View Full Version : Hello from Milwaukee!
eric27
09-25-2010, 10:48 AM
Hi everyone!
After reading a few posts I finally jumped in and joined the group. Just a quick into, I have been growing tropicals here in Milwaukee for about 15 years, with elephant ears and bananas being my main interests. What I really enjoy doing is pushing the limits with anything that I can keep outside over winter here. I have grown Musa Basjoo outside for the last 10 years (flowered in 06) with protection, along with a couple elephat ears (also mulched). I have a couple new bananas I'm going to try this winter, although I'm not 100% sure what they are so when I figure out how to post pics I'll post them for IDing on here. I have also grown a few Ensete and Musa from seed over the years.
Well thats it for now. Thanks for letting me join this great group of people! I hope to learn a lot here.
Eric
CValentine
09-25-2010, 11:20 AM
Welcome Eric!!
I'm in Zone 8a, Central Texas...
Good to have you here with us!! :) ~Cheryl
CoryS
09-25-2010, 12:15 PM
Welcome to the site! It's a virtual encyclopedia for growing in all climates. Def props for your success with Basjoo banana plants! What type of elephant ears are you growing?
eric27
09-25-2010, 12:42 PM
Thanks for the welcome Cheryl and Cory!
For elephant ears I currently have C. Thailand Giant Strain, Diamond Head, Big Dipper, Black Pearl, Pink China, regular green form, Jack's Giant, Ruffles and I think a few others that I forget at the moment. I have had others in the past but I tend to give some away, lose them to rot etc. And I only pick up ones that really stand out for me.
Black Pearl and Pink China come back no problem with mulch, although the Black Pearl seems to grow better for me, much more vigor. They are the only two I leave outside at the moment, although I plan on trying a couple others this winter. My Thailand Giants had a great year since we had high dew points all summer. The biggest leaf maxed out at almost 7 feet. But now the cooler, drier weather has slowed them down.
Patty in Wisc
09-25-2010, 01:28 PM
Welcome Eric :) I live in Milwaukee too --east side. I would gladly swap nana pups for EE's. What side of town are you at? We had a very hot & humid summer --great for the plants.
MediaHound
09-25-2010, 02:48 PM
Hi Eric, welcome aboard.
eric27
09-25-2010, 03:03 PM
Thanks Patty and Mediahound!
Patty send me a message. We can probably work something out.
Eric
CoryS
09-25-2010, 04:31 PM
Thanks for the information, Eric! :)
I'm a noob at growing most things but I'm def all about bananas and elephant ears. That Thailand Giant sounds incredible! We usually have tons of humid here in the summer so I will def try one of those.
eric27
09-25-2010, 06:17 PM
You're welcome Cory! I think it would do really well by you, with all that heat and humidity you get. I put mine in a raised bed, all compost and manure. I didn't fertilize it that much, just a bit here and there, but they do like it. The other thing is tons of water. And you should do really well. Any questions let me know.
Eric
The Hollyberry Lady
09-25-2010, 07:09 PM
http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/hollyberrylady08/2nd%20album/thwelcome3.gif
: )
timmko
09-25-2010, 07:40 PM
Hey there from someone up here in Marshfield,WI .. I am curious on how you winter your elephant ears as I have Jacks that have to be dug up soon and also some Borneo giants that I have potted and inside a heated shed.. I also have 6 large banana's that I just brought inside and had to cut down to about 6ft (9ft ceiling) and just started getting into potted palms also..Would love to hear from you and how you winter yours..thanks and good to see ya on the .org':woohoonaner:
1aday
09-25-2010, 07:40 PM
Welcome Eric!
I'm originally from about 15 miles outside Milwaukee. Great to have more Wisconsin people here!
eric27
09-25-2010, 08:21 PM
Thanks everyone for all the welcomes! It is great to know there are other WI people here, and former ones.
