Musa Basjoo care

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:37 pm

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

Bill

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 9:06 am

[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!

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sat Sep 11, 2010 6:33 pm

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!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Sep 11, 2010 7:27 pm

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.

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sun Sep 12, 2010 6:11 pm

Thanks for the advice........They're really huge now. gonna leave some outside and bring some in too.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 7:33 am

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!

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:16 am

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

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:32 pm

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!)

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 4:50 pm

I was just outside looking at my bananas....they are insane now: the trunks and bases of them resemble elephants' feet!!1 Insane!!!

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 5:01 pm

Can you post new photos to make me jealous? --Erik

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 5:09 pm

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....

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 7:13 am

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

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:45 am

Thanks, Mike!
Very impressive. --Erik

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 9:45 am

You've either got very little feet

or those musa are as thick as an elephant's trunk.

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

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 10:08 am

LOL, size ten only, but I swear to god the trunks are intense: totally shaped like elephants feet!!!!!!!!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 12:29 pm

It'll take "some winterizing" to protect those beauties.

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:21 am

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!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:08 am

Looking good Mike.
Basjoo are easy to protect,throw a bag
of leaves over them and fogettaboutit.

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:27 pm

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:

@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!

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:36 pm

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!

Hmmmm. Is this the first season in the ground???? It does ressemble mine, but one never knows?

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:22 am

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...

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:56 am

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.

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:50 am

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!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 10:47 am

Nice update Mike.
Your photos always look so surreal...great camera trick (if that's what it is

)
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...

Barb

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:25 pm

lucky1 wrote:Nice update Mike.
Your photos always look so surreal...great camera trick (if that's what it is )
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...

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.....

Nice chattin' with ya' Barb,
PS When is your daughter's wedding?????? Enjoy it!!!!!!
Mike

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:37 am

haven't gone below 75 degrees low at night here in the past two months

The reason for your plants' successes...

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

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 ...

)

Barb

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:09 pm

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....

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:18 pm

So are you enclosing/heating the others?
Or just treating them as annuals?

Barb

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:02 pm

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.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 4:39 pm

Michael, sorry but I had forgotten they were out already during winter !
(yet another brain fart!)

Must be nice to live in your zone...

Barb

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:04 pm

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.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sat Aug 06, 2011 4:10 am

great bananas! Let us know if they come back for you next spring!

sidpook · Post by **sidpook** » Sat Aug 06, 2011 6:47 am

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.....

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Musa Basjoo care

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