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Member Introductions This is the `tell us about yourself` category. Please make an introductory post here, let us know a little about yourself. A perfect place to break the ice.


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Old 07-31-2011, 11:41 AM   #1 (permalink)
 
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Location: Lancaster, OH
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Default Going bananas in Ohio

Hello banana lovers. My name is Keith and I have been lurking on this site for a while now and have finally decided to subscribe and start filling in my profile. I grew up in South Carolina helping my father cultivate a large growing collection of Musa Orinoco's and I have definitely inherited the love of big beautiful green foliage providing a tropical oasis in non-native locales. I now reside in Central Ohio and I have under my care a modest collection of descendants from those same Orinoco's that I grew up with.

The cultivar collection bug has thoroughly bitten me and now I find myself craving more and more variety in my banana tree addiction. I also inherited a love for all varieties of Elephant Ears and Cannas as big, broad leaf tropical low and mid-height complements to their towering banana landscape neighbors. Although my interest in banana trees is deeply personal, I aspire to one day being at least a small time banana tree vendor/trader to my local area as well as being an advocate of their use in the otherwise non-tropical landscapes of Ohio.
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Old 07-31-2011, 12:00 PM   #2 (permalink)
Love those bananas
 
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Hiya Re: Going bananas in Ohio

Welcome from California ! Have fun this is a great place. Post some pictures soon. Thanks
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Old 07-31-2011, 02:31 PM   #3 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Going bananas in Ohio

Here are two side-by-side photos of my girlfriend's modest abode where the bulk of my banana tree collection now resides. Photos on the left were taken in May and photos on the right were taken in late July. Yes I know it is very wild and overgrown but honestly, this is what she requested and I was happy to oblige.


Close-up of one of the Musa Orinoco's in it's second season.


Here is our sole Orinoco bloom for this season so far.


Here is one of our two Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'


I have a siam ruby, a zebrina rojo, and also a super dwarf cavendish that I would like to add pictures for later, but I will add a pic of 3 Hawaiian Red Iholene's pups that I got on clearance at a local greenhouse.
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Old 07-31-2011, 10:35 PM   #4 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Going bananas in Ohio

Hej and welcome from Kentucky. those banana trees look really kewl! i only have a dwarf cavendish cuz my basjoo died. =( i hope it grows as big as yours!
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Old 08-01-2011, 08:54 AM   #5 (permalink)
 
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Location: Southwest Ohio
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Default Re: Going bananas in Ohio

Welcome from a southwestern Ohioan! Your bananas look great ... thanks for sharing the photos.

Here is my Ohio attempt at "tropical" ... these photos are from back around the 4th of July ... things have filled in and gotten MUCH bigger since then, so I'll have to take a new round of photos to post.

Again, welcome!
Annie







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Old 08-01-2011, 01:08 PM   #6 (permalink)
 
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Location: Lancaster, OH
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Default Re: Going bananas in Ohio

Thank you all for the warm welcome. Annie, quick question since we have a lot of the same plants and are in the same zone and state. How do you handle your Maurelii in the winter? Also, I included a few more pictures below of other bananas in my collection.

My third Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'


My Dwarf Cavendish I just bought at the Lancaster,OH Lowes for cheap.


My Zebrina Rojo and Siam Ruby pups that I purchased from Glasshouse Works in Southeastern Ohio.
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Old 08-02-2011, 08:23 AM   #7 (permalink)
 
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Location: Southwest Ohio
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Default Re: Going bananas in Ohio

I think your bananas & yard look great ... good job!

I also love the Maurelli – they grow fast and add really nice color. However, I have not been thrilled with the way they've overwintered for me. Don't get me wrong, they survive, but they never seem to grow that great the following years. Here's what I do and then the problem:

For ALL my varieites (except the basjoos that stay outside protected), I pot up the smaller plants and put them in a back bedroom with a grow light through the winter. For the larger plants, I take off all but the last leaf and store them in the basement to go dormant (in pots barely big enough to hold the rootball to discourage any attempt at using energy for growth and just enough dirt to cover the roots). I water a tiny bit about once a month to keep the rootball from drying out.