Timmko well here is what I do, for the most part. For elephant ears I keep most in pots and put them in the basement where they go somewhat dormat. Many won't survive outside over winter here. I water sparingly to avoid rot, but if I let them dry out too much they will dry rot too. So it can be tough getting some through the winter. Some don't form tubers big enough to allow them to be unpottd during the winter. Others that do form bigger tubers, like your Jacks, can be unpotted or left in the pot, and again just water on occasion. I found trying to keep them going through the winter by a window wasn't worth it, and spider mites were a big problem. The ones I unpot I clean off all the soil and let the tuber dry and cut the petiol down to about 6 inches or so. For any bananas I drag them into the basement in pots or just drag the upotted banana down there. But I try to stick to most things I can keep outside.
For the elephant ears outside I just cover them with about 6 inches of straw and leaves. They are about 4 feet from a foundation so that helps also. This winter I'm trying a Thailand Giant and Big Dipper that aren't near a foundation. If they don't make it I don't really care. I just want to see how they trial. If they make it great if not I have others. They will get covered much more, a bit similar to the basjoo but scaled down. If you want to know more let me know.
I saw you might get frost tonight. I hope you got everything in.
Eric
wxman
09-25-2010, 09:15 PM
Welcome Eric. Glad to see another person close to me! I'm not the only insane person I guess! :)
Are you growing any palms, or just bananas and elephant ears? I started with the tropicals in 2008 and have come a long way since then. Some of the things I'm growing:
Musa basjoo
Musa orinoco
Ensete maurelii
Black Magic elephant ears
Caladiums
Castor bean
Trachycarpus fortunei
Phoenix sylvestris
Assorted potted stuff
And of course... pics :)
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/wxman81/c2616459.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/wxman81/d32998fd.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/wxman81/497f4545.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/wxman81/39ee21b5.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/wxman81/9b89e17b.jpg
If you don't grow palms, hopefully I can convince you!
Caloosamusa
09-26-2010, 07:31 AM
Welcome Eric to Bananas dot Org, from the Sunshine state!! :jalapenonaner:
eric27
09-26-2010, 02:42 PM
Tim no don't grow any palms right now. You probably will cringe when you hear this but I had bought one earlier in the year to try, I forget the name, put it aside and it died on me from lack of watering. The bananas and elephant ears take up all my time, and worrying about the first Japanese Beetle I found this year! Do you keep any of that out during the winter? Or do you take it in? The first palm looks settled in. Your yard looks great and I love your grass! So jealous. Very very impressive.
Short list:
Musa Basjoo
Musa Thai Black
Musa Saba
Enstet snow banana
Musa yunannensis
Many forms of colocasia
Cannas
Started musa seed recently
No palms yet. I'm quickly, or already, run out if room. Once I get more time I'll get more pics up.
saltydad
09-26-2010, 02:55 PM
A very warm welcome, Eric, from the beautiful state of Maryland. I have a sister-in-law who teaches at the Vet School at the U of Wisc-Madison, and lives in Fitchburg. Beautiful country.
wxman
09-26-2010, 09:43 PM
Tim no don't grow any palms right now. You probably will cringe when you hear this but I had bought one earlier in the year to try, I forget the name, put it aside and it died on me from lack of watering. The bananas and elephant ears take up all my time, and worrying about the first Japanese Beetle I found this year! Do you keep any of that out during the winter? Or do you take it in? The first palm looks settled in. Your yard looks great and I love your grass! So jealous. Very very impressive.
Short list:
Musa Basjoo
Musa Thai Black
Musa Saba
Enstet snow banana
Musa yunannensis
Many forms of colocasia
Cannas
Started musa seed recently
No palms yet. I'm quickly, or already, run out if room. Once I get more time I'll get more pics up.
Hi Eric,
The first palm has been in the ground since July 2008. I overwinter it outside. The other palms I planted this spring and will be overwintering them outside also. Everything else comes in and today was the day I dug everything. Frost tonight! Yippee!
timmko
09-27-2010, 08:00 AM
wxman what kind of palm is it, how do you overwinter them and how big should they be in order to do so. I would love to try this. Thanks for giving me some hope!! lol:woohoonaner:
wxman
09-27-2010, 10:30 AM
Trachycarpus fortunei, or Chinese Windmill Palm. I overwinter it by putting a box over it that is double layer poly with 1 1/2 inch foam on the outside. I then put a space heater inside set at 40 degrees F. It is probably overkill but I don't want to take any chances. Supposedly the palm is hardy to zone 7b or 5F.
eric27
09-27-2010, 06:29 PM
Wxman good job! :nanadrink: I'm glad to hear about your success. They look great. If you saw what I do with my plants, no using the heater is not excess. You know as well as I do how cold it can get around here. It's fun pushing the limit isn't it? I'm glad to know I'm not alone up here.
