View Full Version : Ae Ae flowers - it took 4 years!
bananimal
07-11-2012, 02:34 PM
First time for me thanks to 2 consecutive winter's cold damage.:woohoonaner:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=49675&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=49675&ppuser=820)
Amazing thing ---- each year the leaves got toasted but the original pstem survived. Each succesive year it grew thicker and taller and grew new leaves for the summer. This is not a pup but the original plant I got from NANAMAN. And Ae Ae #2 mat is doing the same thing! Both mats have pups and they all survived as well - just grew a couple of inches taller each year.
Bananaman88
07-11-2012, 02:37 PM
Congrats!
john_ny
07-11-2012, 03:14 PM
I'ii add my cogratulations.
Abnshrek
07-11-2012, 03:33 PM
Congrat's :^)
crazy banana
07-11-2012, 04:12 PM
Awesome, congratulations. I hope for you it was well worth the patience.
FRITO
07-11-2012, 09:45 PM
Good work! I need to add one of these to my collecton, I will soon!
Great!! Hope the fruit is ok, and that it ripens soon enough to enjoy.
Steve L
07-12-2012, 07:24 AM
Congratulations. Hope you get lots of striped bananas.
Steve
RAINFOREZT
07-12-2012, 10:13 AM
First time for me thanks to 2 consecutive winter's cold damage.:woohoonaner:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=49675&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=49675&ppuser=820)
Amazing thing ---- each year the leaves got toasted but the original pstem survived. Each succesive year it grew thicker and taller and grew new leaves for the summer. This is not a pup but the original plant I got from NANAMAN. And Ae Ae #2 mat is doing the same thing! Both mats have pups and they all survived as well - just grew a couple of inches taller each year.
I am loosing varigation on the leaves. Do you have any tips from your 4 year experience?
check this thread..pls
http://www.bananas.org/f2/royal-hawaiian-aeae-15655.html
bananimal
07-12-2012, 10:54 AM
I am loosing varigation on the leaves. Do you have any tips from your 4 year experience?
check this thread..pls
http://www.bananas.org/f2/royal-hawaiian-aeae-15655.html
Each year I've seen variegation run from from more white to more green. Once I started fertilizing regularly and sticking to the schedule, colors balanced out. Also had healthier leaves and faster growth when I brought the pH down with sulfur and performed a few mycorrhizae drenches.
One thing I see in your pics --- you should clear out the grass for a 5 to 6 ft hole and top with bark mulch. Or, since you have so many Ae pups, make it easier on yourself by planting in a row in a continuous trench. Mats 8 ft apart and trench 6 ft wide. Because of the grass lay a border of landscape timber and fill the planting area with 3 to 4 inches of bark mulch.
Even better --- get rid of the friggin' grass altogether! Right, Jon? (pitangadiego hates grass):ha:
RAINFOREZT
07-12-2012, 12:27 PM
Thanks so much for the tips. So I may have to bring the PH down to get the white colour back.
I am not a fan of St.Augustin grass,, but generally i like to have some grass in my backyard. I will remove some more grass around it once its get big.I hope one day i will remove all my st.Augustin grass and replace it with zoysia grass.
I thought about selling my extra ae ae pups. but since this one loosing it varigation, I am going to plant and treat them diffrently.
Steve L
07-12-2012, 12:39 PM
I would suggest mulching with composted pine bark and fertilizing with Miracid water soluble fertilizer(if you can find it) Miracid was made by Miracle Grow but has disappeared from the shelves in the last few years. I bought a bunch of it years ago. It is a fertilizer for acid loving plants, and will help turn the soil more acid. All of the older talk on websites and in an old Stokes Tropicals catalog speak of the Ae Ae as needing to grow in acidic soil to produce the best variegation. Fortunately for me, along the Louisiana Gulf Coast, our soil is naturally acidic but I do use the MIracid and religiously mulch with composted pine bark which will help with the acidity of the soil as well. I've always had great variegation following this routine although I really can't scientifically prove any of these suggestions have helped. But the visual evidence is there for me.
Steve
RAINFOREZT
07-12-2012, 01:04 PM
I would suggest mulching with composted pine bark and fertilizing with Miracid water soluble fertilizer(if you can find it) Miracid was made by Miracle Grow but has disappeared from the shelves in the last few years. I bought a bunch of it years ago. It is a fertilizer for acid loving plants, and will help turn the soil more acid. All of the older talk on websites and in an old Stokes Tropicals catalog speak of the Ae Ae as needing to grow in acidic soil to produce the best variegation. Fortunately for me, along the Louisiana Gulf Coast, our soil is naturally acidic but I do use the MIracid and religiously mulch with composted pine bark which will help with the acidity of the soil as well. I've always had great variegation following this routine although I really can't scientifically prove any of these suggestions have helped. But the visual evidence is there for me.
Steve
Thanks so much...l..very helpful..So I will look for fertilizer for acid loving plants.
