In house basjoo winter care question

GoolsbyMD · 11-04-2013, 05:44 PM

So my wife and I have more bedrooms than we need so i decided while she was at work

to dig up all my basjoos and Mekong giants put them in 5/7/10 gallon containers and put them in a eastward facing second story bedroom in front of the windows. I dont necessarily want these to grow a lot just be on the edge of dormant. The house is kept at a blood boiling 75 degrees. I don't plan to water very much if at all. My question is should i limit the sun light? Not water at all? Or cut more leafs off? Pictures up coming. I swear they looked a lot smaller outside

mksmth · 11-04-2013, 05:56 PM

Zone 8 right? your basjoo would have done just fine in the ground. Unless of course you are not wanting to risk loosing the P stem growth. Mine do just fine here in 6B. Infact most years they reach 10 feet plus even from total freeze back.

Anyways I think youll want to find a cooler location. I do dig up one or two pups for backups and keep them inside. i try and keep mine between 40 and 50F in a garage and they just sit there. I have kept them in the greenhouse and they grow like mad.

edit- i was typing while you edited and added pics. WOW those are nice. Mekong is on my list to get for next year.

GoolsbyMD · 11-04-2013, 06:04 PM

Thanks there are 7 of them in there the two big ones are a basjoo and I believe to be an oroncho. The rest were TC basjoos which are the three in the middle and the mekongs were purchased at the same time as a TC and are only about 2ft atm. They were attacked by some kinda bug and I didn't plant all the TC until about June and fed banana fuel weekly. Lots of pups as well.

cincinnana · 11-05-2013, 05:32 AM

Nice plants you have there.
For me basjoos were one of the most forgiving plants to overwinter inside when they were small.
You have light , very little water, good sized containers and warmth .......Your good!
However in your zone leave them in the ground ...no need to up root those monsters,

they will be fine.
In my zone, when they are planted deeper than normal, and the plants are as mature as yours they will still thrive year after year.

MOST IMPORTANT is put something on the carpeted floor, drop cloth, plastic, whatever, because the plants will drip along the leaf line and the juice will STAIN anything it touches. Keep them away from the walls also.

Longwoods Tropicals · 11-05-2013, 06:22 AM

I would say spider mites are your main concern and also stretching of the plants will be an issue as well. The dry conditions encountered indoors in the winter are perfect for spider mites, mites love Basjoo leaves, I would remove or trim back the ends of battered leaves and make sure they are treated with insecticidal soap weekly. Because the house will be so warm the plants will still grow, only they will stretch quite a bit, I would mount a t5 fluorescent fixture above them, either way they will be touching the ceiling by spring at least they should be in better shape with the additional light. Next year just leave the Basjoos outside, they will give you much better initial growth in the early spring. If it is actual Bananas you want grow some Super Dwarf Cavendish or Velutina as they are small enough to grow indoors.

Regards,

Harold

Olafhenny · 11-05-2013, 07:02 PM

Hi Goolsby (do you have a first name?),

I live in HZ6, BC, Canada just above 49th. And have now several winters of experience
with raising ornatas and a few basjoos under similar conditions as yours.

As Mike has suggested to you already, any plants as big as yours, I leave outside. That
sacrifices the leaves and some of the P-stem, but avoids two transplanting shocks. As well
the roots are all in place and the PS starts to re-grow within a couple of days of uncovering
them. But that is now all water under the bridge for you.

Here is what I do with my ornatas and small basjoos and what you can expect:
I have never had any problems with dripping. The plants will keep on growing at about
half the speed of outdoors until mid winter, when it will slow down considerably, because
of lack of light, unless you employ grow lights. I am basing that on my own experience,
with slightly fewer daylight hours, compensated by, judging from your photo, better window
frontage.

You will probably experience some yellowing and loss of the lower leaves. That is normal and,
unless you have spider mites which Harold has already warned of, nothing to worry about.
Just cut them off with a sharp (not ceriated) knife.

As for care, I water them the same as any average houseplant. There is a lot of concern
voices in this forum about over-watering, but that only applies to plants in a leafless state.

As for next fall, leave any plants with a PS of 24 inches or more outside. Your wife will thank
you for it and so, I believe, will your plants. There is a lot of information available, on how
to protect them during the winter, in this forum. And almost all of the methods are less work
than digging them out, potting and then replanting them.

I can give you some URLs of pertinent sites, when the time comes.

