fertilizer for musa Aeae

marenmar · 05-17-2009, 01:56 PM

Hi guys,

what fertilizer would you recommend for an aeae/variegated musa florida?
(nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium known shorthand as N-P-K)?

I do'n't know anything about this besides that potassium will turn the leaves green. Right now I do not feed the musa any fertilizer.

Grtz Marguerite

chong · 05-17-2009, 05:32 PM

It's not the Potassium that turns the leaves green. It's the Nitrogen. You may have read that Potassium-Nitrate can help to get an all white Ae'-Ae to produce more green. Here are links that discuss issues with Ae'-Ae:
My Ae Ae's Brother

AE-AE Anyway to green up variegation? - Banana Forum - GardenWeb

marenmar · 05-18-2009, 02:22 PM

Thanks Chong, really good answer

. You are right, I have read about the potassium-nitrate without knowing it was the nitrogen turning the leaves green!!!!

My musa's leaves are green. They just got a bit greener and I was wondering how to feed the musa without turning the leaves greener/without losing the variegation. Is that possible? How?

chong · 05-18-2009, 02:49 PM

Try just regular banana fertilizer that has an NPK ratio 3-1-6, or, 3-2-6. A Chrysanthemum fertilizer mix is usually close to this. I would also think that regular rich compost will help. You can also move it to an area with less light, just do it slowly and not drastically. I would recommend that you keep the temperature to at least 68°F (20°C).

sandy0225 · 06-30-2009, 09:02 PM

I've found that my ae ae does well with the 24-8-16 that I use on everything else. It's not making it get any greener. As a matter of fact the new leaf is about 40 percent white. Also I've found that they can easily take temps down to 50, especially in the winter in my greenhouse with no problems. They don't grow, but it doesn't seem to damage it one bit.
I would think that it would be like any other variegated plant and need more light to stay more variegated. But I have noticed that in too much light the white areas tend to burn, so if it burns a little on the white, just move it back into a little more shade. Mine's in full morning sun, afternoon shade, in Indiana, if that helps give you a location idea.

damaclese · 07-01-2009, 09:21 AM

my Ae Ae started to produce leafs with a grate deal more white on them this last winter. After observing it for several months i noted that in general it started to weaken. So i dosed it with firt. in fairly high concentrations. I spread this out over several months and it reverted to almost all green leafs with less than 5% white. I noted that the leaf structure became much more robust changing from long and narrow to wide. Some times i think they can be a bit tricky but really there just like any other Musa with the exception that they seem to need a bit more N. I'm often amazed at how well its doing considering its out side in a pot its been around 106 all week. At least this is are monsoon season so we have high humidity hell to ride my bike in but lovely for the Ae Ae .

Richard · 07-01-2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandy0225

I've found that my ae ae does well with the 24-8-16 that I use on everything else.

Although the Ae Ae produces edible fruit, it is not a "production" fruit plant. I agree with Sandy that a 3:1:2 N-P-K such as the 24-8-16 is an ideal formula.

marenmar · 07-15-2009, 03:32 PM

Thanks everyone,
I haven't checked the fertilezer items for a while, but I am verry happy that you share your experience with the fertilizer&AEAE.

Marguerite

05-17-2009, 01:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
marenmar marenmar's Photo Gallery Location: x Zone: 9a/9b Name: Marmer Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 339 BananaBucks : 92,895 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 313 Times Was Thanked 290 Times in 89 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 22 Times	fertilizer for musa Aeae Hi guys, what fertilizer would you recommend for an aeae/variegated musa florida? (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium known shorthand as N-P-K)? I do'n't know anything about this besides that potassium will turn the leaves green. Right now I do not feed the musa any fertilizer. Grtz Marguerite

05-17-2009, 05:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
chong Senior Member chong's Photo Gallery Location: Seattle, WA Find me on the map! Zone: 8-9 Name: Chong Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,851 BananaBucks : 124,513 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,309 Times Was Thanked 1,702 Times in 759 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 991 Times	Re: fertilizer for musa Aeae It's not the Potassium that turns the leaves green. It's the Nitrogen. You may have read that Potassium-Nitrate can help to get an all white Ae'-Ae to produce more green. Here are links that discuss issues with Ae'-Ae: My Ae Ae's Brother AE-AE Anyway to green up variegation? - Banana Forum - GardenWeb

05-18-2009, 02:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
marenmar marenmar's Photo Gallery Location: x Zone: 9a/9b Name: Marmer Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 339 BananaBucks : 92,895 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 313 Times Was Thanked 290 Times in 89 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 22 Times	Re: fertilizer for musa Aeae Thanks Chong, really good answer . You are right, I have read about the potassium-nitrate without knowing it was the nitrogen turning the leaves green!!!! My musa's leaves are green. They just got a bit greener and I was wondering how to feed the musa without turning the leaves greener/without losing the variegation. Is that possible? How?

05-18-2009, 02:49 PM	#4 (permalink)
chong Senior Member chong's Photo Gallery Location: Seattle, WA Find me on the map! Zone: 8-9 Name: Chong Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,851 BananaBucks : 124,513 Feedback: 6 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,309 Times Was Thanked 1,702 Times in 759 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 991 Times	Re: fertilizer for musa Aeae Try just regular banana fertilizer that has an NPK ratio 3-1-6, or, 3-2-6. A Chrysanthemum fertilizer mix is usually close to this. I would also think that regular rich compost will help. You can also move it to an area with less light, just do it slowly and not drastically. I would recommend that you keep the temperature to at least 68°F (20°C).

06-30-2009, 09:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 487,577 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: fertilizer for musa Aeae I've found that my ae ae does well with the 24-8-16 that I use on everything else. It's not making it get any greener. As a matter of fact the new leaf is about 40 percent white. Also I've found that they can easily take temps down to 50, especially in the winter in my greenhouse with no problems. They don't grow, but it doesn't seem to damage it one bit. I would think that it would be like any other variegated plant and need more light to stay more variegated. But I have noticed that in too much light the white areas tend to burn, so if it burns a little on the white, just move it back into a little more shade. Mine's in full morning sun, afternoon shade, in Indiana, if that helps give you a location idea. __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

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07-01-2009, 09:21 AM	#6 (permalink)
damaclese Living in Exile damaclese's Photo Gallery Location: Henderson NV Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Mediterranean climate Name: Paulo Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,767 BananaBucks : 367,963 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,352 Times Was Thanked 1,620 Times in 706 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 101 Times	Re: fertilizer for musa Aeae my Ae Ae started to produce leafs with a grate deal more white on them this last winter. After observing it for several months i noted that in general it started to weaken. So i dosed it with firt. in fairly high concentrations. I spread this out over several months and it reverted to almost all green leafs with less than 5% white. I noted that the leaf structure became much more robust changing from long and narrow to wide. Some times i think they can be a bit tricky but really there just like any other Musa with the exception that they seem to need a bit more N. I'm often amazed at how well its doing considering its out side in a pot its been around 106 all week. At least this is are monsoon season so we have high humidity hell to ride my bike in but lovely for the Ae Ae . __________________ Helping to foster understanding for the learning disabled

07-15-2009, 03:32 PM	#8 (permalink)
marenmar marenmar's Photo Gallery Location: x Zone: 9a/9b Name: Marmer Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 339 BananaBucks : 92,895 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 313 Times Was Thanked 290 Times in 89 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 22 Times	Re: fertilizer for musa Aeae Thanks everyone, I haven't checked the fertilezer items for a while, but I am verry happy that you share your experience with the fertilizer&AEAE. Marguerite

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