Saving a banana...

Its bigger than mine John, but then it did start out bigger.
In some ways I dont want mine to get too big this year, its easier to overwinter if its still small.

The idea is to let it rip next year by planting it in the ground, then I'll buy another small one to grow on for the year after.
Once they get too heavy I find overwintering too much bother these days.

I see you still haven't got that spade dirty.

 

They have rotted on me as well John, I think they need some heat especially when smaller.
The trick, I think, is to have no moisture trapped between the leaf bases when you take it in, then really go for a min of 7c during the winter.
Last one died on me winter before last, which was mild, but my unheated garage wasn't enough for it, so I might go for just keeping it ticking over during the winter rather than dormancy.

 

Why don't you try leaving them in the ground, thickly mulched with something dry like straw or leaves? Once the leaves dry/wither, wrap in multi-layer insulation or fleece and plastic, well tied around. It works here even on heavy soil and with cold winters. The knack is unwrapping it early enough in Spring but being prepared to re-cover during late, rogue frosts. I find all 'tender' plants much easier to overwinter in the ground. They find their own moisture requirements!

 

I know you say you get some hard frosts during the winter, but when I see what you can grow there and what is possible here there seems to be a difference.

Id be interested in what kind of insulation you use.
I assume winter is shorter, possibly dryer if frosty, summer definitely hotter and more reliable finishes later and starts earlier, winter sun is warmer.

Pretty much the same difference as there is between southern England and Scotland winter wise.

 

There's no 'set' winter, honestly! Sometimes very wet and milder, sometimes -7 or -8C in November, January or February. But the dry mulch deals with most conditions. We lined the roof with a proprietary multilayer insulation made up of fleece and foil. 17 layers. I use some leftovers to wrap the Ensete, over a double layer of dry fleece. Mice are more of a risk than cold! Spring is more tricky than winter. As you know, late, prolonged frosts alternating with warm spells are difficult to manage. But so is overwintering in pots! Swings and roundabouts too re. terrain. The slope helps as frost drains down but an exposed garden in the countryside is less sheltered than a town garden.

 

am thinking of getting one of these. are they fairly easy to look after?

 

Easier just to grow the Basjoo. .? Cold hardy,loads of pups,can flower too.

 

.... Googles Basjoo ....

 

Musa basjoo is the hardiest of the musa s.
The red leaved plants are Ensete ventricolosum Marellii, hope I spelt that right.

 

I may try this perhaps next year when hopefully this one is bigger and established.
Does the insulation get soggy, surely the wet gets in the cut ends of the foil insulation.
It's not cheap stuff either, but guessing you can only buy a roll of it.

 

You can tape the edges of the insulation with sticky foil tape, it does prolong the life and stops creatures nesting in the layers I believe Lidl sell the tape. After wrapping the 'trunk' in fleece, I roll a sheet of insulation round it, tie it in place, then put a 'lid' over the top and tie that too. It's water and wind proof. I suppose you could just construct a sort of teepee, taped together at the top, but not quite so guaranteed to be waterproof.
If you compare the price of a roll of insulation with the price of replacing plants, it soon pays for itself!
The mulch takes care of the roots. These ensetes really are hardier than most people give them credit for. As with so many borderline plants, it's wet and cold that kill them.
I unwrapped mine too early this year, given the lousy, wet, cold spring. It got frosted and lost most of it's roots, but the trunk and basal plate were still OK. It soon put out new roots when potted up.

 

I think the big problem would be getting the plant dry before wrapping.
Water lodges in the leaf stalks.

Tend to leave it to the last minute really, and by late October you cant dry anything out in most years.
Plus I assume the cut leaf stalks to be oozing for a while after cutting off.

 

Mine was £13 from fb market place, its only made the size of yours @pete so I think il pot mine and leave it in the outhouse over winter