Re: should I dig it now?
 

Maybe next year, I'll try to dig it much more later in the year. But I'm just worried that they might end up like my cannas. Most or all of the pictures of dug ensete I have seen here were still very healthy. I have not seen someone dug his ensete with the leaves already damaged. That's what they do in cannas. They wait for the leaves to get knock down by hard frost before they dig them up.

So guys, if you are in similar zone like me, in 5a, when do you dig your ensete? Is it true that Ensete's leave won't get damaged when temperature is at 20F?

I'm very willing to leave my Ensete next winter when it goes down to 20F but would like to hope someone with a very kind heart to offer a free ensete as replacement. I'll pay for the shipping. This way, we can test their tolerance on cold temps.

Re: should I dig it now?
 

I'm 9a/9b, fairly inland, though the huge walls of oak trees and such seem to protect me from higher winds and lower temperatures. My plants are right next to my house and seem to do well with the morning dew and radiant heat when I don't have time to take care of them in the winter. When the air is cold, the water out of my well still feels quite warm to the hands, so unless it's all evaporating very quickly or freezing on contact, I would figure it to do be a positive thing. Wonder if this is time to fork and make new thread :)

Re: should I dig it now?
 

I dug mine after the first frost. We don't get frost as early as others around here though because we are on a slight hill and all the cold air settles to both sides of our bed. I forgot about my one out by the highway, so I let it get frosted really hard about 5-6 times before I dug it and my cannas up. I just dig my e. maurelii and cram them into a pot, whatever size the roots will fit into and stand them in the basement. I don't add any potting soil, so they are basically just a root ball sitting in a plastic pot. I water them from time to time with the hose. I don't usually cut off any leaves. sometimes the leaves dry out on their own, and sometimes the plants carry the leaves through winter. I guess it depends on how often I water them. It's not an exact science as far as I'm concerned. You kind of get a feel for it after you kill a few...lol.. If they get to standing crooked, they will grow sideways by spring but when you plant them back outside they will reorient themselves. Mine fell over last year, they were kind of in a big pile, but when I planted them outside, they straightened back up.

Re: should I dig it now?
 

Here's what my basjoo clump looks like after being hit by freezing temps. Actually not too bad considering. I will probably cut and mulch after the next freeze.

Re: should I dig it now?
 

Hi Sandy,

Did yours look like saltydad's banana when you dug it? Should I wait for first frost next year before I dig it?