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Last November, I covered my largest basjoo clump with a leaf enclosure that ended up being about 5 feet in diameter and 5 feet tall, in an attempt to overwinter the entire psuedostems... In past years, I just chopped them to the ground and mulched them, but this year I wanted to see if I could overwinter the pstems. Yesterday, I noticed a spear leaf growing up out of the top of the leaf enclosure! So I guess that means that they are alive under there! Here's the pic:)

That's super!
As with you, in past years I just cut them off at the ground. This year, I did what you did for two clumps, only I used hay instead of leaves.
I'll uncover them on Saturday.
The one clump I did not so protect died to the ground but has already grown 2" despite the snow storm last weekend.
I'm hoping for results like yours for the ones I did protect.

Very Nice! I've not had one shoot out through the protection before!

I use the same emthod here in z. 4/5 to over-winter partial pseudostems. I also place mini lights around the stems to add a little heat to the pile. This year they are starting to grow already AND I am also happy to report that at least part of my less protected M. velutina has survived as well. It was killed almost to the ground, but the main stem is still turgid and 2 pups (closer to the better protected basjoo) are still very green. I had to cover them again since we hit 15f last night, but soon they'll be able to enjoy the sunshine and a lovely dose of fertilizer (and horse crap too!)

Up next: Musa sikkimensis and M. yunnanensis!

Well done. You've shown the best advise for the colder zones to get this basjoo through the winter.
When they where first introduced M. basjoo here, folks used to cage and mulch. Few here do that now, as it's time consuming and messy. Also winters here don't get cold enough to root kill these. Once spring arrives they grow so quick and catch up to their former glory in no time.

Cheers, Barrie.

Nice to see that your protection worked well. I can't wait to take all the protection off of mine to have another look at them.
They where starting to grow when I looked at them last week, it won't be long and they'll be 8 feet.

Paul,
glad to see your velutina pulled through, you'll most likely get flowers and pink fruit this year.

Bill

Inspired by you, I just now uncovered my Musa basjoo under similar enclosures.
Not so nice. Dead to the ground; the base of the pseudostems are very mushy.
I am much happier with the "control" in my experiment which got no protection at all.
I'll cut off mushy tissue and spray with copper after lunch. I am sure they will survive (nothing kills these, right?) but I doubt I'll bother with any winter protection in the future. My totally unprotected M. basjoo ("thin red line") has grown 2" already.
--Erik

Thats excellent all of you!, Im the next to experiment with the basjoo, I ordered 2 of em, and along with the canna and 2 bamboo, should be arriving sometime the lst week of april, or first week of may.

A week later, my relatively unprotected Mua basjoo is growing like a weed.
Of the two I protected so carefully, one has two green bumps that will eventually give rise to something. Nothing at all on the other protected M. basjoo.
Lesson? Don't!
No sign of growth on either Musella lasiocarpa, but I'll give them a few weeks. They had no protection at all. --Erik

quick update here... the basjoos that I covered completely are about 8 feet tall right now, but looking a bit rough. They keep pushing out new leaves, but the wind has them looking pretty rough. The ones that I cut to the ground look absolutely perfect, and are 3 feet plus at this point. I'll see how things turn out this summer, but if the ones that I cut to the ground catch up with the ones that I overwintered, then I probably won't spend all of the time and effort to overwinter the entire pstem in future years, because that just wouldn't make sense:) I'll keep everyone posted on the results, and I'll have pics up in the next few days.

Thanks for the update. It will be good for all of us to know how the two compare by August.

My uncovered Musa basjoo is a clump of 7 pseudostems of about 1' each + leaves.
Actually, it did get some protection. After the first frost I cut the stems, sprayed with copper, wrapped with hay and covered with a large (20 gal.) bucket.
Of my two elaborately protected clumps, one has a single pseudostem of ~6" + one leaf. The other has a single shoot of about 2".
I had plastic over the top to keep rain off but not on the sides to let some airflow in to let hay dry out.

P.S.
One Musella lasiocarpa (no protection) is sending up three shoots and so should recover; the other shows no sign of anything alive.
--Erik

Jova, my potted Musa's leaves are regularly shredded by winds.
If I keep the pot under the protected patio roof, the Musa doesn't get enough sun/heat.
If it's out in the sun, the wind nails it.

I've come to the conclusion Musa are good only in sheltered areas.

If/when John comes to get the Musa pups, he can have the entire plant.
Barb

Sorry for the delay, but here are some pics of my musa basjoos as of yesterday 4/27/10. This is the clump that I covered completely that grew up through the protection back in march:

And here are the other 2 clumps that I cut to the ground and covered with mulch


So as you can see, there's a huge difference at this point... What I'm anxious to see is if the ones that I cut down last winter catch up with the ones that I didn't, and to see if the ones with the overwintered psuedostems flower and fruit this year. I'll keep everyone posted!

Jova

Those look to me like they will indeed flower if you keep them well watered and juiced good! Great looking plants

Bill

Great results from that experiment Jova.
You've found the perfect protection...
in a few years you'll be applying it from the rooftop!

Barb

Oh I'm mad at myself!
The two Musa basjoo I protected like you did are alive but struggling. About 1' for the tallest, but only one good stem each.
The one Musa basjoo clump I merely cut to the ground, sprayed with copper fungicide, tossed a flake of dry hay over and placed a 20 gallon bucket over (i.e., what I consider minimal protection) is doing super, albeit only 2' high now--but for 7 stems!
I won't work so hard next winter. --Erik

That's obviously the trick...2 for 2 so far.

I won't work so hard next winter.