I really smell a rotten banana concerning this seller of AeAe seed on Ebay. 1st of all, it is possible to cross pollinate bananas, but, you MIGHT get 2 or 3 seed in the entire head-not a hand-but the whole head of bananas. Running auctions for '15 FRESH seed' for over a year is statistically ridiculous even if you did manage to pollinate the flowers.Those supposed bananas must have been loaded with seed and virtually no pulp! Ive emailed and asked for photos of the germinated seedlings as he boasts in his description that he germinates over 67.5% VARIEGATED seedlings. Makes you wonder why he does'nt sell these variegated seedlings along with the seed? I offered to buy any he had. My email was ignored and there was no reply. The seed in the description is also advertised as being 'XL marble sized', I did buy some a year ago just to see what I received and if they would sprout. I was really expecting to get 15 ensete seed-(I was suspicious from the beginning but could'nt help myself!), instead I received very small musa seed, the size of most ornata or velutina seed. Nothing has germinated in almost a year. If you scarify them and soak them in water they will usually sprout within 2 weeks. I scarified half with no success. I emailed again and asked for a refund as the description guaranteed germination (Not variegated seedlings) The seller told me to send them back for a refund........Id have to sift the dirt in the 3 gal pot and hope they havent rotted away! Thank God I didnt pay more than $15 for them. Now the same seller is selling 'variegated' seed from Cycas Revoluta! Of course, they arent guaranteed to sprout variegated seedlings......Pass the word to anyone you know that have an interest in these seed-dont bother. It really irks me that there are sellers like this out there, but, what comes around, goes around! Now as for AeAe and variations on sucker coloration and amounts of variegation in them; AeAe is a somatic variegate as opposed to a genetic variegate- (a 'sport'or chimera). Genetic variegates are stable and come true from seed and can easily be tissue cultured. In AeAe the amount of variegation in each plant depends on; #1. How much mutant tissue is in the apical meristem, and #2. Where that mutant tissue is in the apical meristem when a sucker is developing in the corm. This mutant tissue moves and revolves around the apical meristem. Some AeAe have LOTS of white, some have a little with shades of different greens and greys.Some AeAe are completely green. They are ALL still AeAe. When the AeAe produces suckers, they will oftentimes produce pure white suckers, which die right away if removed, or languish while feeding off the mother until it eventually dies. It will also send up some normal green suckers, and then you'll get a few nice evenly proportioned variegated suckers. This is the reason they remain expensive. The better variegated plant you start with, the better chance you have at getting more variegated suckers, as this plant will have more mutant tissue in it's apical meristem. I have seen photos of another variegated AeAe with really pink petioles and pink trunk from a collector in Thailand. He called it Musa Aeae cv. 'Florida', apparently there is another chimera of AeAe or perhaps another variegated Musa altogether.In the photo it did look much more slender than AeAe, although I have seen pink petioles on AeAe when grown in full sun. Who knows?

Here's what you do: - Soak the seeds for 24 hrs - Use an electric propogator/ or find a way that makes the temp. 50-60 degrees F at night and 80-95 degrees day - plant the seeds in a sealed container with sterile soil-mix, moist but not wet - wait about 3-4 weeks - pick out your seeds with roots and grow them in a small container. - pot on as it grows Treat your velutina as you would most bananas, lots of sun, high temps, and loads of fert and water in the growing season. Cooler and drier in the resting-season (beginning of november-end of february) Velutina is also an "early bloomer", and I have heard it can bloom in the second year from seed. Good luck! Erlend

Thanks for the advice, I'm definitely going to pot them for the transport. I'll go buy containers if necessary. I've found those plastic storage bins you can get at the dollar store works real well for large planters. I do have a couple that are going to be tough. One Magnolia I put out last year is now over 8 ft tall. It's skinny but has really grown like crazy and one of my Bananas is as tall as the gutters on the house. Butterfly4u, thanks for the offer but I'm over in Lancaster county and going to Sumter county. I've also got a great guy who helps with the tilling and maintains my lawn for me. I've already told him to plan on spending a few days with me. Should I wait until things go more dormant in the fall? I'm thinking if the weather is cooler, that may be easier on the plants. And they are all going. The property is being sold for a commercial interest and after we have moved out, the house will be sold and moved off the property and it will be incorporated into their commercial plans.

Just plant it and let it go! Although I would wait til next Spring to plant it, so it can get the best start and benefit from a long growing season. Musa velutina and Musa laterita, the "Bronze" banana, as well as some of the other ornamental bananas, are programmed to grow fast, bloom, and set seed like any other annual flower in order to self propagate themselves though seed. After they bloom the whole tree will die but it will be replaced with seedlings and suckers until you have a nice stand. My velutina rarely get over 6-7 feet tall, but my laterita get 8-12 ft tall.