Question
I recieved my Dwarf Cavendish Banana Plant from Gurneys about 2 months ago with an amazing root system. When it came it had about 5 leaves and the bottom two were yellowing so I plucked them off. It has grown three new leaves since I recieved it and now the next bottom two in line are yellowing then turning dark brown on the ends. It is planted in a clay pot with Organic Mirical Grow Potting Soil in full sun in the sun porch (in Minnesota), being watered twice a week and misted about 1-2x/wk. What am I doing wrong that the bottom leaves keep yellowing?

Thanks,
Emily

Answer
Hi Emily, You aren't doing anything wrong, Bananas are a tropical plant, and albeit they require copious amounts of water, they still can show stress from too much, a Bananas Corm (thats the amazing root system you alluded too....) can rot if it sits in standing moisture; Bananas are easy to grow, but early development is the crucial stage to their maturing into the beautiful, tropical specimen every grower seeks in them. Keep it misted and in full sun, but just keep it adequately irrigated; make certain you have drainage medium lining the bottom of your container, and mulch over the top inch or so. Finally, I have to emphasize the fact that Bananas do not fare very well in containers, in the long run, the corm will expand and all but the largest of containers will not be roomy enough for it to do so without eventually stress. That said, when it does reach that point, the plant will begin to show stunted leaf development, this is a sure sign; this will not happen for quite awhile however, so in the mean time, enjoy it! When you notice it beginning to stress however, it will be time to attempt to take measures to correct it, be it a larger container, or even lifting it and repositioning it in its present container. Nick