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Main Banana Discussion This is where we discuss our banana collections; tips on growing bananas, tips on harvesting bananas, sharing our banana photos and stories.


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Old 12-20-2009, 08:24 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Default Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

My bananas are so far...so good really, we've had some frosts especially for the last 4-5 nights (min. - 5C). The Basjoo, Sikkimenses (I have some hybrids in) and Yangtze Valley are outside protected by a thick mulch and a fleece. All the rest, are overwintering in my polytunnel, which is lined for the season with a bubblewrap.

I have a new 4kW air to air heat pump heating system keeping the polytunnel at a Min 7-8C, shortly to be supplemented by a 3kW air to water sub soil heating system. Will try and put together schematics if people would like to know how I've brought it all together.

How's everyone else getting on?
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Old 12-20-2009, 08:43 PM   #2 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

Just great





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Old 12-20-2009, 08:58 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

Wow...

Fun for the kids though
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Old 12-20-2009, 10:35 PM   #4 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

Thats crazy how much snow you guys on the east coast got. We only got a dusting of snow in St Louis which will all be gone when its 40 degrees tomorrow. My greenhouse is staying a consitant 58 degrees with my electric heater. I just bought a kerosene heater from a guy on criagslist yesterday, its my emergency backup in case of a power outage. You never know, we might get blizzard in the midwest. That would suck for my plants to die. After I checked the BTUH rating on the kerosene heater I realized that its twice what I need but I will be ready if the powers out and its cold as #### outside.
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Old 12-20-2009, 10:57 PM   #5 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

I don't have anything in my greenhouse
Not fully insulated yet, 1st winter with it closed in
It was 12 degrees outside....32 in the greenhouse
It went down to 7 one nite, not sure how cold it got in there
I still need to make 4 storm windows, maybe next year I can winter stuff in there
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Old 12-21-2009, 09:48 AM   #6 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

Good luck with your greenhouse. you might try using bubble wrap on the inside panels as insulation. I used double sided tape to put mine up, make sure the bubble side is against the panel. I think the large bubble wrap works the best. Right now I only have the side panels insulated. I just ordered more from a seller on ebay. Much cheeper than buying retail. Another important thing is to insulate the inside of the door. You might check you the greenhouse megastore.com. they have a calculator to determine how powerfull of a heater you will need. Look at the BTUH rating. I have found out that my 1500W electric heater will keep my greenhouse at 58 until the outside temp gets down to about 20, below that I have a small kerosene heater that I have used a couple times in addition to the electic heater. Another thing that really helps is a solar powered roof vent opener (I bought one on ebay for $25).

I also have plants in my basement under grow lights, my plants in the greenhouse seem to like it bette.
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Old 12-21-2009, 09:50 AM   #7 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

I forgot to say that I am also going to use bubble wrap on the roof. when I get it in the mail, it will be my christmas weekend project.
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Old 12-21-2009, 05:39 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

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Originally Posted by Scuba_Dave View Post
Is this pic from this year? We haven't had that much snow this year, but I know I've seen drifts as high as the L side of the photo on my road (in Iowa) more than a few times. It sucks, cause 5-10 mph winds start filling in the middle (one lane that's cleared out with 10' walls on either side) and it does NOT blow back out. So unless the plow has just gone, you're pretty much snowed in or out....even with a truck...even tractors get stuck in that condition. And if you're like me and drive a civic hatchback that has been lowered 3 inches lower than stock....well...don't even THINK about it
Quote:
Originally Posted by jwmahloch View Post
I just bought a kerosene heater from a guy on criagslist yesterday, its my emergency backup in case of a power outage. You never know, we might get blizzard in the midwest. That would suck for my plants to die. After I checked the BTUH rating on the kerosene heater I realized that its twice what I need but I will be ready if the powers out and its cold as #### outside.
Yeah, St. Louis has been SEVERE WEAK SAUCE when it comes to snow since I moved there. Worst storm I've seen (wouldn't even consider it a 'blizzard') was 4" of snow....and that melted in less than a week. And as for the power outage...that's how I lost my original two bananas a few years ago....massive ice storm in Iowa that wiped out power for our entire town for a week. And your kerosene heater must be a much different type than I'm envisioning, cause all the ones I've seen require electricity to run in addition to the kerosene.
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Old 12-21-2009, 05:47 PM   #9 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

