TrailGaiter

I wanted to post a pic showing a two month change in my basjoos....I hacked them off and brought them in the house two months ago...took pics then, and took pics today. The maurelii in question is also pictured.


My maurelii is growing, spitting out new leaves, however it has what appears to be mold down below. I attempted to take a pic to show.... I surely don't want to lose it! I'm watering SPARINGLY once a week. Just enough to get a little drink, but not like I'd water them in the summertime outside. The maurelii did have some spider mite issues about a month ago, but I used a mixture of the oil and dish soap in water to clean it up. I tried to be careful not to get any of the mixture in the soil, but I know it did run down the p-stem some. Is that what this "mold" is from? Is there anything I should do? Should I pull off/cut those brown pieces?

Bob3

Moisture definately assists mold growth, but it's hard to pin down the cause 100%.
If the "dead stuff" is dry & crunchy, I wouldn't worry about it too much. If it's soft and/or squishy you might want to trim it, paying attention not to leave any "open wounds".
Even with the little white spots, they look really great!

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turtile

You can use hydrogen peroxide to help prevent bacteria/fungi breakdown of the old leaves. I wouldn't worry about it unless you find it on live tissue.

If you have a cross space, it may be a better idea to put the bananas in there. The new growth indoors will be very weak.

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TrailGaiter

All I have is my basement to keep them....against that sunny patio door I figured would be the best place. And unfortunately, my basement isn't all that cold. I plan on wintering the basjoos outside next winter.

Bob3

In Wisconsin, the use of "unfortunately" in that context shouldn't really be an issue!
How about the garage, does it freeze out there? (by a shared wall of an attached garage, for instance?)

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TrailGaiter

If it's cold enough, yes, the garage will freeze. I had some rabbits in my barn and I would bring their big cage into the garage for the winter, it's insulated, and although it didn't freeze like it would have in the barn, their water still froze some nights. I was just afraid the garage was too cold for them....so figured I'd just keep them growing through the winter, but didn't think about the growth being weak.

Bob3

It sounds like the patio doors are your only realistic option. If you keep rotating them & are still careful about over-watering they should come through OK. You should be able to think of a spot outside for next spring that's protected from the wind.
Like I mentioned before, they still look pretty darn good (especially considering that "frozen tundra" thing going on out the other side of the glass!)!

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nannerfunboi

i read ages ago using cinnamon on stored plants to dry the area
out..ive used it now for yrs.. and my overwintered stored bananas
have had their dusting of cinnamon .. sure helps..
i buy it at a dollar store..no point in buying expensive stuff just to
dust your plants..
i also use it on my overwintered.potted up.. EE as well.. i lost several
thai giants last yr.. molding out.. this yr.. they are looking great!!!

good luck to ya!!!

TrailGaiter

cinnamon...that's interesting!

I have my spot picked out for next spring already.... I'll share a pic, where you can see my maurelii grew last summer.


Most of our strong winds come from the west, and the basjoos will be planted on the east side of my deck, between the deck and rock wall. They will get plenty of sun there, (this is the south side of the house), and I figured it would also be a nice spot for wintering them next year. They will be surrounded by the deck on one side, the house's foundation/basement, and a rock wall on the other side. I have plenty of landscape hay here, so my plan will be to cut them down, cover them with tarps/loose hay, and also stack hay bales around them. They will also be sheltered somewhat from the winter wind. The maurelii did very well there, and I'm not sure where I will plant it next year....but I thought It would be fun to "tropicalize" my deck here in WI, and have basjoos growing around it. I would like to consider some elephant ears for next year too, and thought I could grow those on the other side of the deck. I have cannas wintering in the basement as well (dormant, for the most part, but a couple small leaves did pop up on my Australia), and will either put those around the deck, or in front of the chicken coop, where they grew last year.

So, I've got my plan for spring....just have to get through winter first. I'm thankful I was out today in just a sweatshirt, putting my patio furniture away for the winter. No snow on the ground, and temps around 40 today. AWESOME for the end of December in southern Wisconsin!

Angie

Bob3

Rock walls like that can be both a blessing & a curse.
Good point is that they assure (for the most part) no standing water. Bad part is that they can allow frost penetration deeper than what you would normally see.
Basement wall is very good, usually means better drainage & some migratory heat.

Be sure to stack the hay/straw bales along the wall & think about adding some scrap Styrofoam behind the bales & under the mulch to help limit frost penetration.
(I'm a refugee from NE WI & am too familiar with frostbite!)

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