Waking bananas up for the spring...

[wxman]

A couple of weeks ago I brought my orinocos up out of dark storage and started waking them up. Tonight I brought my large ensete maurelii up from dark storage and potted them up. Added a light soil mix with perlite and gently watered until moist. They are all in front of the window.

Last spring I made the mistake of plopping some dormant bananas straight into the ground where they suffered, rotted and some died. This spring I'm getting them all going in pots where they can enjoy much warmer soil temperatures and then once the ground warms I will plant them.

Here is a picture of the lineup. The banana you see on the far right is my siam ruby which I read is hard to overwinter indoors. This one is on its second winter and still thriving. Weird.

You can also see how some orinocos are waking up faster than others.

Now let's hope they don't rot and die!!!

[TimMAz6]

nice trunk diameters on some of those nana's. Keep us updated on their progress.

[seedscanada]

I uncovered my outdoor planted Basjoos on the 11th

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/6855541258/" title="Musa basjoo mar 11 2012 by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7097/6855 ... 8ec8_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Musa basjoo mar 11 2012"></a>
that was the small one

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/6855541854/" title="Musa Basjoo 3 by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7040/6855 ... cc88_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Musa Basjoo 3"></a>
the 2 foot tall basjoo

and ten days later:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/7001657987/" title="Musa Basjoo 2 by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7056/7001 ... 16bb_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Musa Basjoo 2"></a>
large basjoo on left, small basjoo in background, yucca elata at base of large basjoo for the past two years, and to the right in the photo, the new addition a couple of days ago, the Jubaea chileansis ( I plan to relocate some of the basjoos from this patch.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/seedscanada/7001658963/" title="Musa Basjoo 1 by seedscanada, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7209/7001 ... 4f99_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Musa Basjoo 1"></a>
top view of the in ground basjoos today (ten days after being uncovered)

Cheers!
Adam

[canadianplant]

WOw those Ensete got big last year!

I keep my Basjoo indoors all winter. I got it as a tiny little plug, so there was NO way it would survive outside.

[TimMAz6]

Still no new growth on my M. basjoo. I was hoping the ground would be warm enough after the past few warm days. Sorry the photo is upside down!

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... 8ce737.jpg>

[JackLord]

I have a Basjoo and a Sikkim in the ground covered with large pots and mulch. I was going to wait to uncover them, but they started growing so much that they are raising the pots off the ground.

Mine stored inside look like hell.

[sidpook]

Lookin good everyone! I opened mine up for good ten days ago and this is what they look like today, insane growth, highs in 70s and lows in 50s and 60s for the past few weeks....I nevewr really covered my trachies except for a few really cold nights, that was way back in January....Insane winter!!

Back yard


Back Yard


Front garden

[TimMAz6]

Hi Mike,

that's a lot of saved trunk on those basjoos........great job!

[canadianplant]

Hey tim (wisconson tim ) HEads up for this weekend, you might be getting the same arctic blast that I am for a day or 2.

[sidpook]

Hi Mike,

that's a lot of saved trunk on those basjoos........great job!

Thanks Tim...Happy Spring

[wxman]

Hey tim (wisconson tim ) HEads up for this weekend, you might be getting the same arctic blast that I am for a day or 2.

Nope, nothing below 40 (at night) here. 50s/60s during the day.

[sidpook]

Hey tim (wisconson tim ) HEads up for this weekend, you might be getting the same arctic blast that I am for a day or 2.

Nope, nothing below 40 (at night) here. 50s/60s during the day.

Finally we will get back down into the 60s here after 80 and 80s all week,,,weird! I'm actually glad it will get cooler, all the blossoms on the trees and flowers will last longer. We may even get a night low to 38 Monday night...Brrrr!!!!!

[lucky1]

may even get a night low to 38 Monday night...Brrrr!!!!!

that's been my high for a week, until yesterday when we hit 13C 55F.

It'll be interesting to see if you "warm" folks will get more growth this year from a longer season.

Barb

[sidpook]

may even get a night low to 38 Monday night...Brrrr!!!!!

that's been my high for a week, until yesterday when we hit 13C 55F.

It'll be interesting to see if you "warm" folks will get more growth this year from a longer season.

Barb

the growth has been phenomenal already, my bananas are insane pushing out full leaves everywhere, all ornamental trees are already bloomed and even my irises are in full bloom already , that usually does not happen until april

[TimMAz6]

my basjoo still shows no sign of growth..........perhaps it won't return...............the trunk/root is still hard so I'm thinking it's OK. I think the ground temps are still too cool since the Mags are just starting to bloom now.

[sidpook]

my basjoo still shows no sign of growth..........perhaps it won't return...............the trunk/root is still hard so I'm thinking it's OK. I think the ground temps are still too cool since the Mags are just starting to bloom now.

keep the faith, last year was a rough start for me with mine .....Remember : it is only March....wait until April to assess the damage and worry then.

[hardyjim]

I just noticed a Basjoo popped up yesterday-no mulch....thought I got rid of all the weeds


Nice to see one made it,I removed the bigger clumps as they are a harbor for WSM
that have destroyed(with my help)my Trachy(etc) collection


Mike

Those Nanas are already huge!

I know what you mean about the cooler temps too....

I was bitching cuz it was to hot out and wishing it would cool off
only to find myself shivering in highs in the upper 60s


We usually pass through the 40s this time of year,on the way to our normal high(56F)
and on the way back down to our normal low(35F),have not seen them in almost 2 weeks
at my house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sidpook]

I just noticed a Basjoo popped up yesterday-no mulch....thought I got rid of all the weeds


Nice to see one made it,I removed the bigger clumps as they are a harbor for WSM
that have destroyed(with my help)my Trachy(etc) collection


Mike

Those Nanas are already huge!

I know what you mean about the cooler temps too....

I was bitching cuz it was to hot out and wishing it would cool off
only to find myself shivering in highs in the upper 60s


We usually pass through the 40s this time of year,on the way to our normal high(56F)
and on the way back down to our normal low(35F),have not seen them in almost 2 weeks
at my house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear ya, 53 here today and people are in jackets again...funny how the body adapts to temps so rapidly. I'm still proud of the fact that I have made it through one whole year jogging in just shorts and never long pants! Feels like a personal achievement...LOL

[hardyjim]

I can't tell you how many times I check to see if I am wearing pants when I go into a store!


Wearing shorts is pretty dang comfortable!


I won't even mention sleeping with the windows open because I know its cold in some areas!

[lucky1]

Wearing pants...

Min temps near freezing and my windows are open during sleep.
Definitely a better sleep with them open.