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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:37 pm
by BILL MA
Trust me Mike a hurricane is not a good cure for our lack of rain! I'm willing to bet if a strong TS or cat 1+ hits your area you'll be wishing for a drought! Big oaks blown down everywhere is hard to look at! That's what I remember from the 2 hurricanes that have come through in my 30 years on Earth!

Use the hose, it's much safer :D

Bill

Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 9:06 am
by hardyjim
[quote="sidpook"] As for the other smaller trees 6 feet tall, I'll cut out and bring into the house...





Mike


I wouldn't bother digging up Basjoos that size,IME they are more trouble than they are worth.

I tried that a few years ago,it seems to stress the big plant and it just pups and those take over,
at least in my case the big plants didn't so much.

Save a pup or 2 just in case,unless you just want some big Nanars inside! :D

Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 6:33 pm
by sidpook
So how much of the root system from the pups do i need to take inside to plant in a pot? do you just cut into the mother plant and take some of her roots to keep the pups going? I've never done this so I need advice.... Thanks guys!

Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 7:27 pm
by hardyjim
I take a straight edge shovel and go straight down between Ma and the pup then,
I dig in from the side and lift it to get some roots,usually if you get even one tiny 1"
root that will be enough.

Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 6:11 pm
by sidpook
Thanks for the advice........They're really huge now. gonna leave some outside and bring some in too.

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 7:33 am
by hardyjim
Good plan!

I usually save some Basjoo pups to bring in,just in case but I won't this time because I am 99%
they will come back and even if they don't there actually in the best spot in the yard,so.......

I would just try another kind as there are so many cool types of Bananas to grow and some are
probably very close to Basjoo in hardiness so I would just try those,or................


get some massive Trachys for those spots! :shock: :twisted:

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:16 am
by TerdalFarm
Jim,
go with the massive Trachy plan!
Rent a minivan and take the GF down to Louisiana for a Fall vacation. Buy a huge boxed Trachy on sale, drive it home. Keep it indoors over the winter and plant it in April.
As for Musa basjoo, I agree. I got better results last winter with those I fussed with the least. Plus they are cheap to buy around here each April. I won't bother to divide and save any pups indoors. It just doesn't pay.
I lost one of my two Musella lasiocarpa, though--one that had been in the ground through two previous winters.
What other cold-hardy bananas do you suggest? --Erik

Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:32 pm
by hardyjim
TerdalFarm wrote:Jim,
I lost one of my two Musella lasiocarpa, though--one that had been in the ground through two previous winters.
What other cold-hardy bananas do you suggest? --Erik






Thai black- Yunanensis-Itinerans(0!) :wink:

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 4:50 pm
by sidpook
I was just outside looking at my bananas....they are insane now: the trunks and bases of them resemble elephants' feet!!1 Insane!!!

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 5:01 pm
by TerdalFarm
Can you post new photos to make me jealous? --Erik

Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 5:09 pm
by sidpook
Will do Erick...Dark outside now, will take some tomorrow. I'm just amazed atthem...I would never have thought they would have gotten soooo big....The bottom bases are amazing!!!! And they are still putting out new leaves every few days even though there is less light and virtually no rainfall...We're on drought watch now....

Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 7:13 am
by sidpook
Here is a picture update of my bananas in the yard by the shed. Even though they get mush less light now, they are still pumping out new leaves. I have decided to leave them all outside this winter. We should get a hard freeze by sometime in mid-November so I guess by then I'll winterize them after they start dying off from the top. Chat soon everyone...
Mike



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Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:45 am
by TerdalFarm
Thanks, Mike!
Very impressive. --Erik

Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 9:45 am
by lucky1
You've either got very little feet :lol: :lol: or those musa are as thick as an elephant's trunk.

We'll look forward to seeing your protection pics.
Barb

Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 10:08 am
by sidpook
LOL, size ten only, but I swear to god the trunks are intense: totally shaped like elephants feet!!!!!!!!

Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 12:29 pm
by lucky1
:D :D :lol:
It'll take "some winterizing" to protect those beauties.

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:21 am
by igor.glukhovtsev
Mike there are no news about your Dwarf Musa for a while. How did your plants overwintered finally? I have my Dwarf Banana but I'm still not sure if it's basjo. I'm posting pics for getting your opinions on it. Please advice!
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Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:08 am
by hardyjim
Looking good Mike.
Basjoo are easy to protect,throw a bag
of leaves over them and fogettaboutit.

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:27 pm
by sidpook
Hey all....Hope everyone is having a great summer. Hot as B@LL$ here as we say in jersey. I know alot of you are also experiencing so much heat, humidity, drought etc....I wish you the best. Hang in there!

