Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Hey Everyone,

I had the opportunity this past winter to grab some ae ae's when I was visiting my parents in S. Fl. this winter. I do have a question on them since I really haven't seen to many pictures of big ones.

The plants where potted in seven gal containers and spent a month and a half in Florida at my parents place before I dragged them back here to Massachusetts. By the way they've been in my greenhouse ever since they got back so the temps haven't really been to different for them.

Anyways to get on to my question, the biggest one of the two has really grown a ton (better roots) and I've noticed the leaves are not as variegated as they used to be. Is this something that happens as they get more mature? The plant is extremely vigorous and healthy so It's not that.

As you'll see in the pictures the smaller one 5'+ plus planted height is way more colorful. That one did always have more white in it and it would burn in the sun in Fla. (Jupiter area)

I'm not sure if someone told me this or I dreamed it, does epsom salt help with the variegation? LOL! The plants are fertilized with a premium slow release fert. with all the goodies.

Thanks for any thoughts advice, enjoy the pictures.

The door opening is 8 feet for scale, and the big guy is in a 20 gal squat pot.











Here's pictures of the smaller more colorful one. I'm under the impression they both came from the same mother plant.







Here's a couple of shots from 2 weeks ago.







Thanks for looking everyone and sorry I haven't posted in awhile I started a little tropical nursery at my home so I've been crazy busy.

Bill

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Thanks Tony, I won't give it any fertilizer for the rest of the year and I'll try and pick out the slow release pellets.

Bill

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Beautiful pics Bill, I just got your msg., I'd love to come down and pick your brain some time. I make a monthly pilgrimage to Yankee Spirits, maybe on one of those trips I could swing by.

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

I don't know if i'm buying this. If you're treating the plants identical, then shouldn't they both be loosing variegation if it was the fertilizer being used? I think some plants are just more prone to reverting than others.
I'bve always fertilized my asae just like the others and no problems yet.

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Ray,
It's funny you mention Yankee, I can see it out my window. LOL!

Thanks Sandy,
Like I said the bigger one never was as white anyways so that's most likely the case. I did use the same treatment on the smaller one so I hear what your saying. They should both be good on the fert. anyways so I'll lay off and see what happens.

Bill

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Most plant variegates are Somatic mutations, (or "sports"). A smaller % are genetic variegates. Genetic vars will come true from cuttings, seeds, etc. They are clones of each other. Aeae is a Somatic var. Each plant differs entirely from the next and they are not stable, and if the particular somatic variegated plant produces seed , only a small % may germinate some variegated offspring . They can easily revert back to normal green if a particular plant has a small percentage of the mutant tissue in the meristem. Sometimes you will get all white suckers which will eventually die from lack of any chlorophyll. Sometimes they will produce all green suckers, and of course a % of variegated ones. (This is the problem with trying to TC AeAe as you get the same results), and also why it is still, after all these years on the high end of cost-you dont always get variegated suckers from them so the amount they produce is minimal, in some cases. If you get a good one with very even variegation, chances are most of the suckers will be close enough. It is all dependent on the amount of mutant tissue in that particular plant and WHERE that mutant tissue is located in the meristem or corm as it produces individual leaves or suckers. Personally I dont believe fertilizing has anything to do with it at all. How can fertilizer change the degree of mutation that a plant has? I have had plenty of growers tell me that "you can fertilize the variegation right out of the plant" and I have never seen this happen and think its BS.

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

It looks fine to me.

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Don't believe evrything you read

When fertilizing variegated plants…. | TipIsland

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

LOL Thanks for the links! I read them all. And these are supposed to be plant "experts"????? See what I mean? The only one that made any sense was the DaveS Garden link;
"Well, you can fertilize all you want, but the very nature of variegation is not controlled or influenced by fertilizer. Variegation is caused by an unknown mutation that switches a plant cells ability to produce chlorophyl on and off. Exactly how it works in unknown, but one thing is for sure: You can't force a cell to suddenly start producing chlorophyl if it's been programmed not to. And vice versa. Believe me, if there was a way to control variegation manually, someone would have found it by now ... and made a fortune.
It's most likely that the unknown mechanism that controls chlorophyl production in your pup suddenly turned itself off, thereby producing all-white new leaves instead of green and white leaves lower down. This happens often on unstable variegated plants. Side branches on non-bananas may turn out all white, mixed white and green, or all green. It's all up to the mysterious mechanism that controls variegation.
Best advice is to watch the pup. If it keeps putting out all-white leaves, I'd remove it and give the mother a chance to produce a more stable green and white pup. Since bananas won't product side shoots off an existing pup, you have no choice but to remove it. Otherwise, on non-bananas, you can cut the stem back to a point that's producing green and white leaves, and hope for the best.
Be thankful too for the fact that you can easily grow Ae-Ae and have it produce pups for you. That remains a dream for those of us farther north."

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Thanks for all the great info Varig8

:bananas_b

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

I thought acidic soil was necessary to maintain the variegation in Ae Ae.

http://www.bananas.org/f2/whats-bloo...s-11555-7.html

http://www.bananas.org/f2/before-you...nana-4938.html

http://www.bananas.org/f2/new-aeae-l...ging-7712.html

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

I think that's the whole problem with aeae is that no one really knows what made them variegated to start with--and what keeps them variegated. It's got to be something inside the plant itself. Like in hostas, there are many mutations and varients even within the same cultivar of plant. But you can't take a green variety and make it variegated with fertilizer. (if I'm wrong, please tell me how, we have lots of green ones at our greenhouse...lol...)
Didn't the aeae originally come from Hawaii? Whatever the soil conditions and weather conditons are like there, then that's probably what they like best. No place like home!
I also have some variegated alocasia gageanas, and sometimes they'll theow two or three non-variegated leaves in a row and you'd swear they're reverting. Then the next 2-3 will be spashy as can be. Maybe when the plant is not so happy and feels it needs more food, it throws out some leaves that have more green and can feed it more because of more chlorophyll. Then when it's "full" it throws more variegation. If that's the case, then less fertilizer is the worst you can do!
Anyway, in a few years someone will probably have this all nailed down and know exactly what to do, and they'll be tissue cultured and just as cheap as everything else. So those of us that have aeae need to be enjoying being different and special in the short time we have remaining to have them when everyone else doesn't have them yet....lol...

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Thanks Again Everyone!

I read through all the different threads and I feel much more comfortable/knowledgeable then before at least. The newest leaf looks more variegated so it seems for now to be one of natures wonders. I did water it at night the other day instead of morning, maybe that was it. LOL

Sandy,

Trust me I'm very fortunate to have the two I got, and kinda hope they stay on the more rare side. Wink

Bill

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Interesting how much your big Ae Ae is stretching out between
each leaf...it's putting on quite a bit of height with each new leaf.

Time for a second story on you g-house!:nanadrink:

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Jim,

It really is crazy watching this nana grow! The bigger one puts out 4-5 leaves to one on the smaller one.

It broke the last leaf as it pushed against the ceiling in the greenhouse. I think your right a second floor would be ideal. Lol

To bad it has to come out of the gh because it's growing so well, it should be warm enough outside for it to grow good too.

Thanks,
Bill

Re: Musa AE AE pictures & question
 

Bill

Those Ae Ae took off!

Random question..

Are the plants in different spots? As in one is getting more light then the other? I know some of my variegated plants loose the colour when they get too much sunlight, like my arrowroot and Schefflera.....

Not sure if Banana and other plant variegation is different, but just something that popped up in my head..