How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Hey everyone, just wanted to start a thread to hear and see how all your bananas are doing this winter.

I will start off with mine- for Feb in the GTA this is looking great
This it not all, this is what I could group together in a few min. Things are looking good. That hibiscus tree stopped flowering on Dec 26. Not sure when it will begin to flower again, anyone know the cycle? Lost my bordelon. Everything else is still alive and growing!

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Pretty good here. I'm seeing more growth with the longer daylight hours. I peeled back the tarp my Basjoo the other day in the yard when we had a 40+ degree day and the stem I saw was pale green but firm. Indoor stuff is hanging in there.

I see your plumeria there, has it bloomed yet?

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Just dandy! Although it did get down to 63.5F overnight earlier this week. The coldest so far this winter. Brrrr!! Lol.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Mine have slowed down some, and it's taking forever to get the Saba bunch to ripen.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Everything slowed down a little bit. It took over 6 months to harvest the dwarf Brazilian bunch but I'll still take 60's to 70's over mainland winters!

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

I see your plumeria there, has it bloomed yet?[/quote]


No hasn't bloomed yet. How do you get them to bloom? 2 years old from Bob he planted the seeds

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

No hasn't bloomed yet. How do you get them to bloom? 2 years old from Bob he planted the seeds[/quote]

I have one that hasn't bloomed yet either. Starting it's 3rd year now. Best of luck to ya

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Last year I was gone most of last year since I work a lot overseas and with all my pampering over the past years somehow my wife got the communication wrong with our yard man and he cut every thing I had to ground level and it was after one of the mildest winters in history, I almost cried. So everybody (wife and yard man) has heard about it all season as we watch all our friends with huge plants and big bunches of fruit while my stuff was dinky and little. When I left for Africa this time I left explicit instructions and warnings about anyone touching a banana plant in my yard this spring. So I hope that nobody even gets close to my babies this year.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

I just uncovered 5 plants in the yard ( D. Orinoco, 2 Cali-golds, PC & Raja Puri). Ants were bad on plants I had christmas lights on so I'm going all Heat-tapes next winter. :^)

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

And here is my basjoo 3rd winter in the ground. Lost the 2 main plants to the ground I didn't put any lights in there till Jan and by then- p-stem expanded with ice all through out the stem. cut them down and a few weeks later look what popped up. I'm keeping this one warm!-BTW plant is all green and healthy>>it's the red lights that are making it look a bit weird


you can see a little palm seedling to the left of the banana with 2 or 3 mini leaves. never planted that. Incredible! I must have dropped a few seeds and took off. it too has been there 2 years. but doesn't grow much due to the shade from the banana.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

My planted 7 bananas all got bitten by the two hard freezes. I'll have to cut those back soon.

My (now) 3 potted bananas are looking happy. They get carried in and out as needed. Zeke has 3 leaves now!

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Last week St Augustine Fl Got Hit with 2 nights of frost , all my plants & Trees where covered , still wilted all my bananas , had to cut them down again ! .. dont look good .

My fruit trees did a lil better , thou i had to cut back my Oro Negro Avacado Tree .:waving:

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

I've noticed something this year, as it is the first year that I have had Hua Moas in sandy marl soil. They are less tolerant of the cold on the sandy marl than they are on the muck. I'm also having to do much more with fertilizer than I have in previous years.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

This was my first time growing bananas and after studying weather records I thought there was a 50-50 chance of nothing worse than 28F for a night or 2 now and then. Last winter wasnt that bad at all. Well the Phoenix area had the coldest winter in decades, I beat 28 a few nights early on but 25 for several nights was too much. I easily beat 28 with dozens of various size water containers and some propane heaters. I had minor damage on a couple leaves of 7ftpstem plants. I had some christmas lights on for many nights before the bad cold torched them, I had forgotten about a warning I read awhile back that said light heat would damage anyplace that got too hot. Well about the time the leaves were falling all over frozen I saw the heat damage. With more cold weather coming I machetied the leaves but left some stems long enough to hang lights on over the thick layer of blankets and other cloth that wrapped the stem. The lights were then strung from the stems, chop a small notch in the top of the stem if you need to keep the lights away from the p-stem. If its not going to get too cold I won't cover the lights with more cloth. The big lights put out alot of heat. The places that were damaged caused me to chop 4ft off my 7ft Blue Java (I hope), and I did a little surgery on the mushy spots and they have sealed up nicely. I have a nice pup on each damaged plant if (when) they fall over or split down the side. I will staking them early. They have each pushed a new leaf but tonight its already 37F in my yard at 7pm, not good. I will wrap them now and hang the lights once again. Any advice or suggestions are welcome I always want good advice and don't know for sure what I'm doing all the time.
Hope someone benefits from my experience
Thanks
Larry

