nealnick5

Hello all, I am in desperate need of your advice. I am the guy with over 100 musa basjoos and this is my first time overwintering them. I fear I may have done it incorrectly and need to know if you all think I should dig them up or not.

After the first freeze, I did not let them die down and instead I cut them 1-2 feet to the ground and stacked hay/mulch around them without allowing the tops of the stems time to dry out. They also have no protection from rain which is keeping the cut stems wet. I checked on some and I am beginning to fear the worst. The stems are rotting from moisture every time they thaw out and it's like a burning fuse; I am not sure if the rot will spread to the corms or not before winter is over.

I am wondering if this rot will kill the corms if it makes it to them. If this is the case, I will dig them up ASAP, cut off the rotting stem parts, and store them where they can dry out. I have researched this everywhere and cannot find specific answers. People say if they die down to the ground naturally, they won't make a new shoot from that corm but will do so from pups instead. Which I would have been fine with; that was what I expected if some of the stems did not survive. I left the 1-2ft pseudo-stems in hopes that at least some would return from those same corms at their massive sizes from this summer.

I decided to dig up my elephant ears because mole tunnels were going straight to them, and sure enough, moles were munching on them. I cut off the bottom bulb rot from that and am now storing them indoors. This made me notice the stem rot, though, which had reached the bulb in one, so I cut all of the rot away. Would the rot have spread throughout the plant?

I am just wondering if this same stem rot from improper winterization could lead to the death of my corms (if the rot reaches my banana corms). I would post pictures but my phone is broken and I will not have a new one until Tuesday.

I am worried and just need to know If you all think I should dig them up before the rot possibly kills the corms. Please let me know what you all think. Thank you and any advice will be appreciated!

P.S. I am sorry if this post is confusing... I am bad at relaying my thoughts sometimes.

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Growing: Ensete ventricosum 'maurelli', Musa balbisiana 'Thai Black', bordelon, basjoo, Dwarf Cavendish, Dwarf Orinoco, itinerans var. itinerans, lasiocarpa, orinoco (tall), saba, sikkimensis 'Red Tiger', TaNee, zebrina, VDN (green), 1000 fingers, praying hands, ornata purple, veluntina, french red, super dwarf cavendish, dwarf iholena, red iholena, balbisiana (yellow), kru, mananzo, zebrina var. gran nain.

cincinnana

Nealniks.....your good...

Please find these photos comforting.

Your plants will die back to below the soil level ......yep they turn to brown mush.
And yep that is what they do......always have .....always will.
This is normal for that type of plant.

Mine in zone 5/6 will mush little deeper though.

I tend/volunteer to a local botanical gardens 2 acre mat and all we do is mulch them and cut to the ground.
feel free to look at other photos in this Flickr account about Basjoos.

Please feel free to pm with basjoo and other questions....or post

Hopefully you will be able to takeaway something you can use.


Basjoo

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nealnick5

@Cincinnana I cannot tell you how relieved I am to hear that; thank you so much. When I tried researching it, the only stuff I saw about winter rot was referring to the corm and roots getting too wet but nothing about the pseudostem rot. I definitely overreacted and I am grateful I didn't have to dig up all those nanners.

Your pictures are awesome by the way.. thank you for the great share. Happy New Year.

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Growing: Ensete ventricosum 'maurelli', Musa balbisiana 'Thai Black', bordelon, basjoo, Dwarf Cavendish, Dwarf Orinoco, itinerans var. itinerans, lasiocarpa, orinoco (tall), saba, sikkimensis 'Red Tiger', TaNee, zebrina, VDN (green), 1000 fingers, praying hands, ornata purple, veluntina, french red, super dwarf cavendish, dwarf iholena, red iholena, balbisiana (yellow), kru, mananzo, zebrina var. gran nain.

cincinnana

Just want to toss this information out....

There are a few forum members whom cut ,mulch and tarp their plants..

Do read their posts and takeaway or implement one the many ways folks have chosen to overwinter this awesome plant as well as check out
Youtube..keywords basjoo/ overwinter. they all work... just pick and choose within the budget..

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nealnick5

Thank you; I will definitely do that. I think next year I may only dig up the two largest ones after cutting and overwinter them indoors. They are pretty much the centerpiece at the pool area (and I want them to be able to reach their full size eventually).

Thank you again for all of your help!

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Growing: Ensete ventricosum 'maurelli', Musa balbisiana 'Thai Black', bordelon, basjoo, Dwarf Cavendish, Dwarf Orinoco, itinerans var. itinerans, lasiocarpa, orinoco (tall), saba, sikkimensis 'Red Tiger', TaNee, zebrina, VDN (green), 1000 fingers, praying hands, ornata purple, veluntina, french red, super dwarf cavendish, dwarf iholena, red iholena, balbisiana (yellow), kru, mananzo, zebrina var. gran nain.

cincinnana

Sounds like a good choice......

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nealnick5

I ended digging up one of the 2 huge ones trying to ensure it stays the same size.. saved the massive pup but cut the big one too short (damaged the meristem). The pup is in my apartment with me at school and is doing well and the big one is at my parents'... big one already shot out a new pup so that's good... should give it a nice jumpstart at least

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Growing: Ensete ventricosum 'maurelli', Musa balbisiana 'Thai Black', bordelon, basjoo, Dwarf Cavendish, Dwarf Orinoco, itinerans var. itinerans, lasiocarpa, orinoco (tall), saba, sikkimensis 'Red Tiger', TaNee, zebrina, VDN (green), 1000 fingers, praying hands, ornata purple, veluntina, french red, super dwarf cavendish, dwarf iholena, red iholena, balbisiana (yellow), kru, mananzo, zebrina var. gran nain.