My kerosene heaters do need electricity, just kerosene and 2 C batteries for the ignitor. You can start it without the batteries with a match/lighter The large one I just bought has a BTUH rating of 23000 so it would be able to heat a large garage, probably more than I need for a 6x8 greenhouse but I will be ready if the power goes out. I also have a small british kerosene heater that I use on nights that get below 20, its the old fashion kind that is built like a lamp, all I need is kerosene and a match. I have learned not to turn up the wick too high because it sooted my greenhouse the first time I used it. I wiped most of it off, there was a black film on the inside of my greenhouse and it was in my fan as well, a real mess. But apparently the plants like it since the breath CO2.
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Old 12-22-2009, 07:41 AM   #10 (permalink)
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

so far so good, here north and east of Indianapolis. We did lose a panel of polycarb in the crazy wind a couple of weeks ago, but it was in the unheated greenhouse, and it's fixed now. We're working on making our 36x26 greenhouse into a 26X96 greenhouse for spring, but it's getting too cold right now. It'll be done by the time we need it though. The bananas are starting to plump out on my ice cream banana a little, slowly.
We haven't gotten any real snow to speak of, the ground is white, and we're getting just a dusting every day. Just enough to keep the ground covered which is good for the perennials. It could keep this up all winter!
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Old 12-23-2009, 09:15 PM   #11 (permalink)
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

[quote=sandy0225;115191] We're working on making our 36x26 greenhouse into a 26X96 greenhouse for spring,QUOTE]

Wow, I could really do with one of those. How do you heat it? Is it a greenhouse or a tunnel?
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Old 12-24-2009, 07:46 AM   #12 (permalink)
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

it's like this:

Round Style Solar Star Greenhouses - 20'- 38'W - FarmTek

polycarb endwalls, vents in the end to reduce heat, roll up sides, double poly with inflation fan to keep the plastic in place and for heat loss reduction. This one is going to have infared poly on it, to help more with heat loss. We originally purchased the 26wx36 long and now are adding 60 feet more length on it to make it to 96 feet. We have another 26x36 just like it already that we grow heirloom tomato plants in the spring for sale. We had the entire house full of tomato plants last spring and plan on doing that again this year, 165 varieties in total.
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Old 12-25-2009, 10:21 AM   #13 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

All of my nanas are doing OK,growing very slowly,as the temp i have set is of min 10c, in the greenhouse,with elec fan heater.
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Old 12-13-2012, 03:11 PM   #14 (permalink)
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

Can anybody tell me if you can successfully micro-climate say Orinco pups in a 6b zone using insulation from some sort of electrical heating element that might be like an outdoor electric blanket? Is there such a product and would this be effective under say 10 inches of leaf or other artificial insulation? Any thoughts or wishful thinking?
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Old 12-13-2012, 04:48 PM   #15 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

alot of people wrap palms with bubble wrap then a heating cable and bubble wrap overtop of that. I think the plug is called a themocube. it comes on at 20 degrees and kicks off at 40 or somthing like that. If it works for palms it should work for a nana
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Old 12-13-2012, 06:41 PM   #16 (permalink)
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

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alot of people wrap palms with bubble wrap then a heating cable and bubble wrap overtop of that. I think the plug is called a themocube. it comes on at 20 degrees and kicks off at 40 or somthing like that. If it works for palms it should work for a nana
A heat-tape kicks in @ & keeps whatever is wrapped between 38-45F.. :^)
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Old 12-13-2012, 06:57 PM   #17 (permalink)
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

Up here on the "wet" coast of BC Canada we do not get much in the way of snow (little or none most winters) but we do get rain....lots of it. And cooler temps - average night temp is around the 2 C (about 36 F).
My bananas are either wrapped in landscape fleece (similar to felt that I ordered in from England) and sheets of poly or they have been moved into the heated greenhouse (again I wrapped this in the fleece and then poly to keep in the heat)
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Old 12-13-2012, 07:13 PM   #18 (permalink)
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

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Up here on the "wet" coast of BC Canada we do not get much in the way of snow (little or none most winters) but we do get rain....lots of it. And cooler temps - average night temp is around the 2 C (about 36 F).
My bananas are either wrapped in landscape fleece (similar to felt that I ordered in from England) and sheets of poly or they have been moved into the heated greenhouse (again I wrapped this in the fleece and then poly to keep in the heat)
Sounds like an insulated rain coat for nanners? :^)
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Old 12-13-2012, 07:28 PM   #19 (permalink)
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

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Sounds like an insulated rain coat for nanners? :^)
It does tend to keep them from rotting - that and planting them on "high ground" for drainage
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Old 12-13-2012, 07:45 PM   #20 (permalink)
 
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Default Re: Northern Growers: How are you getting on this winter?

plants are still growing both in greenhouse and inside, some faster then others hope everyone else's are doing fine
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