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ilmr
08-26-2009, 07:01 AM
Here's two basjoos I planted in june. I first thought that the smaller one featured in the image had died since it had lost it's above ground parts and ordered a new one (the bigger one). I'm planning on digging the smaller one up and trying to keep the bigger one in ground for the winter even tho' it too is rather small.

I'm not sure how long the night temperatures will be above freezing here, could be anything from one week to two months I guess, so this might be the final size they reach this summer or not.

Next year I think I will have to create a new bench since I think this one is already too small with the two palms. I'm also thinking about getting a few other bananas next summer and planting them a whole lot earlier so I could get some decent growth.

http://sokeri.com/banaanit/musa_basjoo1.jpg

http://sokeri.com/banaanit/musa_basjoo2.jpg

Jack Daw
08-26-2009, 08:20 AM
Sweet, what about those seedlings? Will you dig them up too? Is it Trachycarpus?

ilmr
08-26-2009, 08:22 AM
Sweet, what about those seedlings? Will you dig them up too? Is it Trachycarpus?

The smaller one up front is a Sabal Minor and the one in the back is a Rhapidophillum hystrix. I'll also try to overwinter them in the ground. I also have five trachys and another rhapido that I'll try to overwinter. And some cacti. It'll prolly end up a genocide, but I figured It'll be worth the try _o/

Jack Daw
08-26-2009, 09:23 AM
The smaller one up front is a Sabal Minor and the one in the back is a Rhapidophillum hystrix. I'll also try to overwinter them in the ground. I also have five trachys and another rhapido that I'll try to overwinter. And some cacti. It'll prolly end up a genocide, but I figured It'll be worth the try _o/
I'm no better killer, but zone 5 is zone 5, not like pushing limits with zone 8 palms to my border zone, but skip so much... Will be fun. :D

ilmr
08-26-2009, 10:05 AM
I'm no better killer, but zone 5 is zone 5, not like pushing limits with zone 8 palms to my border zone, but skip so much... Will be fun. :D

I'll try to protect them well. Also there's atleast a few people here in Finland that have managed to overwinter bananas so what I'm mostly afraid is that the nana might not have a strong enough rhizome and the fact that I'm inexperienced with winter protecting plants with the fact that I don't have the plants here where I live, but at our summer cottage some 1,5 hours away so I can't react to changes in the weather that well. I do have Francko's book about zone pushing and I'll try to follow it accordingly. I'll try to take some pictures when I set up the winterprotection so that others can learn from my mistakes :-)

Jack Daw
08-26-2009, 11:45 AM
... I'll try to take some pictures when I set up the winterprotection so that others can learn from my mistakes :-)
Our ingenious spirit. You never know. ;)

ilmr
09-25-2009, 06:27 AM
+0c forecasted for tonight, I wonder how my nanas will look tomorrow when I go see them at our summer place. I guess it's time to set up a burlap enclosure if there's anything left.

Jack Daw
09-25-2009, 09:07 AM
+0c forecasted for tonight, I wonder how my nanas will look tomorrow when I go see them at our summer place. I guess it's time to set up a burlap enclosure if there's anything left.
Frost already? Wow. We were told by older people that frost would sometimes come this early, but nights are usually around 13 to 15°C here, only one night will be an exception of going to around 9°C.
GOod luck with naners.

marenmar
09-25-2009, 12:28 PM
Wow that's really fast BRRR...
Lucky Jack:P
Forecast over here is 7-8-9-12-12-8-11 that will be averaged a 9.6
I have one Basjoo in the garden, with 4 pups. Any chance of survival of these pups?

Pic comes soon!

Jack Daw
09-25-2009, 12:50 PM
Wow that's really fast BRRR...
Lucky Jack:P
Forecast over here is 7-8-9-12-12-8-11 that will be averaged a 9.6
I have one Basjoo in the garden, with 4 pups. Any chance of survival of these pups?

Pic comes soon!
I believe the damage will be minimal. It starts getting bad at 3°C (water expands to maximum) and then below 0°C. No worries before these values. I have even tropical bananas outside and they are doing fine. :ha:

marenmar
09-25-2009, 01:10 PM
I know, but i'm really sure temps over here eventually will drop below 0, that's what I'm worried about ;) Right now all nanners except for M. Florida are outside. So that's Accuminata Sumatrana, Cavendishes, Basjoo, Basjoo Red, Dwarf Red, Siam Ruby, Ice cream and the "maybe-raja Puri" :D

They're doing fine, but in october I'll bring most of 'em inside.Below are the pics of the basjoo & pups

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=23817><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=23817&size=1 border=0></a>

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=23819><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=23819&size=1 border=0></a>

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=23818><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=23818&size=1 border=0></a>

musa_monkey
09-26-2009, 04:33 AM
Its starting to get colder here as well, we were close to our first frost of the year last night. Soon be time to put the bananas away for the winter. I shall be clearing out the greenhouse and insulating with bubble wrap this week end.