Good luck,
Olaf

cactus6103 · 12-23-2013, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cincinnana

MOST IMPORTANT is put something on the carpeted floor, drop cloth, plastic, whatever, because the plants will drip along the leaf line and the juice will STAIN anything it touches. Keep them away from the walls also.

This is my thoughts also. I've dome the same and it has dripped all over a white carpet! My wife was NOT happy.

Red

jbyrd88888 · 12-23-2013, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cactus6103

This is my thoughts also. I've dome the same and it has dripped all over a white carpet! My wife was NOT happy.

Red

ABNShrek gave me the idea for hot water heater drip pans.... great idea with heat mat too.

Olafhenny · 01-12-2014, 02:14 PM

Hi “won’t-give-us-a-handle-for-easy-conversation” (it does not have to be your real name)

When looking at your photos again, I have finally figured out what you mean by “dripping
on the carpet”. Of course you have to expect leakage from the bottom of any flower pot,
That is what the drainage hole is for, and why some indoor “gardener" has invented centuries
ago catch trays to place under the pots.

Of course anything will do, to catch the water before it reaches the carpet, but for a
more permanent solution for large pots you may want to look at my example here:
Water Catcher for Large Pots

Good luck!
Olaf

GoolsbyMD · 02-22-2014, 10:33 AM

So far so good, a big one on the left lost half it's ps due to damage so that hurts. But with all the snow and cold air it would have been completely lost. I have about 6 pups that will be separated when I move back out doors in about a month. Lost one mekong giant all the translating didn't work well for it being so young was the same one that struggled all year outside. Will post new pictures when outside.

cannasrus · 03-07-2014, 08:42 PM

Dont give up on them, i lost a couple pups in the fall....that have now reemerged.

11-04-2013, 05:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
GoolsbyMD Location: Chesapeake, VA Zone: 8 Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 8 BananaBucks : 5,422 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 3 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 3 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	In house basjoo winter care question So my wife and I have more bedrooms than we need so i decided while she was at work to dig up all my basjoos and Mekong giants put them in 5/7/10 gallon containers and put them in a eastward facing second story bedroom in front of the windows. I dont necessarily want these to grow a lot just be on the edge of dormant. The house is kept at a blood boiling 75 degrees. I don't plan to water very much if at all. My question is should i limit the sun light? Not water at all? Or cut more leafs off? Pictures up coming. I swear they looked a lot smaller outside Last edited by GoolsbyMD : 11-04-2013 at 05:48 PM.

11-04-2013, 05:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
mksmth Location: oklahoma 7a Find me on the map! Zone: 7a Name: mike Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 47 BananaBucks : 5,555 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 75 Times in 30 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 60 Times	Re: In house basjoo winter care question Zone 8 right? your basjoo would have done just fine in the ground. Unless of course you are not wanting to risk loosing the P stem growth. Mine do just fine here in 6B. Infact most years they reach 10 feet plus even from total freeze back. Anyways I think youll want to find a cooler location. I do dig up one or two pups for backups and keep them inside. i try and keep mine between 40 and 50F in a garage and they just sit there. I have kept them in the greenhouse and they grow like mad. edit- i was typing while you edited and added pics. WOW those are nice. Mekong is on my list to get for next year. __________________

11-04-2013, 06:04 PM	#3 (permalink)
GoolsbyMD Location: Chesapeake, VA Zone: 8 Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 8 BananaBucks : 5,422 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 3 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 3 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: In house basjoo winter care question Thanks there are 7 of them in there the two big ones are a basjoo and I believe to be an oroncho. The rest were TC basjoos which are the three in the middle and the mekongs were purchased at the same time as a TC and are only about 2ft atm. They were attacked by some kinda bug and I didn't plant all the TC until about June and fed banana fuel weekly. Lots of pups as well.

11-05-2013, 05:32 AM	#4 (permalink)
cincinnana container grower Location: Southwest Ohio U.S.A.🇺🇸 Find me on the map! Zone: HZ 6/5 Microclimate - Elevation 750 feet- 228.60 meters Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 8,784 BananaBucks : 1,273 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,865 Times Was Thanked 11,708 Times in 4,870 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,943 Times	Re: In house basjoo winter care question Nice plants you have there. For me basjoos were one of the most forgiving plants to overwinter inside when they were small. You have light , very little water, good sized containers and warmth .......Your good! However in your zone leave them in the ground ...no need to up root those monsters, they will be fine. In my zone, when they are planted deeper than normal, and the plants are as mature as yours they will still thrive year after year. MOST IMPORTANT is put something on the carpeted floor, drop cloth, plastic, whatever, because the plants will drip along the leaf line and the juice will STAIN anything it touches. Keep them away from the walls also. __________________ Cincinnana/Hostafarians Photo Gallery 🌴

