john_ny

This is a Basjoo, planted in the ground in May, 2007. It was a TC liner, delivered in spring, 2005, was potted, and overwintered in a greenhouse during the winters of 2005/06, and 06/07.

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Above, is what it looked like, in the summer of '07, after it had produced 4 pups.
In the fall of '07, all plants were covered and protected. In the spring of '08 they were uncovered, and all made it.

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In '08, the four pups each produced a pup of it's own.

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However, in late summer, '08, the mother plant was broken off, by wind, or an animal. A very little of the top part of the corm was attached to the broken p stem. Covered everything, in fall,'08. (See diagram; camera was broken at the time.)


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I cut the stem off at about a foot and threw it in a pot, and took it inside, for the winter. It didn't do anything all winter, but toward spring, I noticed the stem had fallen over, but had produced a pup.


After uncovering, on April 17, '09, I found everything, the 4 '07 pups, and the 4 '08 pups, made it, green right to the top of the pseudostems. After another couple of weeks, I left the largest (4½ ft. p-stem) in the ground, and potted up the other 7. Actually, the stems were rather yellow, from lack of light but within 20 minutes, a leaf began to unfurl. They were back to normal green, within a couple of day



Here it is, in June , '09, with about 6 pups.

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Here's one from a couple of days ago.

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Pups #8 and 9 appeared today. The plant is also on it's eleventh leaf, since uncovering. I now have 9 pups on the one I left in the ground, but not a single one in any of the other pups, that I potted up. (They're growing just as fast as the one in the ground, but no pups. I wonder why.)

My conclusions, or at least observations, here, are that it is important to have plants well established is very important. I have read, many times, that if you want to leave a plant (protected) in the ground, over the winter, it is important that you get it in the ground as early in the season as posible, so it can be well established before the cold hits. I, now, believe that a plant, or mat, that's been in ground for a couple of years is in better shape that a first year one.
The guys in our local botanical garden, had some basjoos planted. Afew years ago, they decided the wanted them in a new place, so they planted some new ones, and just abandoned the old mat - no protection, or anything, - and they come back just as good as the new protected ones.

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John

tikifarmer

Good looking basjoo ...

blownz281

I use to live in zone 5 and we would get zone 4 winters sometimes. Plus very wet and cold springs. For five years I never protected my Basjoo's and there were in the front of the house wide open. I would cut them to the ground and that was it. I planted the main plant in the summer and it was only a foot tall. Alittle heat might have kept it warm being up against the house but I doubt it. The max height they ever grew was 7ft-8ft. I always gave them tons of water but they weren't in any good soil,plus the feed I gave them was old and weak.

Bob

My experience is that first year commercially available corms have barely survived and not came back as well as others' have. In zone 6 or less I would overwinter either dormant (to preserve height) or in a large pot for several years and then expect better success starting out in spring with a larger root system.

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john_ny

Well, they had gotten off to a pretty slow start, because of cold weather, after uncovering. But we're perking along a little better now.

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Above, is a picture taken today. It's on this year's thirteenth leaf now. That's a little Zebrina in front of it.

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Another shot. The latest leaf is 56 inches long (excluding petiole), and 24 inches wide. Crape Myrtles are blooming nicely, also.

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John

diloretta

Just beautiful!