Red Banana Plants

Many thanks to you all for this thread - very very interesting. The one Dwarf Cavendish that I bought hung on for 15 months then died over its second winter, and my seed of Musa Velutino also failed like Victorias - I put it down to not enough heat. Sal's video, and the size of that Ensete really makes me want to try again.

But what intruiges me is that it is essentially the same method as Sal's video for Colocasia.

 

One of my first thread was about the cavendish , same story managed to overwinter one year then died on the second year, what i rekon is the lack of light as the plant get bigger , I had one in my greenhouse and one indoor and both died in January .
The only reason why I use to pot both banana and colocasia in pot and not dry them is simply because in March i start to watering and end of story ...out in May
I`m really thinking to grow colocasia in pot and sink them in the soil , when winter comes full them out and in the greenhouse , the leaves of banana and colocasia where still green even after a frost of -2.

 

Sal, I will let you know how my Cavandish gets along this year ... not sure I'll have bananas ..

 

Victoria , there is a fruiting banana used in the mediterranean but can`t remember the name , it actually grow really small bananas , that you will have to ripen indoor in November . Plus I think you should try some different species as well as the cavendish , the indian mountain bananas perhaps.
while I was in Thailand I was eating some bananas , really small and the funny think they had seeds inside.

but really sweet.
seen some similar bananas in my asian store , I should pop in .

 

Our Asda store sells very small bananas like those in the exotic fruit section and occasionally some huge things too, easily twice the size of a standard one, don't know what they are??

 

the big one are Plantain and actually is the banana used to graft our modern edible banana actually used as a veg , the small one are called funny size banana and I think it an hybrid try to find out where are they coming from as new country are producing banana but not as big as the tropical bananas .
Musa balbissiana is sold as edible in India and other country and they have seeds .
those are Thai banana and they had seeds inside and sweet as sugar unfortunatle the plant will die with a 5 c , so not really a point of start growing.


and those are the balbissiana

over load with seeds

 

We shall see how things go here ... but I am not holding my breath ..

We were out to lunch today up in the mountains and they have two Colocasias in pots there shaded by huge lime (Tilia) trees ... I don't think they ever see sun. So we have decided our Colocasia is to be moved to a total shade position here as it is truly suffering in the sun for only perhaps six hours per day. Tomorrow is the move day when we decide where to put it.

 

I know how hard is to gardening in sunny country , why don`t you move your calocasia in water? that`s where they should grow in hot weather

even worked in UK , but the water is always few degree below water so the one in soil where doing better , plus in Uk we don`t have that strange thing called sunshine as you lot in Portugal .

 

I love that picture Sal. I suppose that is how they grow the crop of Eddoes that we see in the shops.

 

Ive just bought a blackmagic calocasio and ive put it(in its pot as its only small at the moment) in my water basket with the lilys,seems to like it there i read somewhere they love water, i will move to maybe to the bog section when it needs repotting x

 

Guys I don`t want to advertise any web , but look at this one as Joolz was talking about blackmagic and reb banana.
Colocasia 'Black Magic'

Unit Description: 50 Plants / Tray
List Price: £41.00 (ex. VAT at 20%)

Family: ARACEAE
Genus: Colocasia
Cultivar: Black Magic
Category:
SUMMER PATIO FOLIAGE
Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'

Unit Description: 50 Plants / Tray
List Price: £42.00 (ex. VAT at 20%)

Family: MUSACEAE
Genus: Ensete
Species: ventricosum
Cultivar: Maurelii
Category:
SUMMER PATIO FOLIAGE
if we only could organize something we could save a fortune every year .

 

Its not finding the links sal x

 

I can sent it if you want , I just don`t want to advertise or upset anyone , but look at it and thing at all the money we waist each year .
ps curiosity how much did you pay for you black calocasia?

 

Oh Sal, I wrote something to your response above and obviously did not 'post' it. I have no space / area for a water bog so cannot do such. T'other half moved Ellie (as we call her) to a shady spot this evening so we shall see how things go.

My Black Colocasia did not like the heat at all. Wow, what prices, I think I paid about ten Euros for mine. Oh, but have another small one, now living in the outdoor living room enjoying the shade.