Banana plants are one of the popular plants that many gardeners love to grow in the garden or indoors. This plant is very easy to grow, easy to care for, and does not require any complicated techniques.
However, one of the most common problems that many gardeners regularly face is drooping leaves. This condition can occur at any stage of the banana plant and makes it difficult for the plant to revive and grow as usual.
In the past time, we have received many questions related to this issue. Why are my banana plant leaves drooping? What causes leaves to droop and die gradually? How to remedy this situation? Let’s find out the specific reasons in this article.
Why Are My Banana Plant Leaves Drooping? Top 6 Reasons
The drooping leaves of a banana plant can be related to a variety of reasons regarding the weather or your care routine. Some common causes that you should watch out for are improper watering, shock from transplanting, repotting or relocating, lack of sunlight, excessive weight, or natural aging.
Regarding The Watering Problem
Improper watering is the leading culprit causing the leaves of a banana plant to droop and die. Too much watering will cause the entire banana plant to swell, and the leaves will droop due to too much water in each cell. From there, the leaves of the plant tend to turn yellow and soften, then lose the entire leaf.
Meanwhile, lack of water will also cause the leaves of plants to dry, brittle, turn brown or yellow and droop. The best way to avoid waterlogging or serious water shortages is to treat the potting soil. The potting soil needs to be well drained to avoid waterlogging but needs to be kept moist to provide water for the banana plant.
To create the ideal habitat for plants, you need to pay attention to the following principles.
- Mix mulch and fertilizer about 2 inches thick to retain moisture and prevent evaporation.
- Use irrigation water such as filtered, distilled, or rainwater for irrigation instead of tap water because it contains excess chlorine, salts, and minerals.
- Apply organic fertilizers to improve moisture retention and provide nutrients to plants.
- Mulching with organic materials such as leaves, banana peels, straws, pine needles, and coir will protect the soil from the negative effects of weather such as rain, wind, or sun.
- The coating is especially effective in areas with hot, dry climates and droughts to prevent water from rapidly evaporating into the air.
- Place the mulch about 3 inches from the plant’s stem to prevent fungi and harmful bacteria from attacking.
Shock Due To Transplant
A sudden transplant or change of habitat will cause the leaves of banana plants to droop due to a disturbance in the mechanism of action. When you change a pot with a new potting soil, the plant’s root system needs time to adapt to the environment. In particular, some roots will also be damaged during transplanting or changing to a new pot.
Therefore, before transplanting, you should pay attention to the following information to avoid causing undue stress on banana plants.
- Remove any excess soil from the surface of the pot and use a tool to loosen the soil. Avoid the soil being too tight and sticking to the roots.
- Lift the banana plant gently and tap it to remove any soil.
- Clean the pot and use new potting soil to avoid bacteria and fungi from the old potting that can attack the new environment.
- Place the plants in the new pot and cover them with soil as before.
- Use compost and mulch about the top 2 inches of the ground.
- Water slowly and add more soil as they have compacted.
In addition, some stress is excessive such as the temperature difference being too high between indoors and outdoors. Or the sudden difference in humidity causes the leaves of plants to droop. The solution is that you need to let the plants get used to it from a few minutes to a few hours a day if you have to move them from home to outside. For temporary moisture retention, you can mist the leaves to prevent leaf shock, lack of moisture, and drooping.
Lack Of Sunlight And Inclement Weather
As you know, banana plants are a species of tropical forest plants. Therefore, they prefer direct sunlight for 6 hours or more. However, they can still grow well if they receive at least 4 hours of sunlight a day.
Sunlight is an important factor in photosynthesis for plants to make sugar (the main source of energy). Without sunlight for photosynthesis, plants will not have enough energy to maintain the sustainable development of branches, stems, and leaves. As a result, the leaves of banana plants will droop, become weak, and fall off.
For maximum sunlight, you should place banana plants facing south. The ideal temperature should be between 57 degrees F and 100 degrees F. If the temperature is too low or too high, you should move the potted plant indoors or use a greenhouse to avoid thermal shock.
If you live in an area with high temperatures and hot dry climates, you need to create a habitat that has the ideal temperature and humidity for plants. Use mulch about 2 inches thick, create a shady space in the afternoon, and mist the plants daily.
Shading in the afternoon is a great idea to give banana plants a rest and avoid excessive dehydration. Because the afternoon sun is often intense and can cause the leaves of plants to burn and droop.
Weight Is Too Heavy
The weight of leaves that are too heavy while the stem is not strong enough to support them will also cause them to droop. Heavy winds or rain are also factors that cause the leaves of plants to droop or break due to their heavy weight.
Cold weather and dry air will also weaken the branches of banana plants making them more susceptible to breakage. Therefore, you need to add the necessary nutrients to keep the trunk healthy and resist the negative effects of the weather. In addition, you also need to remove old branches or cut leaves that are too large to avoid breaking branches and creating serious damage.
Pests And Insect Attacks
Pests and insects are also among the common causes of plant leaves being destroyed and falling off. They attack the leaves directly and create small holes in the surface. More dangerously, they hide in the leaves and suck the sap, making the stem weak and unable to support the leaves and branches.
You need to regularly clean the leaves, and the crevices between the branches because this is the ideal place for insects and pests to hide. Remove brown or white patches on leaves to avoid fungus and pest eggs. Use neem oil to clean the leaves regularly and use an insecticide to get rid of them before your plants are destroyed.
Natural Aging
The natural aging or old leaves falling off is completely normal according to the laws of nature. You don’t need to worry about this phenomenon. The leaves of banana plants will dry out, turn yellow and begin to droop. However, this situation will not happen often and each time only 1 or 2 old leaves will fall off.
A healthy and vibrant banana plant when the number of young leaves will be more than the fallen yellow leaves. Stimulate the growth of young leaves by creating the ideal living environment in terms of temperature, humidity, proper watering, and nutritional supplementation.
Summary
The drooping leaves of a banana plant can be related to a variety of causes. Some common causes include too much or too little watering, lack of sunlight, pests, shock due to excessive stress, pests, or the natural aging process.
To remedy this situation, you should learn how to water properly by checking the humidity before watering. Maintain proper temperature and humidity, avoid excessive stress, provide sunshine every day, and clean leaves regularly to avoid pests.