Bananaman88
07-12-2012, 03:09 PM
I have been able to find water soluble azalea and camellia fertilizer at Wal-Mart with no problem recently. I can't remember if it is still called Miracid but that's what it used to be...now it may just say azalea/rhododendron/camellia fertilizer. Adding granulated sulfer periodically should help to keep the pH lower as well.
Darkman
07-12-2012, 09:12 PM
Even better --- get rid of the friggin' grass altogether! Right, Jon? (pitangadiego hates grass):ha:
From Darkman's Dictionary:
Grass: A neon green sign that says, "Bug Buffet"
bananimal
07-18-2012, 06:54 PM
Update --- here come the hands with stripey fingers!:woohoonaner::woohoonaner::woohoonaner:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=49785&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=49785&ppuser=820)
Steve L
07-19-2012, 07:27 AM
Looking good
Abnshrek
07-19-2012, 07:58 AM
Looks like a nice pic from a ladder :^)
bananimal
07-19-2012, 11:47 AM
Looks like a nice pic from a ladder :^)
Two foot ladder + zoom.
harveyc
07-19-2012, 03:58 PM
Congrats, Dan. Wish I had as much success as you. Mine have all died! Cool summer nights seem to be something they hate as much as cold winters.
bananimal
07-19-2012, 10:28 PM
Thanks Harvey ---- the funny thing when I look back on it is these 2 Ae Ae are the original pstems. The wrapping saved them from the cold. But each new warm season I expected them to take off and they didn't. The real reason was the pH. These guys absolutely have to see a reduced pH under 6.0. I had fed them organic nutrients and even hormones I got from Peaceful Valley. Nothing changed -- same slow growth.
I see now that the gradual addition of granular sulfur got one of them to kick in really fast. I mean like in 2 months the pstem caliper 1 foot from the gnd gained 2 inches. All those organics were finally able to do their thing. The other one is growing but still has a skinny pstem. With that one I'm going to dig up the whole mat and relocate it with a special hole fill I'm using now -- similar to the blueberry fill. Will see. And of course sulfur.
Dan
venturabananas
07-19-2012, 10:59 PM
Cool summer nights seem to be something they hate as much as cold winters.
Are you sure about that Harvey? Maybe it is cool, dry summer nights. They do just fine here in Ventura during summer, and we have cool summer nights. It's been in the 50's every night this summer.
bananimal
08-05-2012, 11:27 PM
Update --- 8 hands and hanging in there.:woohoonaner:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=49979&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=49979&ppuser=820)
soobak0313
08-06-2012, 01:20 PM
Whoa, 4 years?! It's a really long time!
Congrats, and I hope you would get nice fruits!
bananimal
08-06-2012, 07:59 PM
Hello Soohan --- Jal jinet-uhyo?
It took 4 years because of 2 winter's damage to the leaves -- but not the trunk. I'm in zone 9b.
Dan
d-lilly
08-06-2012, 09:19 PM
congrats! It is sooo much fun getting " the first flower" keep up the good work..:)
cincinnana
08-10-2012, 06:15 AM
I believe a cigar, glass of wine, and balloons on the mailbox are in order.
Congrats
bananimal
08-10-2012, 08:39 PM
I believe a cigar, glass of wine, and balloons on the mailbox are in order.
Congrats
Thanks for the thought ---- but ----- that's the last thing to do. The fruit thieves will be visiting and ------ then there were none! And I mean the whole plant and the pups!!!
The guy I got my first Ae Ae from, the one that croaked, had the last 2 of his plants yanked out of the ground during the night. He planted them 15 ft out from the front door. Bad idea!
cincinnana
08-11-2012, 05:43 AM
I believe a cigar, glass of wine, and balloons on the mailbox are in order.
Congrats
Let me change that post to ....I believe a cigar, glass of wine, pull the shades, install razor wire, and post a guard ......Wow!!! I had no idea people did Smash and Grabs on bananas.
Darkman
08-11-2012, 09:59 AM
You know I've heard that if you bury fish around your plants they will benefit from it.
What if you buried banana thieves would that sour the soil too much?
bananimal
08-11-2012, 12:06 PM
Let me change that post to ....I believe a cigar, glass of wine, pull the shades, install razor wire, and post a guard ......Wow!!! I had no idea people did Smash and Grabs on bananas.
Hey Mike ----- got a good laugh our of your post change. Sadly it's true. Stick something of value, rare where it's visible from the street and the first whacko so disposed will grab it first chance they get.
I want to put a rare palm in front of the house but I'm still wrestling with the idea. I mean it's a very rare palm. Haven't bought it yet but I have a good source.
Dan
RandyGHO
08-11-2012, 12:49 PM
Get you a critter camera. Then you can get a picture of them.
cincinnana
08-11-2012, 07:48 PM
I want to put a rare palm in front of the house but I'm still wrestling with the idea. I mean it's a very rare palm. Haven't bought it yet but I have a good source:08:
Dan
Walmart down the street sells claymores shaped as lawn edging...you know the red kind....just sayin !!
bananimal
08-14-2012, 10:55 AM
Thanks Mike ---- who's Bob?:ha:
harveyc
08-14-2012, 11:27 AM
Are you sure about that Harvey? Maybe it is cool, dry summer nights. They do just fine here in Ventura during summer, and we have cool summer nights. It's been in the 50's every night this summer.
