Awesome
Musa AE AE
See post #'s 8859333 ; 8762468 ; 8370512
This year rocking on with a few tiny pups.
Still just gorgeous, Drew. I had a thought when you said the pups were not growing. Do you still have 4 pups?
Back at our old house, we had a big clump of bananas - nothing special just regular fruiting variety. I was all keen to grow fruit, so I recall reading up on them to figure out how to make it happen. One tidbit I recall said when the pups start to pop up, not to let more than one or two grow each year, and remove the rest. Something about the corm not being able to support too many at once.
D'you think the pups might be either starving to feed the mother, or everybody being set back by too big a family feeding off one corm? If they don't start growing, I'd consider removing one or two, to see if the others jump up. (maybe the ones you remove will make it a go, too)
Hope your weather is moderating today.
Elaine
I think it is more to do with a lack of sun Elaine! 2 went to the wayside and I still have 2. I could kick myself for planting so far into the tree line!!!
DW. wanted me not to plant it in the tomato garden this year as it was not on it's deathbed as it was last spring. That area of soil is the E. R.. It only got about 2.5 hours direct sun at the summer solstice.
The best way to continuously grow a stand of fruiting bananas is to keep three at all times. The grandmother the mother and the daughter. That way you have a flowering plant and one for the next year and so on!
I am fairly certain that the pups will really get going as the mother gets closer to flowering. Right now I am concerned more for keeping it alive through the fall and then I will dig and I will be fine next spring IF.... I have a true variegate. They could end up being all greenies.
They are way too small to remove ... about a Nickel dia. size at the base.
We are suppose to cool to 96 tomorrow and then low to mid eighties the rest of the week.
Thank you so much for your input. I will stay in touch on progress via this thread.
Drew
On the other hand, with the hot weather, it may be a blessing in disguise that you planted it in the forest. It might have fried up to an AeAe fritter if it had been out in more sun.
Maybe later in the summer you could trim a few branches above it to give it more light?
Those 80's are gonna feel really wonderful. Sort of like it is at night here . . . I have a headlamp and garden in the dark these days.
As much as I love varigated plants, this AeAe is making me want one, but my pocketbook can't justify that expense. So I'll keep admiring yall's. Maybe one of these days as I have no other banana plants so maybe I wouldn't have too many problems....
Jan
I will put in my two cents here about pups since the topic has come up. I was told by a grower that pups should not be removed from the parent plant until they have unfurled a leaf, but I have had several bananas, including ae ae, fall over (without my permission), and I have replanted pups no longer than four inches tip to tip of root. Three of those were ae ae. I figured I didn't have anything to lose. I made sure they were watered and they all grew. I didn't lose one. My bananas are more particular about water than they are about sun. I have some bananas growing in complete shade, but they don't like dry places. I will say that my soil drains perfectly. If you think you want to thin your pups I would definitely replant them and see what happens.
Speaking of water, Drew, what are you watering with - municipal or well water? I wonder if these plants could be sensitive to the chlorine and flouride, not to mention what else, in municipal water systems. Many places in HI where they do better are usually on catchment systems so they would be watered with rain water. Just being curious.....
Mine is on Municipal Alice. Watering is the key Koa...they love it!
I was told to go sparing with the water. Therefore, I water once a week with just a little water. How often and how much do you water, Drew?
Yes, they do love water! Mine would like it to rain every single day. Like I said, though, I have very good drainage. When I was nursing those pups I watered every day.
Thanks koa for that info. I have deprived my poor baby some then. Of course, I don't have as good a drainage as you do there in Hi. I am experiencing some brown spots in the white of mine and Drew had suggested last week that I take a picture and post it and he thought it could need more water then. I took the picture and my battery died and I've never gotten back to posting it. I'll try when I get back in this PM.
Jeri, I think the brown spots on the white is just from the sun. It happens very easily on my AeAe's. The white stays nicer on my Thai variegated bananas for a little longer before turning brown. They are both in full sun though. If you grow them in dappled sun or part sun, you can keep the white parts on the leaves looking nicer for longer.
Hey Clare!!! Hope things have been going good for you. Check this out.
Mine in my living room posed as my Christmas Tree in '11.
Mine blown down by a microburst late August '11. Tied up as roots were loose in the soil.
Full sun and grew to 18' in '11. Already at 16', with another good 8 weeks to grow.
So seeing as how it was almost to the ceiling last year, where is it going to go this year?....LOL That really is a beauty.
Jan
Hi Jeri! That's awesome! Hope all is well with you too!
Thanks Clare!! I have it in a large pot in the semi-shade of my south facing front porch. The little miniature nana is doing well also!!! I'm doing excellent. School will be starting soon and all the grands will be back in place instead of treating my house as a revolving door. I don't get one out before another is at my door. We even took the pool out or rather in the process of removing it and gave them all passes to the local water slide, pool and amusement park and it still hasn't worked. LOL!!!
Aeae in my gardens.
Yours' are doing wonderful!!! My bulb has started to get soft. Not looking too good for it.
:^(
Ebay right now they have a varigated Ice cream I bid on it its in the states blew right by me lol
Zone 9 Tropicals had 2 Huge ones a few years ago and I know they lost one not sure about the second one. You could email them and see if they have any pointers on taking care of them. http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/4456/
Last time I looked at the price was 450.00 people are crazy
I wouldn't pay 100 as I know I would kill it but it is beautiful.
Most people kill them with kindness!