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Here is pictures of how I protected my Musa Basjoo plants. Used the same style last year but this year used pink insulation instead of shrink wrap. I noticed shrink wrap held in moisture. Still Basjoo survived no problem last winter.

So no heat tape, Keith?
Or did you forget it?

Great that they're facing east, protected by the house.
The worst weather blows down from the northwest at my place.

Barb

Hey Barb. If you check out the 6th picture you will see a tan heat tape. It also does the Camellia beside it.

That outta do'er whats the on/off temp on the heat tape?

Hey hardyjim it says on the package the heat tape turns on and stays on if the tempature is colder than 3C or colder than 38 F.
Keith

Yup, see it now.

hasty22 wrote:Hey hardyjim it says on the package the heat tape turns on and stays on if the tempature is colder than 3C or colder than 38 F.
Keith

As Curly used to say-



poifect!

Looks great. Lucky they are close to the building too, that adds heat too.

Nice protection Hasty, ill try this year the same protection than my palms. Small Styrofoam box with a 13 watts CFL bulb with thermocube 2-7c. Will see next spring.

Ben

Thanks for the comments. Beny I was wondering what a thermocube is? Also some people say you dont get much heat from a cfl bulb. I have never used bulbs so I can't say. good luck!
Keith

Hasty,a thermocube is like a electronic thermostat with 2 plug. Google thermocube and you ll see. A CFL bulb do the job when you use stryrofoam for your box. Thats build the heat slowly inside, i actually use another system for my Washingtonia. I use heat cable 40 feets 200 watts for a 6 feets tall styrofoam box, 2 feets wide with thermocube. Its a bit to much, better using 20 feets cable. My cable heat to much, reaching 18c ( -1c outside) and go down in few hour to +5c, after that the thermocube restard the cable for another +18c...
A small heat cable like 100-150 watts its better..

Ben

Keith,

http://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_trksid=p ... &_from=R40

I use a T-3 thermocube inside my palm hut.
When temps get below 35F, its thermostat kicks on the ceramic heater.
Thermocube kicks heater off at 45F, so it never freezes inside the hut.

Also use a T-3 (there are different types that go on/off at different temps) inside the Washy enclosure.
There it turns on C-9 Christmas lights in a long set of strings that go to the other Washy enclosure too.
And the 3 yuccas in between the 2 Washy enclosures.

But you don't need a thermocube if you're using a pipe heating tape wrapped around your palm.
Because that's got its own thermostat.

Barb

Im agree Barb, i use that T3 too...do the job well.

Thanks guys that looks like they would work. learn something new every day.
Keith

dont get much heat from a cfl bulb

Keith, you're right.
A CFL emits approx. one-third the heat of incandescent.

See "heat emitted" under Important Facts (near bottom of page)

http://www.designrecycleinc.com/led%20comp%20chart.html

Barb

35/45F T-cube is the only one to use for sure.

If you live somewhere cold and use the 10/20F or 20/30F and your structure
is not made to warm up during the day,you have a very real possibility of it staying below freezing.

Sounds great , I will have to get some t- cubes for next winter , one question does the t-cube go inside the structure or outside? So what do we do now wait till next spring and see if our winter protection is a success? Or do we buy more tropicals? Get some seeds? take a holiday? lol

Keith,

does the t-cube go inside the structure or outside?

It goes where you want the protection to kick in, plugged into your heat (either C-9 lights or if it's a big structure, into a ceramic heater).

Using my palm hut (plywood building) as an example, I have an extension cord attached to the house.
It runs into the palm hut.
About 3'feet off the ground the extension cord is plugged into a thermocube.
Then the ceramic heater is plugged into the thermocube.
The heater is set to "mediium" and kicks on when the thermocube reacts to 35F temp.
And then heater goes off when the max thermocube temp is reached (45 I think).

So what do we do now wait till next spring and see if our winter protection is a success? Or do we buy more tropicals? Get some seeds? take a holiday? lol

All of the above

Barb

Uncovered musa basjoo today . Looks good. Looks like it might get quite tall this year.

<a href="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/khast ... d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b54 ... fa4bcd.jpg" border="0" alt="Musa Basjoo Mar 2013 photo DSCF3093_zps48fa4bcd.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/khast ... 3.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b54 ... d29f13.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCF3095_zps67d29f13.jpg"/></a>

hasty22 wrote:Uncovered musa basjoo today . Looks good. Looks like it might get quite tall this year.

