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View Full Version : What's Wrong With My Ensete Maurelli?


Bama Banana
08-15-2009, 04:43 PM
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i146/joeypowell/IMG_1770.jpg

I bought this plant from Lowes a couple of years ago. It was labeled Ensete Maurelli. It was about the same size then that it is now (it does freeze back to the psuedostem in the winter).

Anyways, I have seen pics of huge Ensete Maurellis...like 15 to 20 feet tall. They even say these are supposed to get up to about 10 feet even with harsh winters.

But mine is just not growing much at all. And it doesn't have very much purple coloring (well almost none)...could that be because of full sun?

I keep it on a drip system, and I have fertilized it twice already this year.

Am I doing something wrong, or do I just have a dwarf variety or something?

LilRaverBoi
08-15-2009, 07:16 PM
You should try protecting the pseudostem during the winter so it doesn't die back to the ground and have to start over every spring. As for the coloration, if they are in full sun, they tend to have less of the maroon coloration on the leaves. Mine was very colorful till I put it outside and now it looks like yours (green with maroon midribs and outlines on the leaves). Hope that helps a bit.

Bananaman88
08-15-2009, 07:46 PM
Brian's advice is sound. I think it looks very healthy, actually; other than the fact that it doesn't have much red coloration. I always found it strange that the E. maurelli's lose their color in the sun while plants like 'Siam Ruby' need the sun to bring out their reddish color. Weird.

bananimal
08-15-2009, 07:48 PM
Bama ---- What are you doing for fertilizer?

Also, you need to remove the grass - let's say 3' diameter.

How much water does the plant get?

I have been successful this year with my first Maurelii that grew out. But my problem was mites. Also learned this guy is a water hog.

Dan

damaclese
08-16-2009, 08:44 AM
what are you feeding Maurellii are heavy feeders also they need a PH of 6 they will not color in alkaline soil just stay green they like some iron to not allot but it helps them color a bit deeper but in an of its self will not initiate coloring