v1rtu0s1ty

Hi folks,

I just joined bananas.org few minutes ago. WXMAN told me about this site. Thanks wxman!

My 2 basjoo arrived today which I bought from ebay. The packaging was phenomenal. It's very healthy, no signs of stress.

Anyways, since I am very new to this plant/tree, I don't know which part of my property I need to plant it. I am in Illinois, zone 5a. I know it's risky for my zone but I will try it. thick mulch...

1. Do I plant it to an area where there will be more than 12-14 hours of sun?
2. Do I water this daily? Or are they drought tolerant?
3. The rootball I see now is just like 3 or 4 inches high. How deep should I plant them?
4. What type of soil do they like, alkaline or acidic?
5. What fertilizer do they like? How many times to fert them?
6. Also since they're thin right now, do I stake them?

Sorry, I have so many questions.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Neil

mskitty38583

there is no reason to be sorry for asking questions that what we are here for!!! and the only stupid question is one that is not asked. i live in tn in zone 6/7 and i have my basjoos planted (as an experiment) 2 are in full afternoon sun( i now have 15-17 pups coming off of one and 3 on the other) i also have 2 basjoo planted in partial shade( only 3 pups on one and 2 on the other) here i try to water every 2-3 days. when i planted my basjoos i tried different planting ammendments( again as an experiment) to see what they liked better. they seem to like the organic compost w/ cow poop. i use the expert gardner water soulable in the garden feeder every two - three weeks. this is what i do for mine, im sure there are others here who do things differently. btw congrats on getting your new babies and again welcome!!

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v1rtu0s1ty

So looks like when it gets more sun, it does better? Also, do you recall how deep you planted them before?

Thanks!

stumpy4700

Welcome and by all means ask away!!!!!!! Also I found it very helpful to read the old posts, They are loaded with anwsers others have asked. Happy planting

hydrojeff

welcome to the forum Neil,
1. full sun the more the better, maybe in a corner of a fence, ease of constructing of overwintering devices
2.depending on your soil, needs to be well drained, heavly composted soil,when planting water in good, then as needed, it should take a while to start drinking when first planted but then it will take off, i water mine in ground every other day now and when it gets real hot every day.they are not drought tolerant.
3.the rootball will get about 16 to 18" deep, they do however get extreamly wide, do not plant deeper than it was, if you can tell what that was.
4.5.5 to 7 is the norm
5.i use a fert from tropical delights, and its 15-5-30, i fert every month in growing season.
6.if your winds are heavy otherwise they should be fine.
there are people on this site ten fold better than me and im sure they can help you better than i, hope this helped some.
jeff

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hydrojeff

sorry i type slow, by the time i started the last reply you guys already answered him, sorry.

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CookieCows

That happens to me all the time only I don't type slow.. I think slow


Info: General Growing Information - Bananas Wiki

Welcome!!! This is a good article from the Wiki also.

I feel your excitement! LOL Fun times ahead!

Deb

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v1rtu0s1ty

Awesome guys! The links and replies helped a lot. I will post pictures later.

Does anyone have a landscape picture with the banana in it? I would like to get an idea how I would position them.

Thanks!

Neil

v1rtu0s1ty

I would love to put it in the corner but I don't have any fence to protect it from wind. My river birch tree leans to the side about 40 degrees from top. So if I plant it about 5" deep, will it withstand the wind?

sandy0225

I'm in 5a too, in Muncie, Indiana. They are pretty tough bananas, I have one that's 5 years old now. And been in the ground the whole time.
lots of banana pictures on my website, Northern Tropics: Home
just click the link at the right side of the home page where it says something about view our pictures. Did you get those on e-bay from me? I just mailed some to Illinois on Monday.
happy growing
Sandy

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Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
1501 East Fuson Road
Muncie, IN 47302
www.northerntropics.com


specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~
check out our new online store at our website!

v1rtu0s1ty

I got it from ebay but her name was gigi. Well, I can order from you next time. You should share to me how your basjoo are able to withstand the winter.

Also, a bit off topic. I'm looking for other perennials that will match my basjoo. One of the perennial I like is the yucca filamentosa. It looks tropical. I also like the looks of a palm tree but I am looking for something that is just around 5ft tall and hardy in 5a. Or maybe, you guys have other perennial recommendation for my tropical theme.

Thanks in advance!

This is bad ass! It is PHENOMENAL!!! I can't wait to see mine!!! How long will I wait before I see mine as tall as that?

mskitty38583

these are my dwarf oronicos. all three are in a 5-6ft space.

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v1rtu0s1ty

Very nice! How old are they? How tall are they now? How tall when you planted them before? I've read that bananas can grow 2ft per week.

mskitty38583

i got them as croms from a member here. i recieved them the second week of feb. this year. i potted them up and kept them in my den till the 1st week of may. then i planted them outside. the previouse pic was taken a couple weeks ago they have filled out nicely and i have a total of 4 pups on 2 of the adults.( one pup is being sent out friday and the other one is up for auction.) that will leave me 2 pups. i love the d.o. they have a stock build to them.

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v1rtu0s1ty

Which part is the pup?

By the way, I finished planting them. The other banana had a broken leaf. I don't know how it got bent. Is that one going to get stressed since leaf is broken?

v1rtu0s1ty

As promised, here are the pictures. I'm sad that leaf broke.







And also, I am worried about my basjoo. I read a thread here earlier to not buy it from southern part but rather buy it from northern part. I bought it from ebay and she lives in Florida. OMG!

EDIT:

I just saw this thread, Wintering Over Basjoo
I'm now more worried I'm about 50 miles north of that the person that started that thread. That means, my area gets colder than his. I don't know if my basjoo is going to make it.

mskitty38583

dont worry about the broke leaf it will grow back. nice beds btw. your hostas look good too.

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Chironex

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned is the importance of hardening off a new banana plant. Be sure to ease it into full sun over a period of time, like 10 days to 2 weeks. Gradually increase its sun exposure over this time frame. Then, plant it in the ground once it has adjusted.

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D_&_T

Could cover with shade cloth too!

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v1rtu0s1ty

Oh, I received the basjoo today and planted it as well. It will get sun exposure around 1:30pm and onwards. Will it be fine since I planted it already?

The dying hosta on the left was just given to me by a friend. Next year, it will be healthy.

Thanks folks!