jet123

What is the best variegated banana to grow? Eventually I hope to get one, although they are very expensive, so it may be a while. Any tips on growing them?

Musa777

It´s depending on what is important for you.
In my mind Musa "AEAE" has the nicest coloration but it´s also most difficult to care in winter when you don´t live in tropical climate.
Musa Tanee variegated has big differences in variegation. Some are really beauties but others look quiete normal. Overwintering indoors is much easier. It does not need that high temperatures and humidity as AeAe.

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pushak513

apart from tanee and AeAe your kind of limited. I have seen other var. type come up for sale but its not often and usually and over seas import that could be DOA on arrival. good luck and if you come across any var. bajoo let me know.

jet123

An AeAe would be nice to have, but I guess after I have read your posts Tanee may be better. I love them both. They are just so expensive! The cheapest I have found them is like $100. Maybe I will just have to wait it our until I get get one for cheap. Oh and pushak513 I think there was a variegated Basjoo on eBay not to long ago. I will keep an eye out for them. Every once in a while I see something like that.

jet123

Oh and I heard that epson salts bring out the variegation more. Is this true? Any good tricks to making more white?

pushak513

controlling your PH will help keep the white..white. The lowest I have seen AeAe go for was around 80 dollars but the var. wasn't that great a really nice plant will be 100+. a friend is selling one of his pups for 125 at the moment and I would bet he gets it before to long. they just command a high price.

harveyc

Jet, you don't say where you live or what your climate is like. That makes a big difference.

I've grown Ae Ae in a greenhouse for a couple of years and then planted outside and they never did well for me here where humidity is low and summer evenings are cool. I think I killed 4 or 5 of them, paying $100 to $200 each. Pretty silly, in hindsight. Oh yeah, there was the cost of building a greenhouse with 12' sides and a 16' peak, but I use that for other things now. I have a Tanee and it isn't as pretty but still pretty nice and much better than another dead Ae Ae. Mine have overwintered outside without protection and do okay. If you're not in a warm tropical area, it's just not practical to grow Ae Ae, IMO, though Andrew has done pretty well at his place in Santa Barbara.

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jet123

Yeah, I couldn't figure out how to set the zone and things of that nature. I am in zone 8a and am in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Of course if I had variegated banana's I wouldn't have them outside in the winter, but our summers are decent. Low in humidity but I think they would be fine.

harveyc

Go you could click on "User CP" near the top of the screen and edit your profile there to include your location and zone.

I would not try growing Ae Ae even in the summer time in the Pacific Northwest. Mine did well in the greenhouse but it never did very well outdoors and it's a lot warmer where I'm at than anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. And the Ae Ae was pushed up against the 16' peak of my greenhouse ceiling so it was a beast to move outside. Tanee is much more hardy and vigorous, though not quite as pretty as an Ae Ae (unless compared to my Ae Ae which are dead).

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Magilla Gorilla

I agree with Harvey. I have also killed a few $200 AeAe's in Santa Barbara until I learned to treat them differently. My Tanee, and variegated Namwah handled the cold better. My AeAe did deal with the high 30's a few times. Now that I live in Hawaii I can see they really like this climate much better and get way more white on them. Try the easier types first. Clare in Camarillo has really nice Tanee. If you need her contact info, just let me know.

Good luck!

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Andrew

jet123

Yeah, one day I hope to move to a warmer climate. Maybe then I will be able to grow all of the variegated banana's. Like I said earlier, they are too expensive for me to buy right now so I will just wait it out. One day... One day...