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View Full Version : Year 2007 in Review


austinl01
01-25-2008, 05:30 PM
Last year, Arkansans experienced some good gardening conditions. Rainfall was below normal (what's new, right?). The drought didn't effect gardening too much with weekly and bi-weekly waterings. Here are a few pics of my banana successes last year. It's the first time for me to get these blooms.

Musa basjoo--I've been growing this banana for 4 years now without any blooms. Two plants decided to reward me this year with flowers and little bananas. It was too late for them to ripen and frost ultimately put an end to the flower and bananas.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2/austinl01/Bananas/Trachycarpus008.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2/austinl01/Bananas/MidNovember003a.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2/austinl01/Bananas/MidNovember009a.jpg


Musella lasiocarpa--My first year to grow this one. I ordered a 5 gallon plant from Triple Oaks Nursery in New Jersey during the late fall months of 2006. I overwintered it in the cold garage noticing the pseudostem was expanding in November. I let it go dormant, and it decided to reward me with lots of blooms all season long. These flowers lasted from June to November!

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2/austinl01/Bananas/Musella.jpg


Now, the bananas are waiting to shoot for the stars this spring. They look like this right now with lots of leaves over and around them.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c2/austinl01/Bananas/LateWinter2007003.jpg

I hope you all enjoyed these pics from Little Rock!

mskitty38583
01-25-2008, 05:47 PM
i hope this year you have many more bananas and many more flowers. they are quite pretty. thanks for sharing the pics.

CookieCows
01-25-2008, 10:35 PM
It must have been hard loosing those little nanners!!! Well they look snug in their leaf bed now. I see your grass goes to sleep there too!

Come on SPRING!! You've got beautiful plants!

Deb

Randy4ut
01-26-2008, 06:37 AM
Looks great, Austin...
Still amazes me about your multi flower lasiocarpus. Hopefully I will be as lucky as you were on day... Thanks for sharing...

island cassie
01-26-2008, 07:59 AM
Very nice!!!

Cassie

Bananaman88
01-26-2008, 09:30 AM
Great job this past year, Austin! Keep up the good work!

AllenF
01-26-2008, 10:32 AM
Very nice. I didn't realize that the musella would have multiple blooms.

I am pleased to see that the M. Basjoo bloomed at about 10'.

Allen

dablo93
01-26-2008, 04:25 PM
nice pics austin!
i really like the musella, do you protect him?

51st state
01-26-2008, 07:09 PM
excellent pics.

looking forward to a good growing year in 2008.

the weather really seems to have turned a corner ((probably means a cold snap is just around the corner), the poly tunnel was up to 25C today, wow.

More plants and seeds coming in from all over the world, driving my wife bananas!!

mskitty38583
01-26-2008, 07:16 PM
it might drive her nuts...but isnt it fun to get a package in the mail? especially when you know theres new nanas and plants in it.

austinl01
01-26-2008, 07:25 PM
nice pics austin!
i really like the musella, do you protect him?

Thanks! This is the first year that I'm overwintering it outdoors. I have it mulched heavily with oak leaves. The low has been 17 degrees so far and most of the pseudostems are still solid. It will be fun to see when the plant starts growing again this spring.

magicgreen
01-27-2008, 10:12 AM
Those flowers are BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Boy o boy I cant wait till my babies do that!