For Northern basjoo growers

Longwoods Tropicals · 04-04-2021, 02:53 PM

I've been growing basjoos for 9 yrs now in SW Ontario ( zone 6, barely). Typically I'm able to preserve 1-2' of p-stem, last year about 2' and ended up with 7 ft of p-stem at season's end. This spring I have a 4 ft+ beauty pushing out a leaf already, so I'm really stoked.

For the folks that must seriously winterize. What is the most P-stem you have been able to successfully preserve over winter?

cincinnana · 04-04-2021, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Longwoods Tropicals

I've been growing basjoos for 9 yrs now in SW Ontario. Typically I'm able to preserve 1-2' of p-stem, last year about 2' and ended up with 7 ft of p-stem at season's end. This spring I have a 4 ft+ beauty pushing out a leaf already, so I'm really stoked.

For the folks that must seriously winterize. What is the most P-stem you have been able to successfully preserve over winter?

Do put you grow zone in your post or your profile...

Great job..

Iowa · 04-05-2021, 07:20 AM

Here's what I start with each spring, these are Orinoco's. They are dug and stored inside.

cincinnana · 04-06-2021, 05:38 PM

You guys are crushing it.......

sirdoofus · 04-06-2021, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Longwoods Tropicals

I've been growing basjoos for 9 yrs now in SW Ontario ( zone 6, barely). Typically I'm able to preserve 1-2' of p-stem, last year about 2' and ended up with 7 ft of p-stem at season's end. This spring I have a 4 ft+ beauty pushing out a leaf already, so I'm really stoked.

For the folks that must seriously winterize. What is the most P-stem you have been able to successfully preserve over winter?

Did you do anything differently this year to retain 4 ft or were the conditions just milder?

Longwoods Tropicals · 04-08-2021, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirdoofus

Did you do anything differently this year to retain 4 ft or were the conditions just milder?

I have 4 basjoo plots. The original (on the SE side of my old barn) dates back to 2012, the others are pups cleaved from the original. I decided last fall to not protect the original and one other and concentrate on one patch. I am lucky to have 8 mature maple trees here and used their leaves, dried, to protect about 5 ft of P-stem.

As far as the winter itself, the worst was mid-late February and -5F.

Longwoods Tropicals · 04-08-2021, 07:28 PM

sirdoofus · 04-08-2021, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Longwoods Tropicals

I have 4 basjoo plots. The original (on the SE side of my old barn) dates back to 2012, the others are pups cleaved from the original. I decided last fall to not protect the original and one other and concentrate on one patch. I am lucky to have 8 mature maple trees here and used their leaves, dried, to protect about 5 ft of P-stem.

As far as the winter itself, the worst was mid-late February and -5F.

It sounds like it was one of the recent pups that retained the 4ft height over the winter - how old? and did you really have a 5ft pile of leaves over the plant? What did you do to keep the leaves in place and dry? What happened to the ones you didn't protect? Are they coming back yet?

-5F is definitely cold

Longwoods Tropicals · 04-09-2021, 05:18 PM

Yes the big P-stem probably emerged from its mother corm a couple of years ago. I cleaved the mother corm off the old patch about 5 yrs ago. There was about a foot of leaves over the top of the P-stem, for a total of 5 and half feet. I covered it all with a 16x20 ft tarp. Weighted it down with blocks on 3 sides and tied off on the windward side to the mass of bamboo that resides there.

As for the unprotected patch, no emergence yet. I'll post any progress.

sirdoofus · 04-09-2021, 10:03 PM

Sounds like it worked well, nicely done!

brianrumsey · 04-25-2021, 10:50 PM

NE Iowa here, borderline zone 4/5. My basjoos are still under protection but planning to unwrap tomorrow! I buried about 12-18 inches of pseudstem under straw bales and leaf mold. The plant is pushing up the straw bales, and I can feel a good deal of new growth under the tarp -- wlll report back my observations once I uncover. We had a brutal stretch of 12 straight days with lows below 0F, bottoming out around -15F.

