Tropicallvr

This one should be in a kit for kiddies to try and grow nanners from seed (as Mrbungalow would say).
I put them in cocco peat(cocconut fiber), and perlite in a zip lock baggie, and put it slightly elevated off my water heater, and days later some are already starting to sprout. This one is alot easier than the one from Thailand reffered to as the "rock banana". They are probally two different species.
This one and the two other Ensetes(glaucum, ventricosum) always seem to be consistant sprouters.

bigdog

I've heard before that they are pretty easy to sprout. Until a week ago though, I still hadn't ordered any. I ordered 100 from RPS, so I should see them by summer (just kidding, RPS!).

Tropicallvr

I haven't seen them being sold in the US much anymore since gingerwood nursery went under. I think they are alot more rare than the Thai type, and it might even be a threatened species due to land clearing in the western Gnats.
Good luck with yours. It's nice to be able to count on at least one kind of banana to sprout even if it is a zone 9-10 plant.

bigdog

So, is the Ensete superbum from RPS not the one you are referring to? It says on their website that it's from India, but maybe you are talking about a different one?
On a side note, have any of your 'New Bhutan' flowered yet? The one you sent me appeared to send up a flag leaf, but has stalled since then. It may not even be a flag leaf, but just a smaller leaf from greenhouse conditions/nutrition.

Tropicallvr

The one from RPS is the one I'm talking about. I ordered 100 also, and I think the seeds might be last years, but still viable.
I haven't had any Bhutans flower yet. They are still leafless in my cold greenhouse waiting for some warmer weather, but showing the same stem hardiness as M.sikkimensis "red Flash", and M. thompsonii and similar sizes.

bigdog

Oh, OK. I'd be willing to bet that they are still viable also. I ordered some Ensete glaucum and ventricosum seeds in 2005, then waited a full year to germinate them. A ton of them popped up within a few weeks.

Good to hear about stem hardiness of 'New Bhutan'! I also like that you mentioned M. thomsonii as stem-hardy. Gabe has mentioned that it comes from the lowlands of NE India and Bhutan, so you wouldn't think that it would have that much cold-hardiness. I can't remember what article I was reading, but it was on the INIBAP site, and it referred to M. thomsonii as hardy. We all know that "hardy" is a relative term though. What may be hardy for you in N. Cal may not be hardy for me in Knoxville, TN! We shall see by next Spring, I hope.

Lagniappe

Hi Y'all,
I have read a lot of threads on the net regarding ensete germination and most say the same.."ensete are easy compared to musa". Last year this was the case for me as well. I had 70 % success with ensete and 0 with musa. I used all sorts of soils and moister/heat combinations and 10 seed varieties.
This year I decided to try again with both. I ordered 100 each e.glaucum , e.ventricosum and m. sikkimensis "daj giant" plus 8 E.superbum.
I planted these in straight "mulch" which consists of decomposing wood and almost nothing else. I theorised that my losses last year were from overwatering so this mix may save me from myself. As far as heat is concerned , I decided to let them germinate outside and endure mother natures vast mood swings. These were all planted in small cups and placed in a frame on concrete and covered with plastic.
It has now been 3 weeks and one (1) E . glaucum has sprouted AND 20 or so m.sikkimensis are breaking the surface .One of which is an inch tall .
I realy hope that the 8 or part of the 8 E.superbum sprout .
Sooo, I'm at 20% musa and 1% ensete glaucum. and striking out so far with superbum and ventricosum.
This is all fine and good as it took 4 months to get my fith e.glaucum last year and I really am suprised to have bananas to "hatch" this soon musa or otherwise .