kcj1219

That's good to know.

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KJ

Going Bananas

Im still hoping this Florida Hill Nursery tc
is a true Mona Lisa.
The wine splotches according to this thread is
a cavendish variety trademark of AAA genes.
MLs have both Williams and SH3393.

Going Bananas

FHN MonaLisa update with pics taken today.
This is a month after the previous post.
This one produces alot of leaves and hangs on
to the leaves for the longest time.
This pic shows 10 very dark green leaves that
easily gets sunburned when its still unfurled.

Anyone on here grown a real Mona Lisa?

venturabananas

I'm pretty sure I have the real Mona Lisa (FHIA-02), obtained from Going Bananas. It's fruited only once, but seems to match the description of this variety.

It has never had such heavy wine blotches as your plant does. That, and the fact yours is from FHN, makes me think you have something else.

The supposed FHIA-18 I got from FHN turned out to either be a very short Mahoi or a Super Dwarf Cavendish that is producing a double bloom as a result of damage by aphids. The "Kluai Khai" from FHN turned out to be a tall Pome. So neither were remotely similar to what I ordered. I'd view purchasing any banana from him as purchasing "banana plants: assorted varieties and you won't be told what they actually are".

But it's pretty hard to know what you got until it flowers, and even then it might be tricky.

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Going Bananas

So true!
When I discovered this old thread I thought
it would help me in identifying this tc.
Does your ML sunburn as well?

I have it exposed to east facing morning light
and the sunburn is only on the exposed unfurled new leaf.
Eventually when it unfurls and opens, a burn scar
is imprinted on the leaf.
The unfurled leaf also likes to grow within
the petiole groove of the previous leaf.
Thats why on the previous pics, you have the
new/unfurled leaf curvy and bent.

VB thanks again.
I sure hope its the real McCoy!

Going Bananas

The more often we have this thread on the current topic list,
the more of an advisory warning to new members
before ordering tc from alot of the online retailers.
I was unfortunate to have read the topic
only after I placed the order.
As you said, its a crapshoot when you order from them.
Unless you find researching and looking thru
members photos amusing and take a liking
to being a Sherlock Holmes.

venturabananas

It's not especially noticeable on ML, but many varieties do this if you push their growth with lots of fertilizer. My understanding is that it is caused by micronutrient deficiency because even though you might have sufficient micronutrients in your soil, these micros are moved more slowly by the plant than the macronutrients, so you end up with leaves too low in calcium and/or boron. Or something like that.

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Going Bananas

I used Miracle Grow potting soil so possibly with excess fertilizer,
the unfurled new leaf shows that characteristic.
The wine splotches eventually fade out
after the 5th new leaf.
It is totally drk green on the 6th leaf.

Thanx.