can't see yet and it finally took enough toll

most of those that i've grown don't mind being chopped into lengths and then started up again. my neice had a tall tropical plant growing at one of my brother's house in the dining room and it was hitting the ceiling and starting to droop back down. she didn't believe me when i said to chop it down and take the stalk and put all those pieces back in the dirt. but eventually they cut it back. i don't know why they didn't reroot those pieces, but the plant is still growing back just fine from where it was cut off. i would have taken that stalk and chopped it into a dozen pieces and had a forest growing...

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I actually chopped it back pretty good a while back