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xyzzy · 01-22-2009, 09:30 AM

Wow! he does very well, but it looks like he digs his up in winter and replants in spring. I think the winters are milder in the UK than in Germany, which believe it or not, makes it harder here!

If dug up, they will not go dormant and grow lots of leaves ( about 1 every 2 weeks) using up all their reserves and are very weak or dead by spring. I think mine will probably overwinter outdoors without digging it up, but am not sure how much protection to give it. Adding protective fleece takes light off and it is anything but dormant at the moment, even though every leaf it puts up gets killed by frost and will do until about March probably.

This is a problem in the UK as bananas are hard to overwinter here because it is not cold enough for them to go dormant, but cold enough to give them problems, and worse still, wet and damp to rot them and soak fleece protection etc! Also we have quite a lot of extreme winds here.

01-22-2009, 09:30 AM	#5 (permalink)
xyzzy Tropically Bonkers Location: Devon, UK. Find me on the map! Zone: 9b, but UK so no sun, always raining and infested with slugs. Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 120 BananaBucks : 31,368 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Anyone growing Ensete outside in the UK? Wow! he does very well, but it looks like he digs his up in winter and replants in spring. I think the winters are milder in the UK than in Germany, which believe it or not, makes it harder here! If dug up, they will not go dormant and grow lots of leaves ( about 1 every 2 weeks) using up all their reserves and are very weak or dead by spring. I think mine will probably overwinter outdoors without digging it up, but am not sure how much protection to give it. Adding protective fleece takes light off and it is anything but dormant at the moment, even though every leaf it puts up gets killed by frost and will do until about March probably. This is a problem in the UK as bananas are hard to overwinter here because it is not cold enough for them to go dormant, but cold enough to give them problems, and worse still, wet and damp to rot them and soak fleece protection etc! Also we have quite a lot of extreme winds here. __________________ There is no such thing as can't grow it - but the determination required may lose you your partner, family and friends - but does that matter?.