nealnick5

It pains me to hear about your losses, but hopefully we can help. I agree that drainage is key. I have only had mine 2 years but mine were massive early this year. Most of mine are planted above the drive lane level on a slight incline, so all the water drains to the lane instead of just sitting around my plants. Check out my post: Basjoo's fruiting before frost in 20-30 days

Even the basjoos I didn't over-winter or used traditional methods for still had the pups pop up a week or 2 ago. But every basjoo I have is planted either in a raised bed or on a hill. Drainage is key. Basjoos can supposedly go to -20F. Try planting them in a raised bed or on a slope this year. It has worked for me. Mine are already a month ahead of schedule!

If none of yours survived even with all that prep, I'd say that they were subjected to root rot. That's the only way I can think of that they all died. Usually the underground pups always survive even without any protection. Hope this helps.

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Growing: Ensete ventricosum 'maurelli', Musa balbisiana 'Thai Black', bordelon, basjoo, Dwarf Cavendish, Dwarf Orinoco, itinerans var. itinerans, lasiocarpa, orinoco (tall), saba, sikkimensis 'Red Tiger', TaNee, zebrina, VDN (green), 1000 fingers, praying hands, ornata purple, veluntina, french red, super dwarf cavendish, dwarf iholena, red iholena, balbisiana (yellow), kru, mananzo, zebrina var. gran nain.