Quote:
Originally Posted by bananimal
Charles,
Can't comment on the insulation/heating method.
However -------- what you select to protect is very important.
I would not bother with pstems that are 60 to 70% close to fruiting size.
The pstem has to be young enough to produce at least 10 or so leaves to support fruit development next year. Having a naner pop 4 leaves next year, and then the flower, won't work. And keeping the big guy will inhibit the biggest pup from taking over quickly.
What I do - if a frost is sure to come -- I cover up the biggest 2 pups and leave the pstem intact. Remove some of the pups older leaves and pull the rest together secured with Home Despot green velcro tape. The outer leaves will still get fried but they protect the cigar leaf. Frost protection cloth top to bottom secured with black binder clips from Office Despot.
When danger of frost is over I cut down the big frost bitten pstem and unwrap next years take over pups. For me that is late Feb. I'm starting to get more fruit now this year.
Dan
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Dan that is one of my dilemmas. I have several really nice P-Stems 10 - 15 feet but I think I should sacrifice them and maybe keep an 8 - 10 footer at least on the Orinoco variety.
A Palm nurseryman told me today that he has heard from other professionals that we are going to have a mild winter. I hope they are right.
I'm hoping that as the corm develops larger and larger each year that the pups will grow faster so that a 8 footer can reach 15 feeet and bloom by May 15 or earlier. My first bloom this year was June 1 but it only produced three small hands. A second bloom October 1 produced 6 hands but it is too late for me to expect that they will all fill out.