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

All plants and trees are fine. Highs today and yesterday were 81 and 82. For us the cold is over. I hope. :08:

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Had a single frost happen in Pyrgos over a month ago and almost all banana leaf blades were toast... The rachis didnt damage though on most. That worries me a little since my ''Kandrian'' is really close to fruiting and hope it grows some leafs before it pushes an inflorescence. A little over 3 weeks ago i found a new green leaf on one of my potted bananas and the spears had grown on most of the grown planted ones too,upon my arrival to Pyrgos so hopefully they may have grown more during my absence. I will be visiting Pyrgos again in a week or 2! :woohoonaner:

The TC banana plantlets i am overwintering in my basement along with a yearling TC banana,are hanging in there,some doing better and some worse,depending on their location. Some are really loving the heat(20-22C) and grow well,with sturdy leafs,the few that dont do as well its mostly because they dry out sooner than i get to water them,and are a little desiccated...I working on fixing that...at least i am having no rot problems this winter thus far with my bananas!:woohoonaner:

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

here just a lot of wind damage..i.e leaves tattered and some are a little dry on the edges..but save another cold front we are off and running ..this year looking for jamaican red,praying hands,hoa moa,blue java to all push flowers out..and of course the ever presant orinocos

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Mine are doing alright. My ensete maurelii are growing. I just came back from a one week vacation and when I got home my tall/skinny Siam Ruby had completely fallen over. I dont know what happened, but this guy has always been skinny and wobbly.

I brought home a wild palm tree and an unwanted orchid on my vacation. I'm glad TSA didn't search my bag :D

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

I can never keep them alive. I've had two and both died

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

:pics:
If i get a minute ill try to get some pics of mine later.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Hey Matt - I've had the same trouble over the years. Most of my red leafed bananas never make it thru the winter - whether I try the dormant garage method or the all-winter-warm house method by spring they've usually rotted or dried out - My experience has been that red leafed banana plants seem to be much harder to keep alive over northern winter seasons. I've had no trouble with my baby basjoos ensetes, sacred golden lotus banana etc. The exception to this rule are bordelons. I got one 3' plant one late spring from a lady in Louisiana 4 years ago (first summer in my profile pic) . In it's second year it bloomed, fruited and provided me with mat of 8 - 5' stems to dig up and overwinter for season three - one of those even sent up a flower stem the first thing the following spring! I now overwinter many pseudo-stems from that first single plant and value them as the easiest overwintering fast and tall growing semi-red leafed banana both for my garden and for sharing. If you think we could get one thru Canadian customs ( I've read on here that they are sometimes very strict), I'd be happy to send one to you when the weather warms up.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

42F and raining in NOT good banana weather.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

My indoor bananas are doing fine except the DC I pruned just before flowering. The nanners in my greenhouse look sad because it gets down to the forties at night. They are dormant at present. I look forward to spring because I want my house back, at least for a few months.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

this has been a very cold winter and we are not finished yet. But my plants have only suffered leaf damage but it has not warmed up yet so they are almost dormant. It will be exciting when warm weather comes because I have at least 8 different kinds of bananas and the blue java is a group. I wish they were not such a slow growing and fruiting plant.

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In a holding pattern waiting for warmer days!

