A couple of banana plant queries :)

Hello

I stumbled across this forum whilst looking for answers for my banana plant queries, and thought I'd join, and get knowledge from UK growers

I live in Torbay, South Devon and winters are very mild here (last year it didn't get chilly till the end of December, and we only very rarely get a light frost)
I have a 6ft Basjoo and a mature Lasiocarpa, both in pots which live outside all year round, and have just bought two Ventricosum Maurelii which are approx 12-15" tall

My queries are:

* Are the Ventricosum as hardy and I can also leave them out over winter?

* A couple of days after the ventricosum arrived, two leaves went bright yellow. Is that shock, or underwatering at fault? (I shall be potting it up tomorrow)

* I'd like to add to my banana collection and would like to know which are the most wind resistant? I can see the ventricosum has a thicker leaf than the Basjoo that shreds easily. Can you recommend any others please?

* Oh and can the Lasiocarpa plant be divided in two? It has four main 'trunks' and I wondered if the plant could be split without killing it?

Thanks for taking the time to read my questions, and I look forward to receiving any advice

Many thanks
Tara

 

Hello Tara, Lucky you with a climate like that! I can't answer all your questions as I only grow one E.v.maurelii, but M. basjoo grows and fruits planted outside here in SW France.
The average winter low is -8C, with the occasional humdinger down to -17C. I wrap the pseudostem of the Ensete in fleece, then give it an overcoat of foil/fleece layered roofing insulation, with a thick mulch of whatever dry, shredded material I can get hold of. It has survived three winters like that. The leaves do shred in the slightest wind, though.
I find the dangerous time is not winter, but Spring. Judging when to uncover, preventing the banana from getting too wet at the roots....if you're planning to keep your bananas in pots you'll have a lot more control over factors like that. No doubt @pete and @PeterS will be along to offer much more comprehensive advice soon!

 

Thanks for your reply
I guess we are lucky here as I don't take any precautions with the tropical plants and there's a good few gardens around here with huge basjoo's in their front gardens. I just really dislike the torn leaves. Last year my geraniums and fuschias were still in flower in mid November - quite weird really, but nice!

We had a weird freak summer windstorm here last week with 65mph gales for a couple of hours, and my poor basjoo was battered about a bit. It really must be the most delicate leaved variety, but I do love them

 

Yes I find basjoo does shred very easily, ensetes are less likely to as is Lasiocarpa.

I dont actually mind a bit of shredding, think it looks slightly more tropical , but gales do make basjoo look rubbish.

Lasoicarpa can be split, although I'd do it in the spring, it tends to pup far too much for my liking.
I've never left an Ensete outside all winter, I dont think it would make it unprotected in my area, it really needs to be pretty much frost free.
They survive slight frost in a greenhouse, but that is with fairly dry roots, rot is probably the biggest enemy at low temps.
I've not tried @noisette47 method of over wintering, so might give it a go this year.

 

Do you want me to post you a roll of insulation, @pete?
It's sooo in the lap of the Gods, @Tara100.....The winters are a bit more predictable in UK, but it's crazily variable here. Mustn't grumble...I can't complain that it's boring
I agree with pete that wet is far more of an enemy than cold, but that goes for so many borderline plants like dahlias, cannas, hedychiums, callas, amaryllis etc. Even in the Midlands I overwintered all those in the ground with a decent mulch and it was far less hassle as well as being much more successful than potting up.
I don't think any banana is immune to shredding unless you can give it a spot sheltered from all directions!

 

You have my adress .
No, I think I know the stuff you mean, its in a foil coating, so stops the actual insulation inside from getting wet and soggy.

 

Hi Tara,and a warm welcome to the forum. Do you know Hill House nursery at Landscove (have a Google). You might well have bought yours from there. They will have experience of Maurelii's hardiness, but I should think they are colder than you, and I am pretty sure they don't overwinter any outside.

I live in North Yorkshire and nothing is hardy here - though some trees keep going . So I overwinter things indoors. My only experience of bananas is in propagating Maurelii - which is very easy. see http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/bananas.55088/

I am currently trying to grow (again) a Dwarf Cavendish - the edible fruit plant. But I understand it is rather less hardy than others - and for me the most difficult to overwinter. One, that might be a bit of fun, is Musa velutina, which bears small pink bananas. But I think that would need overwintering under glass - but I gather it doesn't get very big.

As Pete and Noisette said, the biggest problem with bananas seems to be when they get too wet over the winter, even indoors. They may still have foliage, but they are dormant under about 10C and therefore require essentially no water, and easily rot if kept wet.

 

http://www.castorama.fr/store/Isolant-mince-multicouche-21-ITR-prod10890011.html
That's the stuff.....we put it under the clay tiles on the roof and it's amazing how cool the house stays during summer! Anything really precious and vulnerable gets a winter overcoat The knack is to make a cone and put a 'hat' on it, so water runs off. And to take it off during hot Spring days, otherwise it's stewed banana leaves for lunch I'd post the latest photo of the maurelii flower, but it hasn't changed Gave it a good soak yesterday to try to stave off the inevitable.....

 

I shall pop into Wickes and ask for some
Isolant mince multicouche 21 ITR

And watch their expressions

 

What i great idea,Thanks i will give it a try,ive never managed to over winter one yet so itl save me digging them up and trying
Ive got a roll of roof insulation but not foiled....if i use bacofoil to wrap over it will that have the same effect ?

 

I'm thinking the insulation has to be encapsulated otherwise it will get soaked, get heavy and rot the plants.

 

Thank you folks for the replies!

 

Hi joolzs, the stuff I use is open at the edges so I get cheapie foil tape from Lidl to seal the edges, then make the cone and top. Love pete's 'encapsulated' though what a way with words that man's got!
I'm sure the multi-layer insulation must be available in UK and it would be a lot less faff than trying to encapsulate ordinary insulation!

 

Oops, sorry Tara for hi-jacking your thread Frankly, with a practically frost-free climate, you're home and dry! Say a prayer for us poor souls that get frosted!

 

Hi there

Yes I have been to Hill House Nursery, just the once a few years ago. It's about 15 miles away from me. I didn't realise they sold that type of plant! I bought my tall one at a car boot sale, a few years ago and had no idea what it was. It was about 3 inches tall then
I must pop over to Hill House again and see what they have.
My basjoo must be tough as old boots as it chucks it down with rain all winter, year after year and it is happy. I don't feed it either, ha ha.

Can you recommend any more narnas to buy as I love them