The humidity at night goes up pretty good here with heavy dew in the morning except for the latest heat wave. It's in mid-day that the humidity gets low, down to 20% or lower. I noticed that I had pretty good growth going when our lows only got down to the upper 60s or low 70s but stopped when it got cooler.
Darkman
08-14-2012, 04:39 PM
BOB - Bumbling Overconfident Burglar!
Just my guess. I hope it isn't his neighbor!
bananimal
09-07-2012, 11:13 PM
Harvested the bunch.:08:
First bunch before---- ready to cut down --- FINALLY!
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50440&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50440&ppuser=820)
First bunch after---- drying out.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50438&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50438&ppuser=820)
First bunch first tasting---- making chips on the mandolin.
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=50439&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=50439&ppuser=820)
And they were good. Tasted nothing like a plantain. Good cooking banana.
RAINFOREZT
09-08-2012, 03:30 AM
Wow! Congratulations..!
So the fruits got matured in less than 58 days?! ….That’s super fast.
fertilizer for acid loving plants usually uses ammonium sulfate as the N source
potassium sulfate also decreases soil PH
I wish there were more label reading in the world.
my wife recently bought "Dishwasher Cleaner" that was nothing more than 15% citric acid
oh yeah... I was happy
venturabananas
09-08-2012, 09:37 AM
Harvested the bunch. And they were good. Tasted nothing like a plantain. Good cooking banana.
Congrats on the harvest. Agreed, they are not like a plantain. That's why I'd say this idea that there are strictly cooking bananas and strictly desert bananas is bunk. Lots fall somewhere in between. The Namwah varieties are a great example of that -- wonderful either way.
2woodensticks
09-08-2012, 10:34 AM
congrats from the west coast,strait across west coast...where did you get your AeAe??may i ask around what you might have purchased it for????what does the fruit taste like>>>more plantain or more sweet???thanks and again good on ya..
Darkman
09-08-2012, 10:54 AM
Wow! Congratulations..!
So the fruits got matured in less than 58 days?! ….That’s super fast.
That's quick!
BUT
it was that FOUR YEAR wait to bloom that's a killer! :nanadrink:
I do not understand how people can be online AND bloody ignorant.
I'm not hostile, just tired of my search results being diluted by willfully ignorant people asking the SAME question ad naseum.
Some people have a hard time just navigating a computer and they mean no frustration to others.
Many don't know about site specific searches from a second party search engine and would be uncomfortable using them. It is a very good tool especially if you open them in a second tab which again many may not know how to do that easily.
All of them are what makes this community work. If everyone searched everything and never asked any questions, repetitive or not, it would be a boring place here on the forum. The few questions asked would be technical ones that had not been asked and would not spur the interest of the casual or amateur who couldn't understand the technicality of the questions.
Often these repetitive questions lead to very good discussions and time does not stand still. What may have been gospel last year may not be so now!
The other thing maybe they just don’t have time to do research but they can push out a quick question and them come back later and hopefully get an answer.
The forum which has an excellent reputation as very friendly, would become stiff, snobby and unfriendly much like a well known Palm forum. Many lurkers will never come out of the closet if they feel they will be chastised for asking a “simple” question. Everyone, except the rare occasional person that thrives on stirring the proverbial pot, should feel welcome here.
I did not post this to be hostile and yes I too am tired of my search results being diluted. Sometimes you just have weed out a few and maybe go to page two or even three. Changing a few words in the search can also affect your search results greatly.
Personally I welcome the newbie questions as it gives me a chance to see where they are coming from and their skill level.
Just my opinion and it is not meant to offend, aggravate or P…Off anyone.
bananimal
09-12-2012, 11:40 PM
Calling on all Ae Ae growers. Need recipes for these guys when they are ripe.
Especially from you folks in Hawaii where the fruit are used ripe for cooking.
Tried several full green recipes and I was not very happy with the results.
venturabananas
09-13-2012, 12:06 PM
I've only done them sauteed in butter. They were awesome. I'm sure they'd be great as maduros. In terms of Hawaiian traditional cooking, roasted in their skins would probably be the most common way to cook them. But I'm not much of a banana chef, I prefer desert bananas.
robguz24
09-14-2012, 04:44 AM
Slice 'em, steam 'em, eat 'em with a little salt.
soobak0313
09-15-2012, 07:41 AM
Hello Soohan --- Jal jinet-uhyo?
It took 4 years because of 2 winter's damage to the leaves -- but not the trunk. I'm in zone 9b.
Dan
Reply after 1 month, :P I'm quite surprised that you know a bit of Korean(At first I thought it was just a bit of alien language)! And, I wonder how does an Ae Ae fruit taste like.
Also, I heard that bean plants can add some nitrogen to the soil - have anyone tried that to help naners live well?
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