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/musa_monkey/PO20090824_0013.jpg

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/musa_monkey/PO20090824_0014.jpg

ilmr
09-28-2009, 02:45 AM
Yay! First frost hadn't reached my basjoo yet. However later this week night time temperature should reach -2c so it was time to create a clumsy enclosure.

http://sokeri.com/banaanit/enclosure_1.jpg

http://sokeri.com/banaanit/enclosure_2.jpg
I'm really not sure will the winds blow that down, need to check that next weekend.


http://sokeri.com/banaanit/protection_1.jpg

I also had to put some sticks around my mini greenhouse that protects my cacti from excessive rain. When I arrived the roof had blown off. Also mulched my palms a bit, even tho' it's not yet time for a full scale protection.

ilmr
09-28-2009, 07:50 AM
..And now I just did some preparation for next year and just ordered two basjoo pups (which my friend will overwinter and try some pseudo-science comparison watering the other one with nuked water and the otherone with regular water, lol) and an Ensete maurelii that should be decently sized. I did enquire from another vendor too about some other plants, will see how that goes.

marenmar
09-28-2009, 02:54 PM
Any idea if I should remove the 4 pups or leave them on? In winter temps are below 0 at night. Worst we had last year is -12

<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=23818><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=23818&size=1 border=0></a>

Dalmatiansoap
09-28-2009, 03:01 PM
What? Zero? Right now?

marenmar
09-28-2009, 03:22 PM
no :) i'm happy it's 9! but the basjoo will stay outside in winter, ans so will the pups if I do not cut them off

Jack Daw
09-28-2009, 04:10 PM
no :) i'm happy it's 9! but the basjoo will stay outside in winter, ans so will the pups if I do not cut them off
Precisely the same minimum as I had here. I wouldn't remove the pups, because our wet/freezing temps might cause the corm wound rot very quickly. Just keep it there and even if it dies, you won't risk rotting.

ilmr
09-29-2009, 02:55 AM
Doh, the low forecast at the moment is -0, -3, -4, -3.. I think my protection has no chance against -4c, but time to prepare for next season then!

Dalmatiansoap
09-29-2009, 06:08 AM
Can U pot it? Try to save it somehow.
:woohoonaner:

ilmr
09-29-2009, 06:51 AM
Can U pot it? Try to save it somehow.
:woohoonaner:

Nopes, it's still at my summer cottage and I really can't get there on weekdays.
Oh well, were supposed to try to overwinter it in the ground anyway. Would've wanted the growing season to last a bit longer tho'. I did mulch around it a bit so maybe the smaller one might come through without much damage... I'll post some gruesome pictures after next weekend's visit.

ilmr
10-10-2009, 11:29 AM
Just visited my bananas. After the -4c frost the bigger one had lost all it's leaves but the pseudostem was in good shape and I cut it down to 25cm. The smaller one still had some green leaves so I cut off the dead leaves and left it like that. Even my shelter thing was still up! I was quite certain that it wouldve broken down since there was a storm a few days ago.

EDIT: I shouldve prolly checked the forecast and do some more mulching. Five day low forecast is -5 -3 -3 -4 -6 :(

saltydad
10-10-2009, 03:53 PM
Goo0d luck!

ilmr
11-07-2009, 03:39 PM
Doh, I snapped both my tibia and fitula last week playing football, or futsal to be exact. Seems like I'll be in a bit of a rush to set up winter protection when I'm able to walk again:( Oh well, there's always next year!

Dalmatiansoap
11-07-2009, 04:44 PM
Thats bad. Hope U ll get better soon. Your team will sure miss U. Banana growers are great sports:ha::ha::ha:
:woohoonaner:

Seweryn
11-08-2009, 07:37 AM
Nasty matter, Perkele!!!

Alexander
11-18-2009, 10:41 PM
Musa basjoo in Finland! I did not know they grow that far north! I guess the best way to grow them there is to start with a bigger plant, with at least a trunk of 150 cm in spring and to plant it against the south side of a building. And best against a stone one. And in autumn mulch it with a meter straw or leaves. A plant the as the size on that picture I would overwinter indoor. And let it grow on a sunny window so you start with a big plant in spring.

I wonder where the most northerly Musa basjoo grows by the way. I can still remember that I planted my first Musa basjoo here in Leidschendam in 1994 that people said you can not grow them here in Holland. Now there are plenty big ones arround here i n the country. But our climate is much milder then Finland luckely!

Alexander