Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

Hi guys,

First year for this plant for me, and it seems to have done well with the feeding and watering regime.

The big question I have is....Since I live up here in Canada, how do I overwinter this plant in the basement so I don't lose it? It seems to have grown huge from time of purchase in that huge container

Early in the spring pic



what it looks like now

Re: Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

way to go rococ !!!:woohoonaner:
you have a green thumb for sure.. :)
also..im guessing those cannas are musafolia??
i have a ton of them now too..
my original were from brian williams.. great guy..super plants!!
on overwintering.. do u want to try to keep it potted..or store bareroot?
my ensetes are planted in ground..and biggest ones are just to
big to pot up for me.. and theres also the issue of light..
bananas need ALOT of light to do well..
so what ive done and will continue to do..is dig up.. rinse roots
cut back all leaves except last one..and cut it in 1/2...
i haul them into room in basement..temps stay in one room around
45F ish.. i keep it dark..and only spray the roots once a month..
i do dust the trunk with cinnamon.. any desacant will do.. im just cheap
and i buy cinamon at discount store for $1..
there are others here with alot more experience than me.. but they seem to
do same.. maybe not the dusting with cinnamon LOL
good luck to ya !!!!

Re: Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

I store mine bareroot in the basement . That's pretty much it . When the frost comes and kills the leaves I cut them off , dig it out and put it in the dark basement . The temp probably ranges 45-65F during the time it is stored there ...

Re: Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

Bare root is how I plan to store the plant, I just wanted to know how do go about it.

So once I chop the leaves off, I dig up the root and wrap it in piece of paper or something?

Please advise

Re: Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

nice job when i saw this pic it had canada written all over it i think it was all the pots lol!! i have all mine in the ground. you can leave it in the pot for less hassle, just put it in the basement and don't water much. once every 3 weeks should be okay. thats what i did yeas year. and good idea to cut the leaves back.

Re: Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

tikifarmer..super maurelli!!
my biggest one got a huge trunk.. and big leaves..but didnt
go "up" like yours..
my glaucum sure did..its huge this yr..
? how tall is that one???
also great looking castor bean plants :goteam:

Re: Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

tikifarmer, is that an ensete montbelardii? Don't normally see maurelli leaves so vertical!

Re: Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

rocco , I just set it on the basement floor as is . The last couple years on a piece of plastic or tarp . You could place the corm in a garbage bag to help keep some of the dirt off of the floor but , I would make sure it is open at the top . I do not water them at all ...

nannerfunboi , it is probably around 12' tall ...

flounder , I am not familiar with montbelardii . It was purchased as a maurelli . This is the 4th year for it in the ground . I am not sure how many more years I can expect to get out of it but , it still looked great this year ...

Re: Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

tiki you have kept it well !!! my maurelli is huge..but formed a big
pseudostem..and leaves are great sized..just didnt go "up" like it
did last yr..
lol.. anyways..great plant!!!
you are doing all the right stuff tiki :goteam:
great plants !!!

Re: Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

HI NANNAFUNBOI, I TOO LIVE IN Canada, OSHAWA, ONT. I HAVE A FEW ABYSSINIAN BANANAS AND IN THE FALL I JUST CUT OFF ALL THE LEAVES EXCEPT THE CENTRE SPEAR LEAV. DIG UP THE PLANT, CLEAN OFF THE DIRT AND LET PLANT SIT FOR A DAY OR TWO TO DRY ALITTLE, THEN I SPRINKLE ASOME FUNGICIDE (OR CINNAMON) ON THE ROOTS AND PUT THE PLANT IN A BIG PAPER YARD WASTE BAG AND SIT IT IN THE CORNER OF THE BASEMENT IN AS LITTLE LIGHT AS POSSIBLE, LIGHTLY SPRAY THE ROOTS ONCE OR TWICE DURING THE WINTER AND BRING THE PLANT BACK OUT INTO THE LIGHT WHEN YOU ARE READY TO RE-POT (BEGINNING OF MARCH. THIS YEAR I BROUGHT MINE OUT WAY TO EARLY AND ONE OF THEM IS HITTING MY EIGHT FOOT CEILING AND WE STILL HAVE SIX WEEKS TO GO BEFORE I CAN MOVE THEM OUTSIDE. I AM IN TROUBLE. HOPE THIS HELPS. MARTY

Re: Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

Nothing to worry about. Just trim the leaves back if they jam into the ceiling.

Re: Overwintering Red Abyssinian
 

thanks Matt, I was wondering if I should start cutting back the leaves but I prefer your way, Marty