Good jobe Keith. I would say there is no "might", seeing as they look 4 - 6 feet tall as it is.

Looks like it might get quite tall this year.

Its leaves will double as curtains for upstairs windows.
Good work Keith.

Barb

Wow, great job with the basjoo protection.

Looks good! I uncovered mine this past weekend. They're lovin the 80 degree temps this week....and so am i finally Spring!!!!!

How tall do they reach in the heat of summer??

It was about 9 feet last year I am thinking 12 feet this year which is about the top of living room window. The gutters are 13-14 feet.
Below is a picture taken last April

<a href="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/khast ... e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b54 ... 4f325e.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCN0870_zps0e4f325e.jpg"/></a>

Below is a picture last fall

<a href="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/khast ... 4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b54 ... CN1334.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCN1334.jpg"/></a>

This picture below was taken today, so I kept most or all the trunk that I gained last year.

<a href="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/khast ... a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b54 ... 31036a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCF3104_zpsac31036a.jpg"/></a>

Looks great. It'll do well. Nice camelia too, I love them. Mine are huge this year. Mine bloom in November/December, when do yours bloom?

Thanks Mike just got it last spring , so it has not bloomed since, but it was covered up for winter. I will see if it survives this spring.

hasty22 wrote:Thanks Mike just got it last spring , so it has not bloomed since, but it was covered up for winter. I will see if it survives this spring.

good luck~ post pics!

My musas that i uncovered (3 wks ago) are staring to turn yellowish and putting out funky bent leaves????? HELP! Any info appreciated!

Hey Mike mine are looking a little tattered since I took that picture we had a couple of frosts so had to cover them up. You should be frost free in zone 7 now. If you are frost free now just feed it some miracle grow and water and it should pick up once the heat hits. Can you post a picture? We all like pictures ( lol)
Keith

hasty22 wrote:Hey Mike mine are looking a little tattered since I took that picture we had a couple of frosts so had to cover them up. You should be frost free in zone 7 now. If you are frost free now just feed it some miracle grow and water and it should pick up once the heat hits. Can you post a picture? We all like pictures ( lol)
Keith

Thanks Keith. I t really has been the chilliest and cloudiest April I have had since I don't know when. That could be it. Here are a few pics. Good luck with yours!

Hey Mike looking good I loved that summer shot they are huge . It looks like you get a bit of wind as the leaves looked a little torn. My basjoo is in front of a east facing wall and is sheltered fairly well. I do not get a lot of wind in my area. I think your banana plant will do just great once the warm weather hits. The first few leaves will look a little weird from frost or cold weather.
Keith

hasty22 wrote:Hey Mike looking good I loved that summer shot they are huge . It looks like you get a bit of wind as the leaves looked a little torn. My basjoo is in front of a east facing wall and is sheltered fairly well. I do not get a lot of wind in my area. I think your banana plant will do just great once the warm weather hits. The first few leaves will look a little weird from frost or cold weather.
Keith

Thanks. I guess we have just been spoiled form the warms winters and springs the three years before this one. This year has been a true winter and cool spring. Should get to 74 and sunny today though: that may help??? Good luck with yours.

Mike, yup, that's cold and wind damage.
Your heat oughta get them going now.

Barb

lucky1 wrote:Mike, yup, that's cold and wind damage.
Your heat oughta get them going now.

Barb

I hope so Barb, It has been too chilly here!

Your temp looks good now, Mike.
You'll once again be standing under them for a photo in no time.

Barb

lucky1 wrote:Your temp looks good now, Mike.
You'll once again be standing under them for a photo in no time.

Barb

They are grwoing nicely, just oddly, LOL

Probably indicating where cold damage occurred.
There's nothing like a Musa, though, to explode with growth once heat hits.

Barb

lucky1 wrote:Probably indicating where cold damage occurred.
There's nothing like a Musa, though, to explode with growth once heat hits.

Barb

So true Barb!

My Musa Basjoo is finally flowering . Hope I get bananas soon!!!

<a href="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/khast ... 9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b54 ... 252ca9.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCF3745_zps81252ca9.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/khast ... b.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b54 ... 1b33cb.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCF3743_zpsbe1b33cb.jpg"/></a>