This has worked quite well for all varieites, but the smaller Maurelli put back out the following seasons never seem to get the growing momentum back to get to the large size I know they can. The larger ones that I've had to remove some leaves to get indoors never get the same shape back ... they look bound up and the leaves grow almost straight up and tight – more "pillar-ish" than the usual spread bananas have. If you find you have better luck with a method you try/use, I would sure love to hear from you.

Again, glad to have another Ohioan here and hope we can share experiences since we're so much in the same growing zone.

Annie
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Old 08-02-2011, 12:08 PM   #8 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Going bananas in Ohio

The Maurelii picture I posted in my last reply was actually an older plant in its third season. The first winter I had it, I did not remove any leaves, left it in its pot, and put it in the corner of my warm, sunny southern-facing windowed living room. It did well that winter and produced new leaves at the same staggering pace all the way up until February, when it just slowed down a bit. That second season, it did not fair as well outside only because its pot had a drainage issue and for whatever reason, I didn't get to it quick enough. It did horribly that second season but clung to life.

That second winter, I left all of its leaves on again, and moved it into a dark, cool basement and it pretty much went dormant (only shot up 1-2 leaves all winter). Now this season, I planted it into the ground for the very first time, in soil with excellent drainage and plenty of sun, and it has flourished. It has also retained that nice full rounded shape that I love about Maureliis and did not pillar like you mentioned (I have seen quite a lot of seasoned Maureliis that have pillared around here). I wonder if leaving the leaves on to die out naturally is the secret to keeping a nice shape.

My 3 year old Maurelii


My first season Maurelii
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Old 08-02-2011, 05:24 PM   #9 (permalink)
 
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Location: Southwest Ohio
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Default Re: Going bananas in Ohio

I think you are definitely onto something about leaving the leaves on as key to shape, as the outer leaves being removed apparently cause the base to dry and tighten up, creating a rubber-banding effect that forces any future leaves to go straight up.

That being said, it also means that size is important if I want to keep them more than one season (such as keeping them in pots to manage size), as mine are always planted in the ground and usually get to around 10 ft. tall in a season. I just don't have the room to bring the three large ones I have inside WITH all the leaves, so I guess my "biggies" will just have to remain annuals. Maybe I will keep my 3 smaller ones in pots next season. It will be hard though, as they are SO cool looking when they get huge. Last year, my largest was close to 11 ft. tall with the base of the p-stem larger than a paint bucket halfway through the season and more than twice that when brought indoors. Heck, the pot alone was almost too heavy for me to move around!

Might be moot this year though, as my largest are only around 7 ft. tall right now (they were about 2 ft. when planted), but aren't getting as large as in previous years because tons of rain this spring made me so late in getting everything out.

Here is what the same parts of the yard look like now. Last year, I had gaps between the plants and wanted a fuller look, but went a little overboard and overcompensated this year!


This bed is much better




This is one of my DCs and a Black Thai:


I hope that we will be able to keep in touch to share our experiences growing in this climate,
Annie
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Old 08-02-2011, 06:49 PM   #10 (permalink)
Going Ape for Bananas
 
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Default Re: Going bananas in Ohio

Welcome from a native Ohioian and transplant to Tennessee. Your plants look great and I can see you already have been hooked on Bananas like the rest of us...Welcome and congrats on your naners
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Old 08-09-2011, 10:26 PM   #11 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Going bananas in Ohio

Hi from chillicothe....i lost my Maurelli this spring...it was in a pot and it seemed like it rained everyday for 2 months straight and it rotted. It survived the winter though bare rooted in my basement i left 2 leaves on it. We are only 45 min away maybe we can trade some pups next spring...you have some i dont and i have some you dont...i have overwintered basjoo in the ground for last 2 winters sucessfully. They grow good here..good luck with your plants and congrats on the bloom!
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