Bobwright69

Hey folks....new to the Forums here but I was bit by the banana bug hard late last year. Started with a pup from a friend and this year have about 30 plants growing in Springfield, Illinois.

One of my favorites is the Siam Ruby. I just purchased it about a month ago and with the hot summer sun and midwest humidity it is sprouting a new leaf about every 5-6 days. When I purchased it I thought I could winter it like the bamoosas and just dig it up, chop the leaves off, knock the dirt off the crom or r-zome and let it go dormant.

But before I do that and kill it....does anyone have any experience wintering a Siam this way? Or would I be better served to dig it up and plant it in a pot for the winter?

raggedyredhead

That's a good question. I have two Siam Ruby. All I found out so far is winter temp. for these is not lower than 66 degrees. They were just discovered two
years ago so not a lot of information is known. I've been growing mine in pots.
They are just under 4ft. I will probably keep mine growing under lights. You can do the same if yours isn't too big. Hope someone has the answer for us.

stumpy4700

mine is going in the sun room with very little water. good luck

saltydad

I will be bringing in the pups as potted plants. The mom will be protected outside in the ground as an experiment in hardiness.

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Chironex

Mine's going to spend the winter in the garage. But I am in zone 9, so it's just enough to keep it out of the cold and frost. Good luck!

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Scot

Dean W.

Mine will go inside aswell. Oh, welcome to the forum.

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Bobwright69

Thank you to everyone who welcomed me to the site and feedback on how you will be wintering your Siam Ruby. I'm glad to see there are others out there as fascinated with banana plants as I am. I think I'll play it safe and pot it and bring it in. Hopefully I'll get a pup or two before then.

Cheers

Gold3nku5h

I just bought one today, after watching, and messing with it at my work. I didn't know what it was, but had an incling that it was a siam ruby just by the color. Dont worry, it is, but i finally lusted for it last night, and went buy and got it. I never really liked how it looked so im trying to figure out if i want to chop it down, and let it regrow. its about 4 feet tall with a just opened third leaf. any thoughts on what i should do to get a new look out of it? i may let it grow out the rest of this year, and when i bring it back out for spring, may chop it then....? And welcome to the forum

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Chironex

Went outside when I woke up this morning and saw my very first pup! The Siam Ruby that I just repotted this Monday has put out a pup about 4 inches tall - overnight! It wasn't there yesterday.
It may be because I had to cut off a scorched leaf that had just come out. It was blocking the path of new leaf growth and kept falling the wrong way. I cut it at the petiole base to open up the channel. There is a new cigar leaf coming now.
I have read that these are prodigious puppers, but out of my 33 bananas, this was my first pup - am I a grandpa now????

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Scot

damaclese

siam Ruby's are fairly slow growers for Bananas but still quite fast compared to other plants if you chop it you will set the plant back allot and if its been in a green house recently it probably doesn't have that good a root system and will probably go in to shock even thou its not got allot of leafs if you are peasant with it you will have a full head of leaves soon enough some times after you get a banana they will just kinda sit there and look like there not doing any thing but trust me they are probably growing roots and if it dose go in to chock and some how manges to live its going to look way weirs then it dose now and for way longer then if you let it go and all sum it up by saying one last thing a Siam that is 4' tall is not unheard of but not many of us have them that big so i again have to say you just cant go hacking on them like a rose bush there (sensitive and emotional plants)LOL just kidding but not really
i only hope mine gets to be 4 ft tall some day

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bdollarbill

Mine will go inside aswell

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