RafaelNJ

Guys, some time ago I purchased 3 basjoos online and have planted them around the house in temporary spots until they get a bit bigger. I am looking to replant them deeper (foot below ground) before the winter comes so they have a better chance of survival here in zone 6a. Problem is that even though they are producing a lot of foliage they are not really getting any taller. They might be a bit over a foot now so my question how late can I replant this before its too late? I understand they might get a shock when transplanting to the new location and I gather that is not good too soon before the freezes come? I imagine it might be middle of august or close to that before that are tall enough to get moved.

Hammocked Banana

So let me get this straight, you planted 3 small plants in ground, but not deep, and u want to dig them up just to plant them deeper before winter?

My advice is to just dig them up and pot them, and keep them inside this first winter. You can maybe leave one out and see how it does, but its chances of survival are not 100%. I believe transplanting right before winter is asking to kill them. The damage to the roots will almost surely lead to rot once the cold weather sets in.

RafaelNJ

Thanks but my question is still unanswered, what would be the latest I should attempt to replant them? I have no intention of potting them and bringing them in as sole reason I got these is so I don't have to do much work around them. That plus my wife would never allow it, she doesn't want any plants indoors. I am also worried that if pot them I will have the same issue again next year, they will grow slow and it will be mid july or august before I can bury them deep . Or is this the normal thing for new plantings that they grow so little the first year? I don't really have anywhere to get bigger plants. I got two bigger ones from Lowes (3-4 footers) but not sure what they are for certain and their stems are very thin, my 1 foot plants have thicker trunks.... I buried one of those foot deep but its looking poor after a few days.

Jeff_Ajax

Why didn't you just plant them properly and in the right place the first time so you don't have the issue you are having?

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Jeff M
Ajax, ON
Banana, Palm, Canna, etc etc etc lover...

Hammocked Banana

The latest I would transplant is June, but thats just me. If you insist on keeping them out I would transplant them deeper asap, as in this weekend. Alternatively, I suggest that u just keep mounding soil up around them, bit by bit, to avoid transplant shock, and will keep water away from the stem.

If you pot them up they will be much larger next year. What you must understand about bananas, is that the main part of the plant is underground, the corm. The corm is where all of the plants energy comes from, which is why burrying the plant deeper protects it, you are protecting the corm from freezing. Even if the plant were chopped down and was shorter next year, it would still have a larger corm, and so more energy stores, which will result in much faster growth. It is growing slow right now bc your plants have virtually no corm since nurseries buy tissue cultured plants. Your plants are currently focusing on growing roots to feed the corm. As the corm contunues to develop, the growth rate will increase.

RafaelNJ

because they were tiny when I got them, if I planted them a foot deep I would have to burry the whole plant :/

RafaelNJ

Well the nursery told me it will be fine to replant later but I should have known they usually have no clue. Are you saying I should pot them up and bring into the house? I really do not have a good area inside that would even get any decent sun. The sliding patio doors are located so that no sun hits them till probably 6pm in the evening. The only windows I can put them by is my bedroom which also doesn't get any light till late PM. Or do you suggest me put them in pots and leave in my unheated basement for the winter? it will have no light there at all and I cannot be raising my electric bill for plant winterization. They would stay dormant perhaps but they would still die off from what I understand above ground. Maybe I should just mulch them for the winter outside and see what happens?

Hammocked Banana

Ya I would try to mound the soil as high as you can at the end of the season (you know maybe half way up the trunk, or less depending on how big).You will end up with a nice raised bed and you can mulch the top of that.

RafaelNJ

By saying to bring into the house you made me think about bringing them into the basement for the winter in pots, would you advise that over just mulching them over? I don't think I can really built up any soil around them because they growing right next to other shrubs. Best I could do is throw a bit of mulch on top of them but hearing you I don't even think that would be enough. I could try to put them in the pot and leave by my bedroom window (If I convince my wife its just for this winter) but how would they do with not much light ? Tough choices.
I was reading your post again and now I am bit confused, you said june would be latest to replant the basjoos for you. So what about the Bananas I just bought from Home Depot ( I think I said lowes previously)? Technically I am replanting them into the ground in July, are they going to die in the winter cuz they are planted too late ?

designshark

I'd bring them in too. My lighting isn't that great either. I bring in pups in pots and by the time April/May rolls around they look pretty sad but once outside and replanted, they take off! Some members dry-root them and have success but I'm a bit leery of that technique. I do want to try it sometime though.

Terri

I am in zone 5.

The first time I wintered over my basjoo I covered it with a cardboard box (I cut the top off the plant so it would fit) and then I made a large heap of leaves over it. I uncovered it in the spring.

This actually worked quite well! The top was like mush when I uncovered it and I thought that I had lost the plant, but it did successfully break dormancy. Since your plants are against the building they will be better protected than mine were: mine were on the far side of the vegetable garden!

designshark

How deep did you plant it? I used leaves with a cage and tarp last winter here in zone 5/6 but the ground froze too deep around it. I had another I planted a food deep last summer and it didn't make it either protected the same way.

Terri

I planted it the same depth that it was in the pot. This week is the first time I have heard of planting a banana deeply.

Though, you are a couple of hundred miles north of me, so yours would have gotten colder even if we had NOT had record breaking cold last winter! -3 is usual in our area, but we got -10! And, we lost a rose that was listed as hardy to zone 2!

RafaelNJ

yeah I think since its my first winter and I don't have many I will just plant them in pots and bring them into the house after all. might have to fight with the wifey but what the heck

cincinnana

[quote=RafaelNJ;249736 I might have to fight with the wifey but what the heck [/QUOTE]


It is ok.....this is really the start....of your banana journey.

Bring them in if they are small....wait till the last minute to bring them in from the outside.

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