What's up with these ensetes?

wxman · Post by **wxman** » Tue May 31, 2011 5:29 pm

These grew great for me last summer, reaching four feet by October from seedlings. Grew them under grow lights in the basement from October til April and they grew slow, but steady. Planted them back out the last week of April, trimmed back the leaves so they wouldn't desiccate since I disturbed the roots. Of course, the leaves sunburned so I hacked them off at the very end of April.

Averages for the month of May have been 61.8 for highs and 45.2 for lows. The past week has been warm and we hit 90 yesterday, last nights low was 75 and we were up near 90 again today. Here is ALL the growth I got from end of April to now. I expected them to start flying with the heat, but that has not been the case -- these grew lightning fast for me all last summer.

As you can also see, I've been having to keep trimming the old petioles. Brown mush starts on the end and slowly works its way down, so I've been hacking that back every week or so to prevent it from spreading to the healthy tissue. I'm hoping they are just rooting in and one day will start flying? Dunno... I'm getting impatient.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Tue May 31, 2011 8:23 pm

Hopefully Jim will chime in. I just planted my first Ensete, and I sure have my share of trouble with bananas in general. My Musa basjoo look fine to me but are smaller than everyone else's around here.

My Aby is growing fast, but doesn't like my wind. One big leaf broken already.

I water it well, it is growing in composted horse manure, and I added a handful of osmocote.
Also, my soil is warm--very warm. Maybe they like that?

wxman · Post by **wxman** » Tue May 31, 2011 8:50 pm

Soil was 70.3F today...

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:27 am

All bananas seem to hate cool temps. Musa Basjoo stops growing at around 5C ( if the nights are consistantly cool as such). They need constant warm nights to really get going. A few days of heat there, followed by cool isnt really gonna make em grow.

If your weather has been anything like mine ( it should be fairly close), the spring hasnt had nearly enough consistantly hot nights to get this baby growing. The same goes for elephant ears usualy too ( they can actualy go dormant in that situation, so ive been told).

Basicaly its just waiting for sme more warmth. Give it another week or 2. The temps are gonna shoot up here ( and I hope there too!).
lupin
Eric - I know some of the plants im gonna mention arent "tropical looking" but,

bananas are heavy feeders right? Im assuming you load em up with composted manure? Try to plant legumes underneeth it ( cow peas, buck wheat, lupine etc). These fix nitrogen into your soil ( what bananas LOVE). Even if they arent totaly fixing nitrogen, studies have shown that corn grown with beans had a bigger yeild, and larger ears. All you have to do is cut them down twice a year ( before flowering), and lightly dig them into the soil. Instant nitrogen feed.

Check this out!!!

http://permaculture.org.au/2008/06/23/b ... na-circle/

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:41 am

They look like they are doing fine-

We averaged 55/75 here and mine didn't do much until that
warm week in early May,it now has blasted a leaf out that is over 5' long!

And that was only the third leaf it put out.

My Aby's have grown more than any other "Banana" plant.....
Yours look about right for those temps....they are just getting started.

You had a wicked cold/cool spring!

I have one Trachy that still hasn't recovered!

zomble · Post by **zomble** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 12:14 pm

All bananas seem to hate cool temps

I agree, I believe the North of England with all the rain and winds are not condusive to great Ensete growth.

I will not buy anymore, rather grow Trachicarpus

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 7:27 pm

Wow, your really slow up there. There must be snow in the shade behind your house (LOL)! The only thing not growing in my garden is Sabals........we must have coolish soil temps. No growth on my Sabal birmingham and about 1/2" growth on a Sabal minor.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:55 pm

If it makes you feel any better my Sabal Birmingham has not grown one bit in 2 years.

BTW

This is an old post and not the current state in Wisc...I am guessing.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:24 am

Definelty not the situation in WI. If your that hot Jim, and im this hot, they must be just as toasty!! I bet his naners went crazy

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:41 am

I don't know Jesse-your weather sticker says 73f
That looks pretty nice to me!
We won't see it that cool at night for a while.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:03 am

Thats perfect night temps as far as Im concerned (73f) Warm enough to get some decent growth, but not so hot your sticking to your bed when you sleep

Wisconson definetly isnt cool anymore LOL thats all i was sayin...

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 4:25 pm

Yea,they are warmer now...

If Tim's plants roots didn't freeze off this spring
maybe they are finally growing now!

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 6:05 am

Mabey if we keep posting in this thread hell update it

Instead of leaving us hanging

wxman · Post by **wxman** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:11 pm

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 5:45 am

Holy crap did that ever take off!!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:43 am

There has been such a sharp dividing line in the heat this year.

I noticed Tim's weather sticker says 77F and 77F tomorrow...

man that sounds nice!

The only time I can see those temps is at sunrise here lately!

Would love to stand(rather than melt)out in my garden
and check out the plants in those temps!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 2:49 pm

Now we know what's UP! and OUT!

Look at the trunk diameter.

Looks stunning Tim...

Glad those Tiki gods are still there....

Wouldn't last a week around here without bolting them to the sidewalk.

Thanks for the update.

Agree that 77F is a great temp.

Barb

Trailgaiter · Post by **Trailgaiter** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:21 pm

LOVE those pics......wow.......