Timmko when I planted my basjoo 10 years ago everyone told me I couldn't do it. Yeah it takes some work but the end result is well worth it. Give it a try next year. It's true you never know what each winter will be like, and next spring my plants might be trashed, but it's worth trying. I'm sure you will have great success and we are all here to help you out.
wxman
09-27-2010, 09:17 PM
Wxman good job! :nanadrink: I'm glad to hear about your success. They look great. If you saw what I do with my plants, no using the heater is not excess. You know as well as I do how cold it can get around here. It's fun pushing the limit isn't it? I'm glad to know I'm not alone up here.
Timmko when I planted my basjoo 10 years ago everyone told me I couldn't do it. Yeah it takes some work but the end result is well worth it. Give it a try next year. It's true you never know what each winter will be like, and next spring my plants might be trashed, but it's worth trying. I'm sure you will have great success and we are all here to help you out.
Eric,
Do you leave your musa basjoo in the ground? I just dug mine up for the winter. I would like to eventually leave them in the ground. If you do leave them in the ground how do you protect them for our winters? I tried them in the ground in 2008 and they rotted out.
I don't know if I get bad luck, but mine never seem to have corms. They are currently 6 feet tall and just have white roots coming out the bottom of the pseudostem... Seems like there was no underground corm.
Tim
timmko
09-28-2010, 02:38 PM
Yeah I have a question about that also. The ground up where I live is a lot of clay and since the water doesnt' drain well that might also be a problem? What kind of soil do you have. About 1/2 hour south of me the ground has a lot of sand base to it so it does drain well. RIght now my basjoos are near or a bit under 3ft, too small to try and overwinter? I can if needed dig them up for this winter and store them inside a heated building with my others but my main intent on the basjoos was to leave them in the ground.
eric27
09-29-2010, 11:06 PM
Tim,
Well first that is odd that there is no corm and they are alredy 6 ft tall. I know I have smaller ones that have corms cause I see them sticking out of the ground. I wonder why they aren't making any. How do they do over the winter? Do you pot them up?
I'll give you the simple version. The basjoo is in a raised bed so it drains. I think that helps. And the soil is mostly compost, maure and topsoil. I amended it before I planted it 10 years ago and again about 5 years ago. Every year I top dress it with compost, manure and worm castings. My soil is generally very good overall, although I do know 2 other people not far away that have some of the worst clay I have ever seen. I'm lucky I guess.
To get it through the winter I use to (up until last year) cage it, cut the pseudostems down to cage height, and stuff it with straw and leaves. Straw works much better. I cover it with plastic to keep rain out and punch some holes in it to cut down on condensation. Over that goes burlap and I even use black fleece.
Last year I started something different that I plan to do again. It worked really well and I want to see if it was due to the mild winter we had or if it is a better method. I took straw bales and built a wall around a couple of the stems. This year I plan to widen it and do it all around the whole plant. Inside I stuff it with straw. I cover all that with the same method as above. The stems did really well last year.
I had 2 really bad years, I forget which 2, when all the stems got knocked to the ground and new ones had to start from the corms. But all of the other years I have managed to save some degree of stems, from a foot to 5 or 6 feet. As you both know it depends on our winter. But this will be it's 10th winter in the ground. I have never taken it out since planting it. It's a lot of work but well worth it. Actually my biggest problem has been 2 or 3 times losing nice big pseudostems to center rot. They were huge, would have flowered, but due to cutting the top and exposing the growing tip rot got in over winter from too much moisture. The irony is smaller thinner ones would survive just fine-ones I didn't cut. So I never know what will happen.
I hope this helps!
Eric
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