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View Full Version : My Zebrina


john_ny
07-23-2010, 04:05 PM
This plant suffered many indignities over the past year, but still came back strong. It was a TC, in the spring of '09. Planted in the ground amd, in the fall, dug up again and potted. It was placed in a warm cellar, and kept growing over the winter. It received no natual light, only artificial (Cheap HD shop lights, nothing exotic.) Shortly, a pup arrived. The plant grew slowly, but a lot of the leaves dried up, because I only got it watered sporadically. When I took it out in the spring, the main plant and the pup each had about 2 good leaves. As I was cutting the dried up leaves off, I brushed it up against an overhanging branch, and knocked one of the good leaves off the main plant. When I went to put it under a tree, to acclimate slowly, I had to reach over several other pots of plants, And couldn't quite make it, so I had to let the pot drop for about the last 6 inches. When it hit the ground, the main p-stem snaaped right off, at about 6 inches.
It recovered nicely and, when i put it back in the ground, a while ago, I noticed another new little pup.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=34670&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=34670&ppuser=826)

Dean W.
07-23-2010, 04:10 PM
Looks great, John. Mine were almost killed by the heavy freeze we had during winter. I had left them outside in the ground unprotected.

cherokee_greg
07-23-2010, 04:14 PM
nice plant

CoryS
07-24-2010, 10:23 AM
Definitely congrats on your success! :) They look great! Your post means a lot to me since I'm in zone 7 too and have a Zebrina banana plant coming in the mail [prolly in about a week]. That's an awesome looking banana plant but I had no idea [till now] just how tough they are! :D
Definitely thanks for sharing!

john_ny
07-24-2010, 11:56 AM
Just be careful; I think they're pretty sensitive to cold.

CoryS
07-24-2010, 12:37 PM
Just be careful; I think they're pretty sensitive to cold.

Thanks and I will! I read that it's a good idea not to try and grow most banana plants outiside if it's going to be less than 50*f. I will dig it up, pot it, and bring it inside for the winter before it gets that cold. I originally just wanted large banana plants [more than 8 feet tall] but those red/green leaves look incredible!

LilRaverBoi
07-24-2010, 01:05 PM
Sounds like it's had a hard life, but I'm glad it has come back strong for ya! Thanks for the story!