bananimal

First time for me thanks to 2 consecutive winter's cold damage.



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

Congrats!

john_ny

I'ii add my cogratulations.

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John

Abnshrek

Congrat's :^)

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I'm a Nannerhead :^)

crazy banana

Awesome, congratulations. I hope for you it was well worth the patience.

FRITO

Good work! I need to add one of these to my collecton, I will soon!

Yug

Great!! Hope the fruit is ok, and that it ripens soon enough to enjoy.

Steve L

Congratulations. Hope you get lots of striped bananas.

Steve

RAINFOREZT

I am loosing varigation on the leaves. Do you have any tips from your 4 year experience?
check this thread..pls
Royal Hawaiian AeAe

bananimal

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)

RAINFOREZT

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

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

Thanks so much...l..very helpful..So I will look for fertilizer for acid loving plants.

Bananaman88

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

From Darkman's Dictionary:
Grass: A neon green sign that says, "Bug Buffet"

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Darkman in Pensacola

AS ALWAYS IMHO AND YOUR MILEAGE MAY DIFFER!!!!!!!!

Life - Some assembly required, As is no warranty, Batteries not included, Instructions shipped separately and are frequently wrong!

Kentucky Bourbon - It may not solve the problem but it helps to make it tolerable!

Statistics - Data that analyst twist to support the insane opinions of those that pay them.

bananimal

Update --- here come the hands with stripey fingers!

Steve L

Looking good

Abnshrek

Looks like a nice pic from a ladder :^)

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bananimal

Two foot ladder + zoom.

harveyc

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.

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