Bananas

I'm just thinking yours will be throwing up pups just as winter approaches, which might not be the best timing.
Its actually a metre across at the base?
Ginormous

 

If it does pup, I'll keep one in the border, covered in the original 'overcoat'. Any spares, I'll pot up as insurance. We usually get through to November without any frost, then we get a -8C

 

The latest on the ensete flower....

 

Its a strange flower?
Not much like a banana, which OK, I know its not, but expected something similar.
Has it formed right on top of the growing point?
ie. are there any new leaves forming after it?

 

The actual flower hasn't appeared yet...it's just a bunch of smallish leaves, or possibly bracts, coming from the middle (growing point) of the plant. It isn't pushing up any new leaves, despite being watered and fed. I reckon that the real flowers will emerge from the cluster, possibly with a bunch of bright yellow bananas bearing Tesco stickers! Do you happen to know whether ensetes require pollination and what does the business? We've got just about every insect known to man here.....

 

Found a few facts (in French).....It has separate male and female flowers on the same stem, female flowers are cream-coloured. Once fertilised, they produce hard, dry fruit with lots of seed.
Typical! Never managed to germinate a nana yet!

 

Got to say, without looking it up, no I dont have a clue about pollination but just guessing you need two separate plants, and as most Maurellis are basically the same plant clone wise, you would need another Ensete of different origin, in flower as the same time, to get seeds.

But I could be wrong

 

We cross posted.

 

We did Reading further, it appears that all maureliis are propagated in vitro from offshoots produced at the base of the (deliberately wounded) pseudostem! So there's hope yet!

 

I've fallen for several different species of Musa and Ensete, having seen them growing/flowering round here. Could anyone point me in the direction of reliable suppliers of fresh seed, please?
Pretty sure I've asked before but some up-to-date answers would be very much appreciated!
Previous attempts at growing from seed have been dismal failures....not for lack of following instructions.

 

I sowed about twenty Ensete ventricosum seed about this time last year, I got one plant.
I sowed similar amount of Ensete glaucum and ended up with two plants.

So, .......its no use asking me

 

If you can't do it, @pete, then there's no hope for me!
Do the Ensete glaucum pup or is it a non starter like v. maurelii?
Jungle Seeds have a nice selection, but no idea if the seed is fresh? No tips for internet sellers?

 

Well i'd be inclined to go for internet sellers who are perhaps foreign based, sorry forgot you are foreign .
I've found E. glaucum so slow growing, so cant say about pupping.
Think it needs more heat.

My thoughts are, as a general rule, Musas pup like crazy while Ensetes dont until flowering, ...or you do a hatchet job on them.

 

I've read that Mark Davies on eBay are a very reliable source. I'm sure he's posted/advertised on GC before.

 

Just ordered some seed from him so glad to read this