Ae Ae culture

Q.   I'm interested in trying to grow the beautiful exotic Ae Ae banana in the Central Valley of California (near Sacramento) which has hot dry summers and freezing temperatures in the winter (USDA zone 9). I can provide some frost protection, but am wondering if the dry summer weather would be even more of a challenge. Do I have a reasonable chance for success in growing Ae Ae? If so, suggestions or cultural tips would be greatly appreciated. Harvey
A.     Most Ae Ae growers that have been successful in conditions like yours have large green houses.They wind up spending more money then the normal grower would care to spend. One evening of a light frost would brown all of the leaves. If it was well established it might survive one or two nights. If the plant survived and was near flowering condition, when it started to grow it would not have enough leaves to regain vigor and the fruit would not have the energy to mature. Dry weather would be deadly. Find some banana growers near you and see what is surviving. The Ae Ae is spectacular and so are tulips, but I will not try to grow tulips in south Florida.
The Ae Ae album

March 1 2008

Q. Hello I do have a question about the musa AeAe. In a few days I will become a AeAe, a dream comes true.. I want to take care of it very well and enjoy it for a very very long time...My question is can you tell me something about how to take care? From other Aeae owners I heard that it needs special ground with PH from 6 or lower? Kind regards esther (Netherlands)

A. My knowledge comes from growing in a naturally warm area. I grow in full sun and my soil is mainly sandy and alkaline. I would say that you should keep your pup warm in as bright a place that is possible. If you could send me a picture of your pup I can post it here and then we can all watch it grow. Maybe you can help people in temperate areas. But I can warn you on one thing - starting a pup is difficult for most people. I would never start a pup in cold weather. I hope the the plant that you get is already established in a pot.

Esther sent two pictures June 29 08. It doesn't get any better then this.

Q. What causes the holes on these leaves?

A. Send an answer if you know what this might be.

July 9 09

Q. Hello, I have recently gotten an Ae Ae banana plant and have some questions. Expensive little sucker and one of my favorite plants so I don't want to kill it!!! When I got it all of the ones at the nursery had some brownish spots on the leaves and I was told they thought they had been in too much sun. I have put mine in a place where it gets some shade but about 3 hours of full sun a day. It also had some spider mites on the lower small leaves which I have been washing off daily and I think they are gone. It is growing well I think - producing a new leaf every few days - but they are still getting the brown spotting although maybe not quite as much. It begins on the outer edge and is only in the white parts of the leaf. This plant is growing in a 3 gallon pot and I put some coffee grounds on it as they instructed me to when I got it. I have had it for 2 weeks today and it is a bit over a foot tall and has grown 3 new leaves. Also seems to be a pup coming but it is only 1 inch tall so I'm not positive yet.
Hopefully I have given you enough info. Would really like to stop the browning on the leaves.
Thanks for your help,
Suzanne

A. More then 40 years ago a friend in Miami Beach gave me an Ae Ae pup. He had the original plant for 4 or 5 years. He grew it in a green house that was 10ft by 10ft and 15ft tall. It looked like big box. It was covered with shade screen. It didn't look very good, but the Ae Ae looked great. The ground in the garden was acidic sand from Palm Beach county (I think it was 50 truck loads).

I have always grown my Ae Ae in alkaline soil and in full sun. I had a bit more scorching of the white parts. I think that I ended up with more fruit.

I have never seen a spider mite on my bananas. But I do get spider mites sometimes on my orchids in the greenhouse. If you live in south Florida I can help you, but if your in a colder area I am not able to give you help. There are some growers along the ocean up to Georgia, a few in the southern part of California and some near the Gulf all the way to Texas .

Longwood Garden was one of the best growers of the Ae Ae in the north. But they have lost it at times and have had to get new ones. I had a friend in Coconut Grove who could grow all of his great collection of tropical plants to perfection , including the Ae Ae. After 3 or 4 years he would lose it and get a new one from Hawaii.

Home

I've been reading your posts on this wonderful idea and noticed that in one recent post, you commented that you had harvested 3 pups 5 weeks ago and only now, are they showing signs of growth. I just harvested two of my Ae Ae pups. One was a sword pup between 3 and 4 feet with beautiful variegation. It stalled for a week but is now growing but at a very slow pace. The other pup was harvested about 10 days later and is an umbrella pup about the same height. No growth yet. I have 3 more sword pups approaching 12 inches that I would like to take before the onset of winter. Thanks, Steve

Q. Is it normal for a pup to take 5 weeks to begin growing?
A. The first pup in June took 4 weeks. The next 3 pups in mid July took 5 weeks(one pup was planted directly into the garden). What surprised me was that the three pups all started fast growth at the same time.
Q. How often do you water the harvested pups and do you feed them any root stimulator or treat with a fungicide upon harvest?
A. I water only if it is really dry. Too much water might cause fungus. I have never used a root stimulator, but I did give potassium nitrate to the mother Ae Ae in May.
Q. What is the shortest height you've taken a pup?
A. I like the sword pup to have some small leaves and the usually at 2 to 4 feet. I would not take a pup this late in the season because I want them to have hot weather for at least two months..
Remember that all of your Ae Ae's must be in good condition when cool weather begins.

Sept. 6 2008

Q. What do you do if a hurricane is coming. We have had one close one and now Ike looks bad.
David Key Largo Fl.

A. Trim the leaves and the plants will have a better chance of not falling over.

Trimming the leaves started

Trimming the leaves finished

The flower bud appeared the day before I trimmed the leaves.

The bud would take too much from the mother and pups would have a hard time forming. Now I have a chance to get a few pups for next year.