Your farming level does not affect how often things die. I'm level 92, and i still have plenty of sweetcorn/limpwurt/maples die. With your banana issue, when i get bananas, i like to get a terrobird full of baskets, 23 baskets in your invent, glory+duel ring (that makes a total of 35 baskets - equal to a week of 5 fruit trees a day). Just doing that once a week is good. It isn't that hard really. Plus, it's pretty much picking each tree ones, and about 5 twice. You won't get easier then that. The G.E. is useless for bananas, they will never buy (had 1k on max for a month, 200 brought in that entire time). I do suggest that, upgrade to pineapples or papayas as soon as possible, best exp. Pineapple seeds are rather cheap, plus pineapples themselves always sell. I find a slight difference, even in yews, but it probably woulnd't make too much of a difference to worry about.