Log in

View Full Version : help needed with my musa basjoo


iow sean
01-17-2010, 06:42 AM
Hi all,
i got my first musa basjoo last year at the start of summer.All through the summer it grew really well.Then the winter started and now things aren`t looking so good.
The plant has spent the winter in my shed on a bench by the window.The frost hasn`t got to it but he`s not loooking to well.
The main stem is about 2 foot tall but all the leaves(whats left of them) have turned brown and very limp.They look like old tobacco leaves hanging off the top of it.
Is he beyond repair ?????
thanks for reading

LilRaverBoi
01-17-2010, 11:47 AM
I would cut off all the dead leaves...they're no good to the plant now. Beyond that, check for spider mites, they like to strike during winter. Look for webs on leaves, especially on the undersides, and tiny little buggers.

jack hagenaars
01-17-2010, 01:01 PM
dont overwater if you are just storing it.....once a month is plenty if it is dormant......as the weather warms up,then increase the light and water

palmtree
01-17-2010, 01:31 PM
As long as the trunk is firm you have no problem. New leaves will sprout when warmer weather returns. Even the lighyest frost damages most banana leaves, but a musa basjoo's trunk and leaves can handle a lot more cold than that.

Good luck!

iow sean
01-17-2010, 01:53 PM
thanks for all the replys...the trunks still feels firm so fingers crossed.
As we are still in winter over here would i be better off putting it in a greenhouse that is heated?
Lilraver ....silly question but where do i cut off the dead leaves from ???

LilRaverBoi
01-17-2010, 02:09 PM
Just remove anything brown/dry. If the whole leaf is dry, cut it either at where it meets the stem, or if it is dry on parts of the stem, you can gently peel them back and cut just above where it is moist/firm. I usually wait till things are dried out before removing it.

jack hagenaars
01-20-2010, 06:22 PM
what zone are you in? What part of the world?

iow sean
01-21-2010, 12:39 PM
i`m on the isle of wight , which is a small island off the south coast of england. sorry i dont know what zone

jack hagenaars
01-21-2010, 05:42 PM
your musa basjoo will be fine then....you are probably somewhere in a zone 8.

iow sean
01-22-2010, 03:02 AM
Great, Lil raver suggested cutting back all the dead brown leaves which i have now done.
Do you think i should put the plant in a heated greenhouse for now , as we are still in winter over here.
thanks everyone for the help

sandy0225
01-22-2010, 06:33 PM
Well, yeah, if you have a heated greenhouse, put it in there and get a head start on spring growth.Or is it planted in the ground directly already, which would mean a different set of instructions...

Kevin
01-23-2010, 11:51 PM
I'm new to this too, but wouldn't Musa basjoo be perfectly hardy on the Isle of Wight? Wait until spring, then plant it right in the ground. It wouldn't even need protection, would it?

iow sean
01-24-2010, 04:23 AM
morning kevin,
good to hear from you.I`m not sure if it would be hardy or not.I only got it last year and it stands about 3ft. well it did before winter set it.I know of two very large plants on the island that are out side , that seem to look pretty good.

jack hagenaars
01-24-2010, 01:17 PM
I am with kevin...spring is just around the corner...plant it in the ground