My Tropical corner..

A little Update, Probably the Last This year :( Autumn is here, but wev'e had great weather this week, and all is still Pucka :D



MY BANANA.:p






Taken this afternoon, Ive had the time of my life this year in my Garden Despite the Weather, And Thanks for all your help Peeps, Even Inter :D

 

Looking veeeeery good Dee. Just think what it`ll look like NEXT year.:halp: With the pruning.:lollol:

 

Thanks David, And im gonna batter your head next year

Thanks Strongy, That planting Scheme was an accident, i had the silver shield left over and sort of just stuck it in there because there was a space

 

Dee it looks very good, as if its been there years.

I tend to find that most of the tropical plants always look their best just as autumn is starting to bite, its a shame.:(

But you get the chance to start all over next year.:wink:

 

Looking great, Dee :thumb: I've been thinking of a tropical style garden (mixed with nature garden) for our side garden once we get around to that point. Seeing yours has now convinced me that it's the way forward :D

How is the Banana going? Do you have to do anything special for it over winter? Would it be okay with the lovely Manchester weather, do you think?

 

Thanks Pete, If only we had another 2 weeks sunshine it wold look Amazing..:thumb:


Thanks Sar your so kind Id say go for it, Its the most Amazing, And best decision (garden wise) ive ever made, and why wont they survive in manchester, im further North than you :wink: Re the Banana, its my first year with it (reason for height) but I have A plan for winter protection, A Large chimney pot over it, stuffed with straw:p So fingers and Legs crossed :D ...Dee..

 

YOUNG DAISY SAID

Not recommended you do this young Daisy the banana will rot inside, the method I use for any tropicals I leave outside is the method shown below from the rhs site,the important bit is the cover on top to keep the rain off the roots because if this freezes at root level it will kill the plant.

Grow outdoors in a well-drained soil, preferably enriched with organic matter. Shelter from wind is essential to prevent leaves being shredded. Cold, sunscorch and hail also damage foliage. Musa basjoo is one of the hardiest to grow, and Ensete plants grown from seed make striking large plants in less than two years. Small plants can be overwintered in a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory. Cages made from chicken wire can be built around larger plants - after cutting back the frosted leaves - and packed with straw or bracken, covered with hessian or fleece to keep out wind. A hood of polystyrene can help keep rain out of the crown. Unwrap plants by May.




The top growth is sawn off, leaving only stumps. Make sure to remove leaf debris from around the stumps, as it could rot under the protective cover, and spread disease to the crown of the plant.
Here, the gardeners are removing completely a stem growing too close to the path.
Bamboo canes or stakes are driven into the ground in a circle around the stumps, and chicken wire is stretched around the canes to make a frame.





The canes are tied to the chicken wire with string or tying wire. Pegs can also be used to secure the chicken wire to the ground.
A second tier of chicken wire is added, so that the stumps are completely encircled.
Straw is piled into the chicken wire frame, pressing it down between the stumps with a small rake.





This is continued until the stumps are completely packed with straw.
The top of the structure is covered with thick polythene sheeting, and a â??lidâ?? is cut to size and tied to secure the corners. String is used to tie the lid on to the wire framework below.
This structure should keep your plants secure for the cold season, ready to be unpacked and brought back into active growth in the spring.

If you do not have the exact materials, you could substitute dried bracken fronds or similar for straw, old bits of timber for bamboo canes, another kind of mesh wire for chicken wire, and another suitable waterproof covering (perhaps an old tarpaulin)

 

Hi there YDD. I dunno how I missed THIS thread ! All I can say is that I'm glad I stumbled across it so that I can say it looks fan-flippin'-tastic. You've done a real good job with this and for sure it's given me some food for thought. Thanks Dee :thumb: Cheers...freddy.

 

Awww Thanks Freddy, really appreciated, ive had the time of my life with my hot border, starting another one next spring :thumb: Good Luck with yours, and keep the pics coming, your doing a Fantastic job of your garden and it will shine next year...Dee..
Thanks for all the info Walnut, dont know how i missed it:cnfs: Chicken wire and straw on order as i type I saw the chimney pot method on TV, but i admit i was a bit worried about air flow, Thanks again :thumb: ...Dee..

 

Musa Basjoo is quite tough. What have benn your winter minimums? We have wrapped a bit of fleece round ours the last couple of years without problem(with the last few winters giving us a few -6C). Im not sure ill do anything to protect them this year, although i might end up witha bit of fleece round the larger stems.

They are supposed root hardy to at least -10C.

With tropical plants the RHS guides need to be read with a huge pinch of salt, they tend to be very pessimistic on what temperatures plants can survive.

 

Thanks TG for the info, but ive had a banana before which didn't survive fleeced in the Ghouse, so i am taking no chances this year..:thumb:

 

My Banana Wrapped :wink:

 

Dee Im sure I read somewhere not to use plastic coz it can cause rot. Dont take any notice of me I know nothing when it comes to exotics. Only trying to bring it to the attention of the experts. 02

 

The Plastics over the top 02, The Banana's been cut down, Its Fine...