Ae Ae banana

[metalfan]

I got an Ae Ae banana from a friend a few years ago. It was a very nice sized plant and I decided to put it into the greenhouse. But, I chose the wrong spot. I planted it where the slope of the roof was only about 13 feet. Over 2 seasons, the banana hit the roof. The leaves were 8+ feet long, and they were up in the hot hot attic and touching the roof, and burning in the sun.

So, I made the decision to cut the plant in half, and remove it to the yard to a protected spot.

It rooted in well and did well, and survived the winter pretty easily. But when I freed up some space I decided to bove it back in, under a place where the ceiling is a full 20 feet. Its much smaller now, but leafed out beautifully, and even has a very small pup!

I think its going to take off again and do well. Seeing as these have become very rare due apparently to crop failures in So FL due to hurricanes, I want to be certain it survives! I don't think I could afford to replace it.

[tipper55]

It will probably pop you out a few more pups, now that you "stressed" it.

The pups take forever to start to grow. One of my pups is pure white. I've been giving it nitrogen like crazy, but it's kinda quit growing. I cut it off at the base a few days ago to see if it had the remote possibility of shooting out some growth with green in it. I figured I had nothing to lose at this point.

[junglegalfla]

Mine only put off 2 pups last year. One lived, one shriveled away. I've now taken that plant and put it in my front yard under a live oak. I'm perplexed because so far, in this location it's seems like it can take neither morning sun or filtered afternoon. It looks happy and is growing but the leaves look like crap on the edges.

After growing 22 varieties, this is one of the most challenging for me. Luckily, I got mine for free so if it croaks, I am not out any $$. I will say the original Mom was a brute. It got split by a storm in 06 & came back full force.

Before

After

[weldertom]

UH  , I want one !

Are they that hard to find ?

[Jeff in St Pete]

They are not easy to find.  If you do find one for sale, they are usually in the $150-$250 range.  I bought 5 of them over the last 7 years (in Tampa) and every one of them shriveled up and died!  I tried them in different locations, different soils, etc.  They always declined and died (in the middle of the summer too, not during winter).  At one time I had almost 40 different banana varieties so I wasn't a novice at growing bananas.  I finally gave up although I am currently keeping my eyes open for one here in Costa Rica.  The problem is that if one does come up variegated, it would probably be destroyed by the banana grower.

[Matt in SD]

These are definitely tougher to grow than other bananas.  Actually, all other bananas I've grown are downright easy, and the Ae Ae is actually a challenge.  I killed the first one, it was very small and we kept stepping on it.  The second one I got as a nice 5g plant and it grew pretty much as fast as all my other bananas.  Getting to full height (15' maybe?) in about a year.  

Then this winter it got blown over.  I cut the top off and left the stem on the ground and it actually grew a few leaves and flowered.  But man are the pups SLOW!  It had three decent sized pups when it blew over in November.  Only one has put a leaf out yet, the other two are just sitting there.  Most other bananas would be 10 ft tall by now from a small pup.  I think once they get to a certain size they're pretty robust though.

Matt

[metalfan]

I think that these, over all other bananas, need to be fed a lot. I have had my banana for, what, almost 4 years now? And I never got a pup until now.

The pseudostem was about 10 ft when I cut it basically in half. The plant did releaf, but then it went through winter. Now, its a total height of about 5 feet. I decided to greenhouse it again because they have become harder and harder to come by, and the last 2 I have seen (I only saw a total of 3 for sale all summer) were selling for what I consider megabucks. (over $150)

I got mine as a gift, so it was free for me. I don't want to endanger it any more.

When I was talking to the Growing Bananas man from SO FL (I see him at every sale I go to) he advised a lower nitrogen, medium phosphorous, high potassium, fertilizer. I had been using cow manure. So I tried my 15-5-15 Cal/Mag with K+ nitrate on it. It did okay, but no big cigar. But what made it really jump start and throw out the pup (finally) was granular PALM fertilizer mixed with Muriate of Potash.

[palmmermaid]

My friend Betty has 2 of these in her yard and they don't get any special care.  They came back after all 3 hurricanes.  They don't pup nearly as freely as the other species.  Maybe because they don't have as much chlrophyll as normal so they can't make as much food as the others.  I think she got hers at the flea market a few years ago.  I have seen them around but they are expensive and I'm not sure they are worth the extra trouble.  I like the red ornamental banana much better.  I love those big red leaves in the breeze.

[tipper55]

The main fertilizer I use on all my bananas is a straight potassium, it's either a 0-0-10 or a 0-0-20, I'd have to look at the bag.

The AeAe really hasn't been a problem banana to me. I think my 2 hardest ones are the Sumatrana x Gran Nain and the Siam Ruby. Both are tissue cultures and I don't really care what "studies" have shown t.c.'s are just as hardy, but I'd take a good ol' pup any day to the t.c.'s.

The Siam Ruby is a really, really cool banana. Any of the pictures you see on eBay do NOT do it justice. The red is very deep in color and almost has an iridescence to it. If I could get the darn thing to grow, it should be stunning when it's mature.

[junglegalfla]

I've been lusting over the siam ruby for a few months. But my god are they expensive! I've heard agri-starts supposedly doing tissue culture on them so I suspect the prices will come down soon. If they've cracked the code of the ae ae the same should happen.

I just picked up the poor man's aeae. It's called dwarf namwah pearl. It's a cute little thing but seems slow to me. I'm reading this is a fussy one too. Great

http://www.eldonaccess.com/images/11563641...1042677130.jpeg

[metalfan]

I like the Namwah Pearl a lot. I have been meaning to get one. I have also looked at the Siam Ruby before, but like Bren says, WOW that's a lot of dough!

There are a few other green and white variegated bananas out there, there is a seller in Miami on eBay that goes by Miamimax1 who has had some non-Ae Ae variegates on eBay over the summer but they are just as pricey.

I wasn't giving the Ae Ae special care the first time around in the greenhouse, which is why it got so large. But outdoors it has to get winter protection in a real heavy frost. Last winter I wrapped it twice when it went into the 20's with blankets, agricultural grade frostcloth and an outer layer of 4 mil polywrap and it survived, but I would rather not have to go to such lengths again :cool: so its back in the house.

[tipper55]

This is my variegated dwarf Namwa.

[metalfan]

WOW that's just GORGEOUS! You are such a good grower!!!!

[junglegalfla]

*drools* Tipper....please tell us your secret!! I can only hope mine looks like that some day!!

[Kris]

Dear Gina,Bren & Tipper  

thanks for the visuals,and i have never seen this variety before..its really terrefic.

love,

Kris  

[Jeff in St Pete]

(tipper55 @ Aug. 24 2007,17:10)

QUOTE

This is my variegated dwarf Namwa.

Tipper, that is absolutely beautiful!  I've seen pictures of Dwarf Namwah Pearls before and the variegation was much more muted.  Yours is spectacular!