Bananas

Well that's answered several questions that I had about my E. maurellii. This winter was so mild that it barely needed it's overcoat. I cut the leaves off and left the 3' diameter stem at 4' high, but when it was unwrapped and started to put out new leaves, I did wonder if the old leaf sheaths were constricting the new growth? I've tidied them up but will leave them in place if the plant needs them. Thanks, guys

 

Pete - its difficult to find any information on this. I always assumed that Ensete was easy to go dormant as you say and Musa was not. But I was intrigued by all the Musa accuminata bare corms on sale in Madeira. As mine is currently growing roots, it means that they must go dormant (to produce all the corms on sale) and then must regrow as mine is doing.

I registered on a banana forum ages ago and never visited it since - I think I will have to ask them.

 

Planted out my two musa sikkimensis i got last year as tiny pups they are a good 4/5 foot now so planted them out today hope they put on some good size this year

 

Which are the sikkimensis Richard? Surely not the very tall ones - are they basjoo? And how did you overwinter the basjoo? I have a couple a bit smaller and am not sure what to do with them.

 

my Sikkimensis clump have been outside for four years now - didnt do anything last year as it was cold & windy pretty much all year here, but this year is looking promising..

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Not bad for a handful of seed from ebay.. so actually could be anything ..

 

Hey Peters sory they are right at the back agains the trellis one at the very end on the left and one at the side of the maple and the bird feeder they are red striped leaves
Yes the main clump are bajoos I have been protecting them at winter the last three year started with one pup about 10 inch tall I feed often and water often too

 

Very well done from seed I tryed twice and got nothing
I'm in shore of they are sikkimensis I would of thought they look more like basjoo to me from the shape of the leaf and colours musa sikkimensis

 

A bit better photos of them

 

I grew M. sikkimensis from seed a few years ago, they had red markings in year one, but went totally green in year two.
Seems like yesterday, but was actually 9 yrs ago.
Some old pics.

 

I really want them to flower ... maybe this year ... but I dont see mine producing such .. big .. bananas ..

 

Yeah they grew with labels already on them that year.

 

How old was it when it flowered Pete did you dig up or protect like a basjoo over winter

 

Ive never dug mine up - at the end of the year they get a good 2" of compost at the roots, fleece around the stem & a bubble wrap windbreak to keep the worst of the wind & rain off - probably not enough to get thru a drawn out cold winter (2010 ?) but been fine for the last few years ; I do seem to lose the odd pup but I think that the damp does them in - they dont half pong when they start to rot..

 

Might put mine in the ground then nick I put them in 40 ltr pots so I could pull the pot out and stick them in the green house over winter but think stuff dose better in the ground with a bit of compost to help it on the way

 

Cant remember for sure, but I think it was year three.
They didn't pup anything like Basjoos do, so put all their energy into the main stem.

They stayed outside with protection, but we were having mild winters back then, before the big freezes of 2009,2010,2011.