Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Well I've been winterizing 2 Mekong Giants for the last couple of years and it paid off. A couple of weeks ago I noticed a flag leaf with a bud! Now I have bananas! I don't think the bananas will mature before the first frost but the flower and baby bananas are still pretty cool! The plant that is budding is about 16' tall. I have one that only grew about 10' that has a flag leaf and a Ice Cream that is about 15' without any signs of budding. I'll post some pics as soon as I figure how too...

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Congrats..I am in Wisconsin too how do you store them over winter? I have had probmlems in pots as they rot very easily.

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

cool! Can't wait to see pics.

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Congrats! Always glad to hear about people in colder zones growing bananas.

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Last September.

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Winterized inside the house...

They where hit by a pretty good storm just before I brought them in. I put them in pots with the soil they where growing in from outside. I trim the leaves as little as posible. That seems to be the trick for long winters. I water them maybe 3 times over winter. It's hard not to water them but you have to resist! By spring most of the leaves are dead.

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Spring...
I usually cut the remaining leaves off and try to spred the pseudostem open at the top a little. Otherwise the leaves tend to stick on the way out.

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Budding...

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Awesome, man, way to go! :bananas_b

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Question:
If the bananas don't fully ripen can one cook or fry them like a plantain ? It sounds like a try for us if anything happens late in the season since it is still fairly warm here in central Florida and no good blooms yet but some plants looking very good.
Thanks

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Excellent work! Congratulations. Mine just started to bloom this past week here in Southern New Jersey...Woot woot!

Re: Banans Budding In Wisconsin!!!
 

Musa basjoo you could maybe even leave in the ground. But with at least a meter of straw to protect it!

Here in the The Netherlands they are roothardy with good mulching. It can get -20 C here and colder.

Alexander