Quote:
Originally Posted by Lau
Welcome. I think you purchased an Ensete Banana Plant not a Musa Banana Plant. I don't grow any Ensete plants so I can't offer any help. Congratulations it is a beautiful plant. Watch your chickens they might think the new plant is their dinner.
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Yes, the tag said "Musa Ensete" which is.... confusing....
The nursery this came from is one county over, but they had it in a green house. (I called the guy). I didn't actually get through to him, we played phone tag for a bit, then I found this forum.
Our chickens like banana fruit, but they completely ignore peels, so I thought this would be OK. But to be on the safe side I put a hardware cloth cage around it until it establishes itself.
The greenhouse this was grown in is in zone 9a and we're actually in 8a (unless I mixed that up... anyhow, we're one zone warmer)
My theory on putting this in the chicken yard is that it will provide shade for the chickens. Eventually? But, of course, if it doesn't thrive....
It's not currently in full sun. It's getting about 6 hours per day? I can move it closer to the house, where it will get more sun, AND get heat reflected off our concrete and stucco bungalow. That might work better.
The yard's a complete mess right now, but maybe I should be brave and take some photos of the options where we can plant this? Especially since there's a spot in the back of the house that gets extremely good sun throughout the winter. It's still in the chicken yard (we free range, mostly) but its an absolute mess right now, with a half-dug-up old and unused septic tank that I was thinking of converting into a koi pond. EVENTUALLY I would like to turn that area into a nice patio, but right now it looks like something from Hoarders.