04-04-2021, 02:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
Longwoods Tropicals Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 104 BananaBucks : 36,682 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 53 Times Was Thanked 244 Times in 73 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2 Times	For Northern basjoo growers I've been growing basjoos for 9 yrs now in SW Ontario ( zone 6, barely). Typically I'm able to preserve 1-2' of p-stem, last year about 2' and ended up with 7 ft of p-stem at season's end. This spring I have a 4 ft+ beauty pushing out a leaf already, so I'm really stoked. For the folks that must seriously winterize. What is the most P-stem you have been able to successfully preserve over winter? Last edited by Longwoods Tropicals : 04-05-2021 at 09:10 AM.

04-05-2021, 07:20 AM	#3 (permalink)
Iowa Location: Burlington,Iowa Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Mike Join Date: Dec 2016 Posts: 706 BananaBucks : 55,970 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 573 Times Was Thanked 1,022 Times in 384 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 605 Times	Re: For Northern basjoo growers Here's what I start with each spring, these are Orinoco's. They are dug and stored inside. __________________ Growing Musa Orinoco since 1993 - Added 2018-Basjoo, Zebrina' Rojo, Ensete Red Abyssinian - Added 2019-Goldfinger - Added 2020-Kokopo (Short Cycle), Double (Mahoi), Highgate, Super Dwarf Cavendish - Added 2021-Pisang Ceylon(Mysore), Musa Margarita, Ensete Ventricosum - Added 2023 - Siam Ruby Last edited by Iowa : 04-05-2021 at 07:25 AM.

04-06-2021, 05:38 PM	#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: 8,881 BananaBucks : 1,223 Feedback: 7 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,916 Times Was Thanked 11,783 Times in 4,914 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 1,959 Times	Re: For Northern basjoo growers You guys are crushing it....... __________________ Cincinnana/Hostafarians Photo Gallery 🌴

04-08-2021, 07:28 PM	#7 (permalink)
Longwoods Tropicals Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 104 BananaBucks : 36,682 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 53 Times Was Thanked 244 Times in 73 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2 Times	Re: For Northern basjoo growers

04-09-2021, 05:18 PM	#9 (permalink)
Longwoods Tropicals Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 104 BananaBucks : 36,682 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 53 Times Was Thanked 244 Times in 73 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2 Times	Re: For Northern basjoo growers Yes the big P-stem probably emerged from its mother corm a couple of years ago. I cleaved the mother corm off the old patch about 5 yrs ago. There was about a foot of leaves over the top of the P-stem, for a total of 5 and half feet. I covered it all with a 16x20 ft tarp. Weighted it down with blocks on 3 sides and tied off on the windward side to the mass of bamboo that resides there. As for the unprotected patch, no emergence yet. I'll post any progress.

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04-09-2021, 10:03 PM	#10 (permalink)
sirdoofus Location: Central Vancouver Island, BC Canada Find me on the map! Zone: AgCan 7b, USDA 6b Name: Mike Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 1,090 BananaBucks : 36,789 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,225 Times Was Thanked 1,277 Times in 634 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 98 Times	Re: For Northern basjoo growers Sounds like it worked well, nicely done! __________________ Who keeps calling me nuts??

04-25-2021, 10:50 PM	#11 (permalink)
brianrumsey Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 13 BananaBucks : 8,771 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 20 Times Was Thanked 30 Times in 9 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: For Northern basjoo growers NE Iowa here, borderline zone 4/5. My basjoos are still under protection but planning to unwrap tomorrow! I buried about 12-18 inches of pseudstem under straw bales and leaf mold. The plant is pushing up the straw bales, and I can feel a good deal of new growth under the tarp -- wlll report back my observations once I uncover. We had a brutal stretch of 12 straight days with lows below 0F, bottoming out around -15F.

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