exovetek

I have been having an issue with deformed variegation on my AEAE and a variegated 'little prince'. This issue has come and gone in the past, but never this bad. To a small degree, it adds character, but it destroys the variegation if it gets too bad. The white tissue is not elongating as the leaves emerge causing the leaves to become deformed. I have lost the variegation in one pup already. I know that there are a lot of threads about fertilizer and losing variegation, but this is different. There is obviously an environmental issue here, whether it be fertilizer, PH, lighting ect. Has anyone come across this issue and had success correcting it?

AEAE

Little Prince before and after

Mark Dragt

Great picts! I wish I had a answer for you. I have never seen leaves grow like that. I agree with you that it must be an environmental issue. The plant is missing something. Probably sunlight.

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Botanical_Bryce

Seems like every variegated variety of plant has these wierd issues. Some need more light and some less. Some nitrogen keeps them stable and others unstable. I deal with deformation with many species that are variegated even my cactus. I may not be specific to your case but I hope it lends some sort of insight.

exovetek

Thanks. I have them under 600 watts of T5 HO florescent lighting 16 hours a day, so they are getting enough light. I have also seen this happen outside once. I'm thinking it's more likely a nutrient imbalance or ph problem.

exovetek

I have noticed that light intensity effects the color of variegation in non-white variegated plants such as Dwarf NamWah, but I have never seen lighting changes make the variegated sections shrivel up like this.

Mark Dragt

Your right, that can't be the problem.

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise

Kevin2685

Wow that little prince is beautiful.

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Currently growing

Musa basjoo
Dwarf orinico
Variegated dwarf namwah
Aeae
Patupi
Veinte cohol
Musa lasiocarpa (golden lotus)
Musa velutina
Raja puri
Mekong giant
Double cavendish
Super dwarf cavendish
Truly tiny
Musa laterita
Ensete maurelli

exovetek

Well it could be too much light. 16 hours is unnatural. I changed the timers to 14 hours, re-potted with fresh potting mix and flushed out possible fertilizer buildup. I'm using the same PH buffered fertilizer that I have been, but highly diluted now. We'll see if it helps.

exovetek

This is what the mother looked like when grown outside in bright shade last summer. As you can see the leaves were much more symmetrical, even though it was slightly rootbound.

a.hulva@coxinet.net

The variegation in plants is caused by a genetic mutation usually found in nature in areas like tropical rain forests. It can be replicated by various forms of propagation. The white areas are lacking chlorophyll therefore are weaker and somewhat more sensitive than the green portion of the leaves. The Ae Ae leaves are all different from each other. The more white the less sugar is manufactured. As far as your plant is concerned, it looks like the large white areas are just shrunken possibly from the lack of chlorophyll. An all white Manini has a very short life cycle. Your plant looks beautiful to me. You should be proud to have such a fine plant. If you're disappointed in your Manini, I would be glad to take it off your hands. All the above is based on limited research. Quit worrying and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Hope this helps a little.

exovetek

Thanks. I am familiar with the characteristics of chimera variegation, and not disappointed in my Manini. I was only showing the Manini to demonstrate that this as of yet undocumented abnormality is not unique to the 'little prince'. however if I don't correct the issue, the 'little prince' will completely lose it's variegation. Unlike the common Manini, the variegated 'little prince' can not be replaced. Also, to avoid any confusion please note that only the first photo is of a Manini, the others are the 'little prince'.

varig8

This problem isnt an unusual one with variegated plants, but it isnt chronic. The distorted tissue is caused by the rate of growth between the normal green tissue with chlorophyll and the mutant tissue which lacks it. The normal tissue in some cases will grow at a much faster rate than the white tissue therefore causing it to constrict. Sorry it took me so long to offer an explanation for you!

robguz24

Boron deficiency? That's what it is when mine do that. Can be fixed with a very small amount of Borax.

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saxybill1

Your response to the issue makes a lot of sense to me. With this explanation, it appears that very little can be done since you do not have a lighting issue.

exovetek

Thanks, a nutrient deficiency is what I first thought, only I was thinking calcium so I added dolomite lime. Then I invested in a pH meter and found that this was counter productive since it raised the pH too much which would lockout boron absorption. I flushed out the soil and started fertigation with a dilute pH buffered hydroponic solution. I think I'm seeing improvement, but it's hard to tell just yet.

exovetek

Thanks. I have seen this come and go in the past on a 'florida'. As I recall, the only difference at the time was that it was directly under a porch light that sometimes stayed on all night. This lead me to an interesting theory. Since chlorophyll deficient tissue does not photosynthesize, it must rely on the green tissue for energy for growth. So during the day, the green tissue grows faster and at night the white cells have to catch up. If the day-length is too short due to artificial lighting, the green tissue will outgrow the white.

I'm going to try an experiment. I will obtain two similar manini. I will isolate them in a dark box and give one 8hrs/day of light and the other 20 and see what happens.