11-05-2013, 06:22 AM	#5 (permalink)
Longwoods Tropicals Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 104 BananaBucks : 31,490 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 53 Times Was Thanked 244 Times in 73 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2 Times	Re: In house basjoo winter care question I would say spider mites are your main concern and also stretching of the plants will be an issue as well. The dry conditions encountered indoors in the winter are perfect for spider mites, mites love Basjoo leaves, I would remove or trim back the ends of battered leaves and make sure they are treated with insecticidal soap weekly. Because the house will be so warm the plants will still grow, only they will stretch quite a bit, I would mount a t5 fluorescent fixture above them, either way they will be touching the ceiling by spring at least they should be in better shape with the additional light. Next year just leave the Basjoos outside, they will give you much better initial growth in the early spring. If it is actual Bananas you want grow some Super Dwarf Cavendish or Velutina as they are small enough to grow indoors. Regards, Harold

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11-05-2013, 07:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 246,872 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: In house basjoo winter care question Hi Goolsby (do you have a first name?), I live in HZ6, BC, Canada just above 49th. And have now several winters of experience with raising ornatas and a few basjoos under similar conditions as yours. As Mike has suggested to you already, any plants as big as yours, I leave outside. That sacrifices the leaves and some of the P-stem, but avoids two transplanting shocks. As well the roots are all in place and the PS starts to re-grow within a couple of days of uncovering them. But that is now all water under the bridge for you. Here is what I do with my ornatas and small basjoos and what you can expect: I have never had any problems with dripping. The plants will keep on growing at about half the speed of outdoors until mid winter, when it will slow down considerably, because of lack of light, unless you employ grow lights. I am basing that on my own experience, with slightly fewer daylight hours, compensated by, judging from your photo, better window frontage. You will probably experience some yellowing and loss of the lower leaves. That is normal and, unless you have spider mites which Harold has already warned of, nothing to worry about. Just cut them off with a sharp (not ceriated) knife. As for care, I water them the same as any average houseplant. There is a lot of concern voices in this forum about over-watering, but that only applies to plants in a leafless state. As for next fall, leave any plants with a PS of 24 inches or more outside. Your wife will thank you for it and so, I believe, will your plants. There is a lot of information available, on how to protect them during the winter, in this forum. And almost all of the methods are less work than digging them out, potting and then replanting them. I can give you some URLs of pertinent sites, when the time comes. Good luck, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them. Last edited by Olafhenny : 11-05-2013 at 08:36 PM.

01-12-2014, 02:14 PM	#9 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 246,872 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: In house basjoo winter care question Hi “won’t-give-us-a-handle-for-easy-conversation” (it does not have to be your real name) When looking at your photos again, I have finally figured out what you mean by “dripping on the carpet”. Of course you have to expect leakage from the bottom of any flower pot, That is what the drainage hole is for, and why some indoor “gardener" has invented centuries ago catch trays to place under the pots. Of course anything will do, to catch the water before it reaches the carpet, but for a more permanent solution for large pots you may want to look at my example here: Water Catcher for Large Pots Good luck! Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them. Last edited by Olafhenny : 01-12-2014 at 02:24 PM.

02-22-2014, 10:33 AM	#10 (permalink)
GoolsbyMD Location: Chesapeake, VA Zone: 8 Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 8 BananaBucks : 5,422 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 3 Times Was Thanked 7 Times in 3 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: In house basjoo winter care question So far so good, a big one on the left lost half it's ps due to damage so that hurts. But with all the snow and cold air it would have been completely lost. I have about 6 pups that will be separated when I move back out doors in about a month. Lost one mekong giant all the translating didn't work well for it being so young was the same one that struggled all year outside. Will post new pictures when outside.

03-07-2014, 08:42 PM	#11 (permalink)
cannasrus Location: southwestern Indiana zone 6 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 6 Name: Buddy T Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 88 BananaBucks : 19,490 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 596 Times Was Thanked 80 Times in 38 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 43 Times	Re: In house basjoo winter care question Dont give up on them, i lost a couple pups in the fall....that have now reemerged. __________________ A regular ride is better than a dressed up walk.

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