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View Full Version : Ensete Glaucum - Winter Protection???


Seba
07-16-2010, 02:32 PM
Dear all,

I have a small Ensete glaucum. It is only 30 cm tall. I keep it oustide and I will recover it in October. I'd like to plant it directly into the ground next spring. I live in Italy (zone 8a/8b).
Has anyone experience with this species in zone 8?
Has anyone kept it in the ground during the winter? With what protections?

best regards
Stefano
www.StefanoBarone.net (http://www.stefanobarone.net)

coast crab
07-16-2010, 06:15 PM
Hi Stefano.

I bought a small glaucum last year and planted it in my garden here in Mobile, Alabama (8b). We had the worst winter in many years and it froze to the ground. It had no protection other than a high, evergreen Live Oak canopy.

Today, it is taller than me and as wide as it is tall. I've been meaning to take a picture to post because it is so beautiful. I'll post it here tomorrow. The color and form are incomparable. I love that there are no pups so you can enjoy it as a single specimen.

I'd mulch it well and hope for the best. I'm sure my canopy helped considerably, does yours have some overhead protection?

Russell

Seba
07-17-2010, 04:33 AM
Hi Stefano.

I bought a small glaucum last year and planted it in my garden here in Mobile, Alabama (8b). We had the worst winter in many years and it froze to the ground. It had no protection other than a high, evergreen Live Oak canopy.

Today, it is taller than me and as wide as it is tall. I've been meaning to take a picture to post because it is so beautiful. I'll post it here tomorrow. The color and form are incomparable. I love that there are no pups so you can enjoy it as a single specimen.

I'd mulch it well and hope for the best. I'm sure my canopy helped considerably, does yours have some overhead protection?

Russell

Dear Russell,

what was its size before winter? Did you cut it inside the canopy? What bed temperatures did you register? I live in zone 81/b.

All the best
Stefano

coast crab
07-17-2010, 10:57 AM
Stefan,

It never got more than waist high last year. The pstem thickened considerably, but it didn't get much heigtht. I was sure it was dead as we had a week of nights in the low 20 degrees and lots of rain and even some snow one day. Like I said, it was a very cold winter for us. Glaucum and ventricosum both froze to ground and I was sure they'd rot, but both came back very strong.

I'm 8b too, don't know what the bed temp was.

Today...

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34335&ppuser=5745><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34335&size=1 border=0></a>