ekoboat

I planted these basjoo in May 2006 as 10 inch pups. Heavy protection in a straw cage last winter. As I have posted before, these 2 grew all winter due to the heavy protection and I had to cut new growth off every couple of weeks. 17 months from planting to flower.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7464701@N02/1477124044/

the flying dutchman

Congrats, that is very fast for a Basjoo, a beautiful picture too.




Ron

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sandy0225

That is so cool! I hope that someday I can protect mine enough for winter so that they can do that.

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Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
1501 East Fuson Road
Muncie, IN 47302
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specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~
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natedogg1026

Congrats! I'm in 6b too, and to have a flower in this area, is something too really be proud of. Awesome!!

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Banana's are a safe addiction. Right?Maybe I need classes.

ekoboat

Thank you all for your nice comments. I really didn't think I would get a bloom, and was quite shocked to find not one, but two! The bees really love it! Natedogg, I see you live just northeast of me. Are those Yucca Rostrata you have out in front of your house?

oppalm

nice work. If you get a chance go see the boys at Dennis Hanks Chevrolet.

Tangy

right on. nice photo. i am still so new to growing bananas that i did not know basjoo would do that.

natedogg1026

sorry, That's not my house, its my buddies. I wish it was mine, he has more plants than you can shake a stick at. Yea, they are yucca's but don't know what kind. Thay are a little diferent than most as they have truncks.

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Banana's are a safe addiction. Right?Maybe I need classes.

Tropicallvr

Man that's great. Maybe you could use the same protection strategy for one of the cold hardy edible types Musa Dwarf brazilian, or Musa Dwarf orinico, or Musa CA gold, and get some edible fruit. Seems like it would work if your basjoo grew all winter.

the flying dutchman

That could be possible if it is flowering before the end of july. I think
frank(bigdog) had orinoco fruit in his zone.





Ron

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MediaHound

Great pictures!

ekoboat

I just got what I was told was a dwarf cavendish, I plan to keep it under the house this winter. I've been thinking about trying to protect it the same way as the basjoo next winter. I guess I would have to figure out how long from pup to fruit and hope for a pup coming up near that time, so i could get it to fruit in July. I'm sure it's way too late in the year to try to plant the cavendish.
There were some leaves mixed in with the straw that started to decay, maybe that put off just enough heat to keep it growing through the winter. Does anyone think I could put some compost in small plastic bags and bury them in the straw? Would that help control the heat the compost gives off? What do you think?
Steve

cactus6103

Congrats on the blooms. Very nice. Red

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Family, Friends and Bananas

BabyBlue11371

Thanks for the inspiration!!! I have thought about trying Basjoo here in SE Kansas.. and after reading your thread over and over.. and looking at the pic over and over.. I think I'm going to do it!!
Now to figure out space to put it in spring!!
But for now.. brrrrr...
Gina *BabyBlue*

tcarpenter

My Basjoo flowered for the first time here in North Carolina but am curious what to do with the banana's. Mine look very much like yours but are now hanging in the garage due to a mild frost. I chopped mine back to the ground and covered the stumps with leaves - like I've done every year for the last 3.

I'm not sure if I did it right but there should be a couple of attachments to this note showing the full size of my trees and then a close up of the flower.

Tom from Clayton

Attached Images

	muso3.jpg (1.67 MB, 47 views)
	muso4.jpg (1.10 MB, 30 views)

cactus6103

Nice Basjoo plants there tcarpenter. Mine hit 4' this summer and I am hoping for 8' next year. Red

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Family, Friends and Bananas

tcarpenter

Thanks Red. The credit goes to the plant-not me. I planted them too close to the house and too close to the hot tub which is why the trunk looks a little strange. Sitting in the hot tub at night with huge leaves tickling my head gave me the creeps so I trimmed them up.

Tom

Njoynit

hummm as to adding warmth. I know someone on another forum who grows crepe mertyls and covers them with plastic(clear) and wraps the branches with christmas lights for keeping them warm enough. yeah it kinda looked strange,but you seen that it actually put off some heat cause he got some snow and was ice sickles dripping from the bags.
My basjoos have never bloomed for me and I'm SE TX zone 8b. I did dig my largest one this year includeing its 1 yr pup and the 5 pups it just set (yeah...a heavy move) I just trim my leaves my off and come spring cut into the top looking for life. I'm relocateing them in spring to a different spot.

magicgreen

Thanks so much for that pic of the basjoo flower Ekoboat. This is my 1st few months ever with bananas. I started the last weekend of July07 when I 1st spotted them. You brought back some memories when I saw your location in Ozark MO. I was stationed at Ft Leonardwood a few years back.So was my son, and my DH. So I have been your way quite a few times. I know it gets mighty cold there!!!!! How did you get that baby to grow and keep warm in that straw? Do you have any post about overwintering? Do share!!!!!!!!!!! I would love to know. Did I see something about you overwintering on GW? Thankyou for any and all help. Iam in Cincinnati Z6. MG

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(Started growing bananas July 2007)
(Zone 6)

dablo93

late reaction; that's really fast, 17 months!
in NW europe it takes at least 3/4 years because summer temps are not that high here.

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