geissene

Mari,
With such low heat and with modest indoor lights, you can sustain the plants and have them create maybe 2 new leaves a month. The new leaves get smaller and less wide the longer they are inside. My larger plants always look healthy going indoors but they look smaller and less healthy come spring.

I personally dig up my edible bananas when the over night low temp is predicted to be in the upper 30s. This is when I start to see signs of leaf damage. For my basjoo, I let them grow until first frost and then cut and cover with mulch.

Good luck!

Erik

mari@adams.net

My thinking is (which may be wrong) that since (what I have read) it takes 10-15 months to get produce a bloom, if I keep the plants growing some through the winter, I would be that much closer to a bloom next season. Thanks for the information. The banana plant is one that most northerners don't have much knowledge of, and I am an example of that.

geissene

That is 10 to 15 months in the tropics for a bloom. Plus at least 40 more days bloom to harvest in the best case (upwards 6 months). The plants need to produce around 35 leaves before they bloom. This may take several years. The timing needs to be perfect for us northern people to get a bloom in early summer so the plant has enough healthy leaves to have a chance at mature fruit.

Don't be discouraged by that. There are ways to improve growing conditions like using a greenhouse, proper fertilizer, soil warming. Bananas pup also so I wouldn't put all hope in just one or two plants.

Enjoy and hope for the best!

mari@adams.net

Thanks for your experience....these are in their 2nd year and have (6 months of it) always have a new leaf coming, I would guess put off a couple or more a week. Sometimes when I see one leaf unfurling, there is another one emerging with it. Maybe next year. The basement room where these will be isn't cold through the winter and has overhead lighting that I could leave on all day. I'll just have to see how it goes. I haven't fertilized much since I knew they were coming in, so guess I need to start adding some.

cincinnana

NOPE......your not.
Zone 5-6-7- are zone pushing fools....ME..

Blooms....a snowballs in hell.

I grow plants for the foliage and if a plant flowers it is a bonus for me in my zone.

I do not grow for flowers or fruit just that awesome foiliage.....just to let you know.

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cincinnana

Basjoos will keep pushing leaves to the bitter end.
Note the distinct brown line of the last good hard freeze.

Photo taken mid December

Push growth by
Hostafarian,
on Flickr

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mari@adams.net

Thanks, Cincinnanna, for pointing that out, I hadn't noticed it before looking at the pictures.....I think they have a 'will to survive'. They are very interesting plants.

mari@adams.net

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Did I cut into the bloom on this d. cavendish when I cut back the stem? The other d. cavendish's had a push of green leaf when I cut them back. This one is pushing white. I did cut this one back further than the others as it was taller. Is this normal to be white after cutting back?

geissene

I think this could be normal with growth close to the corm. I've seen it on smaller plants. It takes time for the growth to turn green.

mari@adams.net

I guess this is normal as the others that I have cut back are doing the same thing.

mari@adams.net

So far, my basjoos have not gotten a frost on them...we're having 30's-40's at night. Just chances of patchy frost now. Next Monday, night temp to get to a low of 32* with frost. Should I cut back and mulch them now or wait until after Monday for the frost?

mari@adams.net

Repotted Dwarf Cavendish, Iholena, small Musa Basjoos and Orinoco plants cut back for winter storage in the basement.
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mari@adams.net

I had quite a bit of a white mold/fungus on some of the top part of the mulch around the banana plants. Is this 'stuff' harmful to the roots or the plant itself? If it is, how do you avoid it?

[IMG][/IMG]

cincinnana

[quote=mari@adams.net;319475]I had quite a bit of a white mold/fungus on some of the top part of the mulch around the banana plants. Is this 'stuff' harmful to the roots or the plant itself? If it is, how do you avoid it?

For me it is normal for new or moist store bought and fresh wood chips/ mulch.
It will disappear once the environmental conditions change such as temperature and moisture

It could even give you a yellow vomit look and that is still ok.

Now if you see that between your toenails.....yep.... cause for concern.

Mulch is kinda like the cold cut baloney you never know what is in it.
The same goes for store bought bagged "garden soil"

Your plants are looking good

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mari@adams.net

Our temps Monday morning is supposed to be 32* so went ahead (haven't had a frost yet to cut back) and did some mulching today. There's 2 bales of straw on this (I left the sections of the bale packed) plus some pine mulch from a tree that I have. Will add lots more of pine mulch and more straw if need be. Our leaves here haven't turned or fallen yet and I will eventually have a lot of leaves to add to this. Not for sure if I will do any 'boxing' on the stems when cut back. Any suggestions appreciated as I haven't left any plants out through the winter. These are Basjoos.
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cincinnana

[quote=mari@adams.net;319480]Our temps Monday morning is supposed to be 32* so went ahead (haven't had a frost yet to cut back) and did some mulching today. There's 2 bales of straw on this (I left the sections of the bale packed) plus some pine mulch from a tree that I have. Will add lots more of pine mulch and more straw if need be. Our leaves here haven't turned or fallen yet and I will eventually have a lot of leaves to add to this. Not for sure if I will do any 'boxing' on the stems when cut back. Any suggestions appreciated as I haven't left any plants out through the winter. These are Basjoos.
[IMG]

Looking good.

Great front yard space.

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mari@adams.net

Evidently we had a freeze last night cause the Basjoos have been knocked down some. Is it time now to cut back and do the final mulching? Our temps here for the next 10 days is forecasted to be in the 50-60's* during the day and 30-40's* at night. I have already done some mulching.[IMG]

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mari@adams.net

Right or Wrong...I went ahead and cut the Baajoos today, used the tops in the mulch and added some pine mulch to the straw that was put on yesterday. Will add more straw and leaves when they fall. Do I need to let the cut portion of the stem dry before covering it with more mulch? I'm guessing I should put a tarp over the mulch and stems to keep it from more rain and getting wet.[IMG]

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geissene

That will be fine. I place pieces of cardboard boxes around the pstems to provide a few inches of air between the stem and the mulch covering. This reduces the chance for mold by not having wet soggy mulch in direct contact.

geissene

Tarp it so mulch stays dry. Wet mulch is bad.

I will do my basjoo in a few weeks. Not that cold here yet...