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

My babies <3


Siam Ruby puts out green leaves under poor lighting


My Thai Black got big last year

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

i am looking for some one to donate any pups to my project for the kids do you have any thougets that may help us if so we would like to here from you. My address is pi box 152 yucca AZ 86438 . Any help will be help full

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

The ones back home have been burned a bit by a light frost, but they'll be fine. I finally managed to get my Pisang Ceylon, Misi Luki, and Blue Java up to Santa Clara, and they're in the greenhouse at the garden now.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Dwarf Orinoco, Orinoco & Musa Velutina pushing up already here in SC Texas.
:) ~Cheryl

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

OB that's a nice collection u got going there. Welcome

Amantedelenguaje, I absolutely love your set up. Your dragon fruit cuttings with pineapples at the base is exactly what I plan to do in the spring. One thing that concerns me though is its gunna be a spiky nightmare to bring in eventually. R those pineapple crowns or slips u have planted in that pot. Also your dwarf cav (?) pot that has like 8 pineapples in it looks like its gunna get pretty crowded no? What variety of pineapples do u have? Wheres your d. namwah? Lookin good

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Thanks! My neighbor thinks I'm crazy, but I like having my garden. I know that I'll never get bananas in Omaha, but I like how the plants look.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Dwarf namwah is out in the greenhouse. It is dormant at present. Those are pineapple crowns. The group of pineapples are just there temporarily. I'm out, of containers. And yes, the dragon fruit/pineapple combo will some day be a spiky mes. Space is limited so they must coexist .

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Ive seen people in colder zones with fruiting nanners. Never say never!!

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

What's the length of your growing season in Ont?

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The nanna's I kept in pots in my shed are OK

The ones planted in the ground well....lol

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Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

6 months out doors is pushing it. But here's some of what's growing inside.

Left to Right: (Varigated?) Basjoo, Grand Naine, Basjoo #2 (which I thought was a small ensete when I bought it).


Grand Naine red P-stem, and pup



Strong basjoo #2


So is this thing Varigated? Or is this some nitrient def? It was not present on the initial mother plant, but was evident on most pups. It could be because I lowered the pH so now its showing or a nute def bc there is sometimes wierd disfigurements in the leaves near these markings.





Nighttime bedroom shot before lights go off

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

what kind of light panels are those?

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Mine bloomed after I took cuttings, which I understand is (somewhat?) common.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

Hey, the far light is a 2 foot-8 bulb fixture, and the close fixture is 2 foot-4bulb fixture. I got them here:
Designer T5 Fluorescent System - 2 Foot - 2,4,8-Tube

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

great to know! how do I do that? just chop off the top? and put it in some water?

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

If you like your Plumeria as it is Matt,leave it be and it will eventually bloom on its own,probably this year. Seed grown ones take just a little longer to bloom than cuttings.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

After last nights 25 degree weather almost/all of my plants in the ground look like this TERRIBLE lol

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Now they really uh well...

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Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

whoa, I think you actually cannot do water cuttings with plumies.
try plumeria101.com for info.
But I agree, seed grown plant may take a bit to bloom. Sorry, that should have been my first answer!
I got mine as cuttings. After a few years my plants were getting big (and hadn't bloomed) so I took cuttings. And then got blooms. I was surprised. :0489:

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

yes they need to cut dry for week then plant. might get some rooting hormone

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

If the banana leaf area where the lighter streaks are located in your photo is thinner then the darker green areas of the leaf, then no its not Variegated. its usually caused from over feeding the nanner or a build up of the nutrients in your soil. Also, look to see if any of the leafs are distorted or twisted weird, instead of like a perfect cigar shape that they should have before opening, that is an indicator of the same issue too. Let me know what you find out.

Big Tony

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

crossed fingers that this is it for the cold weather, luckily it only got into the low 40's here all winter.

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I get to put my Oranges back in tonight.. :^)

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

The first week of March has been cold here in south Florida with highs in the 60sF and lows in the 40sF. My bananas seem healthy and grew about 12 to 15 inches this winter,but the leaves are shredded from strong winds. Fortunately, no frost this year.

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The plants I brought up to Santa Clara really seem to be adjusting well to the greenhouse. They're beginning to grow again.

Re: How are everyone's banana plants this winter??
 

After coming home from the weekend at my girlfriends I discovered I accidentally left my lights on all weekend. I also found my "strong basjoo" looking pretty week. I don't know what is causing this, it's the first sign of it...