Why do banana tree leaves crack?

Have you ever wondered why banana leaves crack so easily? It happens every year: one day they are beautiful, and the next day… not so much. Leaves are amazing structures: they withstand the impact of raindrops, they are waterproof and keep the cells inside them safe, and they are also a food factory.

But also They have some characteristic that can make them less resistant than we think.

Why are banana tree leaves so big?

Although I am going to talk to you about what happens with the leaves of banana trees, what I am going to tell you really applies to any other plant that has similar characteristics, such as the Ensete for example, or to certain palm trees such as the coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) or Parajubaea in juvenile state, or Alocasia.

These leaves can be very large and also very fragile.In their natural habitat, these characteristics are perfect because they allow them to adapt well to the environment, but if those conditions change, what was previously an adaptation mechanism can now be a burden.

But of course, if they can break, why are they so big? Banana trees They come from tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. In these areas it usually rains a lot and the soil in which the plants grow contains a lot of organic matter., that is, nutrients, which allow it to grow. This is why only plants that live in rainy areas can afford to have such large leaves.

In my area (Mallorca island), where it rains very little and is quite warm in summer, the vast majority of plant species have very small leaves, such is the case of the olive tree (Olea europaea) for example, because if they were larger, they would have a greater energy and water expenditure. Because, yes, maintaining such large leaves requires a large amount of water. For this reason, The healthiest and most beautiful banana trees are usually those that grow in soils that are permanently or almost permanently moist and well drained..

Why do they break?

There are several reasons why leaves can break. Here I will tell you about all of them so you can know if you need to take action:

Wind

Now that I have told you why they are the size they are, it is time to tell you that they can be broken very easily by the wind. Although they can be in areas where the wind blows from time to time, They will have a hard time getting ahead in those where it blows frequently unless they are protected. planting a windbreak hedge near them, for example.

But don't worry, if this last case is not yours, your plant will continue to thrive. In my area, the wind can blow a bit at certain times of the year, and it is normal for some leaves to break, but the banana tree will remain healthy.

Falling branches from other plants

It tienes banana trees in the garden, near trees, it may happen that if a branch falls on the aforementioned, the leaves may crack. This is normal. Its ornamental value may decrease a little, but you don't have to worry about thisIn the wild, in a forest for example, pruning is done like this: by branches that fall, animals that break them, by the wind.

The same thing happens in a garden, of course on a much smaller scale, but we must not forget that in the end a garden is a piece of nature, created by and for humans, but nature at the end of the day.

Black banana weevil

Unfortunately, the weevil is a weevil that can also affect banana trees, as well as palm trees, cacti, succulents, etc. In the case of our protagonist, we are talking about the species of weevil whose scientific name is Cosmopolites sordidus Germar. Like other weevils, when it is an adult it is not especially dangerous, but Its larvae can destroy the plant, since it feeds on its stem, to the point that it can destabilize it and make it fall.And of course, as a result, the banana tree weakens and becomes vulnerable to other diseases.

There is no recognized chemical treatment, but Yes, biological controls can be carried out with traps based on sordidine; however, this is only recommended for large areas, since a single trap acts within a radius of 15 meters.. Therefore, in small gardens you should NOT put any, since you would attract the weevils that are in the area. In these cases, I advise you to opt for watering the plants with a hose, pouring water on the base of the leaves and on the stem so that the larvae drown.

Problems related to packaging or handling of the package

Another reason may be that they have not been properly attached to the box. This happens when, for example, we buy banana trees online: since the plants have to go, no matter what, in a box, It is easy for the ones with large leaves to break, either because of the movement they give to the package while handling it, or because as I said before they are not well secured, or both.Ideally, the seller should say that this can happen so that we don't get a surprise later.

It happened to me once when I bought an Ensete that was supposed to be a little over 1 meter tall, and when I opened the package I saw that all the leaves had been cut off. I understand why they did it (so that the leaves wouldn't arrive broken), but I would have liked to have been warned, honestly. It recovered without any problems, I have to say that.

Have you been able to find out why your plant's leaves are breaking? As you can see, there are several reasons. I hope you can recover it well.