Bananas

Hey, you! I'm as English as you are (at the moment and for now) Can't move for Musella lasiocarpas here. Someone in Anjou must have bought a job lot!
Talking of hatchet jobs, will be attempting one on my beloved nana soon....can't afford to wait until it starts raining 'cos it never knows when to stop. Wish me luck!
@mowgley Thanks for the tip

 

Guess what I found when I took the plunge and chopped my Ensete?! There are seeds inside these little bananas Will they come true do you think? Really couldn't bring myself to chop the main stem. It looks just the same as it has done in previous autumns, so will protect it with it's usual overcoat and . Anyone want to try some of the seed?

 

Amazing, are the seeds black?

 

Blackish brown.....even as I found them I was cursing in case I've cut it too early, but it probably won't be long now before the first frosts......
If they turn out to be viable, this could be the start of nana nursery in SW France

 

I wouldn't mind trying a few, I doubt they will come true, but worth a try.

 

I'd like to give some a shot please

 

Is that M. basjoo?

If so they need to be a fair size before they actually have there own root system, at least two foot, but the bigger the better.
Offsets that dont have some root, I find, rarely survive.

 

Tidied up my Musa/Musella/Ensete (depending on which literature you read ) lasiocarpa an its looking pretty good right now

 

I have the same problem with Musella @Bilbo675 , they grow masses of pups and dont concentrate on growing a decent main rosette.
I'm leaving all mine outside to get on with it this year, its not something I'm going to pursue.

 

This one is slowly developing a main stem, the pups have sprung up profusely in the last couple of years. This has had no protection during winter for the last 3 years, it was my mum's and she couldn't move it so just left it out against the house wall. It all turned to mush but regrew from May onwards

 

Its always difficult to say just by looking at the top growth if there are roots on the sucker.

Best to dig away at the side of it carefully, looking for roots coming from the base of it.

If it has a couple of good roots you need to put a spade between the main stem and the sucker cutting it off cleanly.
Then dig out as much root with it as you can.

 

OK, @pete...will get some in the post. @Bilbo675...if you PM me your name and address I'll get some in the post to you too At least you can be sure that they're fresh!

 

Thankyou, I owe you one,
or possibly two