Question
I have a bannana plant that the bottom leaves are turning yellow and brown and also I noticed that there seems to be some small flies in the soil or around the plant and there seems to be a powder residue in the center of the stalk where the new leaves come out. I have tried to find some information and what you can use on the plants for infestations and fungal problems but I can not seem to find any. Can you help me with this I really do not want to do any more harm to my plant. Thanks

Answer
Hi Natalie,Your banana is showing signs of corm rot, thats the root system, and it sounds like it is getting way too much water; I'm assuming it is in a container, and probably has no drainage medium at the bottom, if this is true, then it needs to be repotted with a 2 inch lining of pea stone at the bottom. The picture you have painted is one of a plant that is in severe distress from this problem; I can't see it to see how advanced the problem is, but all you can really do now is dry that root system out and repot it.....Nick