Baby Musa Basjoos Arrived Today – Now What?
 

Hi All,

I am new to Musa Basjoo Banana plants. I have been doing a lot of research over the past few weeks online and lurking on these forums to learn from all of you before I purchased the plants. I am so excited to have discovered these plants and create a tropical feel in my NJ yard!

My 11 plants arrived today in 4” pots. They are in pretty good shape (see linked pictures).

As soon as they arrived I unpacked them and put them on the front porch and watered them. I have read it is not good to keep them in a lot of sun in the beginning because they can get burned. It is 65 degrees and overcast today – actually a little chilly so I brought them in after a few hours.

I live in central New Jersey 1 mile from the beach and our house is on a brackish inlet/river. I believe I am in Zone 6b.

Here are some questions:

I am liking the overwintering process I have read about where you plant them deep. Do I need to grow these little plants bigger before I plant them in the ground to do this? If so, how big should the get first and can I grow them bigger in the 4” pots or do I need to repot them for a while.

We are supposedly past any frost here. Depending on the answer to the question above, can I plant them in the ground this small or should I get them a little stronger to recover from their “travels” first.

Thank you so much in advance for your advice. I will post progress pictures!

Unpacking Baby Musa Basjoo Banana that arrived via USPS (shipping was fast)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz...FVB&authuser=0

Height of Musa Basjoo the day they arrived. (In 4” pots. About 8 of them average 7” and 3 are about 5”)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz...mxn&authuser=0

Re: Baby Musa Basjoos Arrived Today – Now What?
 

Basjoo is the most hardy banana I've encountered... I say pot or plant them up asap and water one good time and wait till they start throwing leafs to water again... They tolerate many different soils but give them something good and wha-la, voila, presto.. I'd grow them in pots for awhile if you are afraid of sun damage or cold but they will get bigger quicker if they go straight in the ground, is my humble opinion.

Re: Baby Musa Basjoos Arrived Today – Now What?
 

Thanks! I'll go off and do research on the very best way to plant them and best soil/feed to put in the hole - unless of course you could provide :)

Oh - how about my question on planting deeper - can I do that with these if there is just a little green sticking out of the soil?

Re: Baby Musa Basjoos Arrived Today – Now What?
 

With eleven of them! Try all the different ways you can think of, the ones that grow best will give you lots of pups before the fall. You can learn a lot in one season.

Re: Baby Musa Basjoos Arrived Today – Now What?
 

Scott,

Thanks so much for your advice! So what you are saying is I should have pups by the fall -- would I bring them in for the winter?

Re: Baby Musa Basjoos Arrived Today – Now What?
 

in zone 6 try all the ways you can think of. Bassjoo will survive outside or inside. go back and read the cold hearty forum!

Re: Baby Musa Basjoos Arrived Today – Now What?
 

Just dont expose them to full sun too quickly, gradually get them used to it for a week or so, moving in brighter light over time, if you have pets I would put wooden dowel rods like you get in the crafts department around them as they are small, and this keeps animals from laying on them, dogs love to lay in freshly dug earth. All bananas grow faster and larger in the ground compared to containers, plant them pretty soon though so they get an established root system that can withstand the cold this coming winter, that's the secret to getting tropicals to survive, early establishment when danger of frost has passed. I usually plant small TC starter plants in 7 inch pots and grow for a few weeks, just because its easier to water, and protect them while they are smaller.

Re: Baby Musa Basjoos Arrived Today – Now What?
 

my first year basjoo I grew under grow lights in the winter in a pot till it warmed up around may15 th I was able to put it in the ground at around a foot or little more. By end of October when I cut it all down which was really sad to do.it had 5 tall pups around 3 foot or 4 foot of pstem and pushing up like 5 or more small ones. So with 11 plants you are going to have a lot by the end of the season. I don't know about planting them when they are still very young. I planted mine in full sun and they were grown inside all winter so they got sunburnt. But I knew they would just grow more leaves fast and those burnt ones would just come off later so if they weren't outside and used to the sun you might want to let them adjust some to the sun if they are really small.i don't know about this some of the more experienced growers might know if it matters or not.

Re: Baby Musa Basjoos Arrived Today – Now What?
 

Hi, hope U wanted a jungle, cause that's what U will have. I am also in NJ zone 6B. All you need is a couple, they pup like crazy. I cover mine with a few inches of mulch and they come back. I would just cut pseudo stem and bury them in mulch. Very easy to maintain. I protect from the sun with a shade cloth until they adapt. They will burn. Good luck!

Re: Baby Musa Basjoos Arrived Today – Now What?
 

Thanks Raggedyhead! Glad to get advice from someone so close geographically. A jungle in certain spots sounds awesome -- I want to close my eyes, well keep them open, and feel like I am in an exotic tropical place haha.

I have been bringing the little guys out everyday for about 4 hours in the sun and they are all doing well and growing new leaves. :woohoonaner: I planted my first one yesterday in a huge pot (I want to do a few in pots) and plan to do the rest in the ground over the next few days.

So quick question, do you think I still need a shade cloth if I have been acclimating them this way? I do not even know how I would go about that. The forecast down here by the beach doesn't have it getting into the 80's for another 2 weeks.