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View Full Version : Overwintering bananas


wxman
12-12-2010, 08:44 PM
I'm overwintering musa basjoo, musa orinoco and ensete maurelii in my basement. I put 3 to a 18 gallon walmart tub with my custom soil mix, 40% topsoil, 40% bark and 20% perlite. They are under 30,000 lumens of light which are on 14 hours a day. No mite problems and since they are in the basement, I hit them with the garden hose once a week to wash off any bugs. I believe bananas get off to a better start in spring if you keep them going all winter.

Back in October:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/wxman81/5e5f48f3.jpg

Recent pic:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/wxman81/a248492d.jpg

palmtree
12-12-2010, 10:40 PM
Last year I tried to keep my bananas dormant during the winter and they did terrible in the spring so this year I have kept them all growing. I brought in my Black Thai and SDC a week or 2 ago when we got our first freeze, and now they are pushing up their first new leaves. My Musa Velutina has pushed up 3 leaves since it went inside in late october, and so did my 2 musa Basjoos. My Musa saba is doing well too and my ensete is getting a little beat up by aphids, but hopefully it will recover in spring!
Thanks for sharing your pics. Your banana plants look great!

eric27
12-13-2010, 03:48 PM
Tim your plants look great in the basement! They really have put on some nice growth. In spring they should really take off for you. I'm sure they are much happier down there than under all the snow we just got. Although here in Milwaukee we only got 1.1 inches I think you got a lot more? My basjoo outside is holding up well...so far. I hope your palms outside are doing ok.
Eric

Dean W.
12-13-2010, 05:07 PM
Looks great! I suppose you have a grow light?