@ Igor, the bananas did great for the most part...stronger and more agressive this year in back garden by shed and even out front, some did die off due to moisture but the ones that lasted are at least a month in advance of the size they were last year....Pics below:
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@hardyjim I hear ya....I find the less I fuss with things, the better they do....We had a dry June and May and now a lot of little rain storms We do get cold winters but the springs summers and falls are insanely hot here. This month we have had 22 plus days in 90s and above. Humid as all get out and we all know what that does for bananas....Gotta love summer. Hope you are all doing well in Iowa! I know you guys have also had some insane heat there!

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:36 pm
by sidpook
igor.glukhovtsev wrote:Mike there are no news about your Dwarf Musa for a while. How did your plants overwintered finally? I have my Dwarf Banana but I'm still not sure if it's basjo. I'm posting pics for getting your opinions on it. Please advice!
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Hmmmm. Is this the first season in the ground???? It does ressemble mine, but one never knows?

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:22 am
by igor.glukhovtsev
Thanks Mike for pictures sharing! Mine is a first season in the ground. Unlikely if I'll live my banana in the ground. There is too cold in winter time in Almaty...

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:56 am
by sidpook
igor.glukhovtsev wrote:Thanks Mike for pictures sharing! Mine is a first season in the ground. Unlikely if I'll live my banana in the ground. There is too cold in winter time in Almaty...
If they send up pups from the ground you could always cut them away from the mother plant and then put them in pots indoors in winter so you have a backup.

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:50 am
by igor.glukhovtsev
You are right! Today I found one baby is popping up! I know our winter is pretty cold but we have a lot of snow at the same time. What's a great insulation!

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:47 am
by lucky1
Nice update Mike.
Your photos always look so surreal...great camera trick (if that's what it is :D )
You'll need help hauling that indoors.

Our summer isn't as hot as usual but I like it.
Especially now that I've given my m.basjoo musa to John... :lol: :lol:

Barb

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:25 pm
by sidpook
lucky1 wrote:Nice update Mike.
Your photos always look so surreal...great camera trick (if that's what it is :D )
You'll need help hauling that indoors.

Our summer isn't as hot as usual but I like it.
Especially now that I've given my m.basjoo musa to John... :lol: :lol:

Barb
Thanks Barb. I have been hearing about your cool summer...Must be odd. We haven't gone below 75 degrees low at night here in the past two months. Highs have been consistently in the 90s and even in low 100's hot and humid. I am not taking any bananas in this year. Too much other stuff!!!! Been quiet on here lately, I guess we are all outside..... 8) Nice chattin' with ya' Barb,
PS When is your daughter's wedding?????? Enjoy it!!!!!!
Mike

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:37 am
by lucky1
haven't gone below 75 degrees low at night here in the past two months
The reason for your plants' successes... :D

I used to be a "sunworshipper"...the hotter the better.
Not any more.
Once I feel the heat of the patio through my sandals, that's hot enough :lol:
It's an age thingy.

You're not taking any bananas in this Fall? :?

Yup...a bit quiet ... lots of outside chores for everybody, especially the folks trying to keep stuff watered at 100+ F

Daughter's wedding is mid-Sept. (5 wks ... :help: ) :lol: :lol:
Barb

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:09 pm
by sidpook
I will take one plant in. Only bc I m not sure what kind of banana it is....I got it at a local supermarket down the shore for$ 5.99A beauty but came with no tag or info....

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:18 pm
by lucky1
So are you enclosing/heating the others?
Or just treating them as annuals? :?

Barb

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:02 pm
by sidpook
lucky1 wrote:So are you enclosing/heating the others?
Or just treating them as annuals? :?

Barb
The ones in the pics above were out all winter...mulched with leaves and mulch and then tar paper on top to keep some rain and snow out.

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:39 pm
by lucky1
Michael, sorry but I had forgotten they were out already during winter !
(yet another brain fart!)

Must be nice to live in your zone... :wink:

Barb

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:04 pm
by sidpook
No need to apologise. I just bought one a few weeks back and I really wanna know what kind it is??? I think it may be a Musa Dwarf cavendish based on the way it looks and how it puts out three new leaves at a time. I will post some pics and hopefully some people can help me identify on here.

Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 4:10 am
by TimMAz6
great bananas! Let us know if they come back for you next spring!

Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 6:47 am
by sidpook
TimMAz6 wrote:great bananas! Let us know if they come back for you next spring!
Thanks Tim. How's ur summer going? Yuccas you sent me are hanging in there..... :)