Best way to wake a dormant banana up?

[vaindioux]

Hi

I am in Atlanta, I have both a dwarf banana and a Musa Sumatrana "Rojo" that I cut all leaves but the emerging ones back in November and put them in my non freezing basement.
The emerging leaves are still green on the dwarf and purple on the "Rojo". I of course haven't watered them at all since they went downstairs.
What is the best way to wake them up when the time comes end of march?
Water a little, a lot?
Keep in shade at first or full sun?
Restart indoors then move outdoors?
When to judge they can go in the ground?
They are both potted but will go inground for the spring/summer/fall .

Thanks a lot

Patrick

[momoese]

A splash of cold water! lol Sorry, I just couldn't resist. I live in So. Cal so I have never had to deal with that situation.

I'm sure someone here will help with a real answer.

[bigdog]

I would keep them in the pots for a little while, moving them out on warm, sunny days, and back in when the nights are cold. Wait a couple of weeks after your last frost date to plant them. Planting them out earlier serves absolutely no purpose, because the roots will not grow in cold soil anyway. Water very sparingly during the transition time also, and for a couple of weeks after planting in the ground. Once you can see them start to take off, then increase watering and start to fertilize.

[vaindioux]

Bigdog

Thanks a lot for your kind post, I will bring them back up to speed slowly.

Best regards

Patrick

[scooterbug]

How about the bananas that are dormant , stored bare root laying in a cold-storage room in the cellar ?
TIA

[Lucian]

Hi,

Here is my method:

1. Dip the root ball in warm water for 10 to 20 min or until soil is moist.
2. Remove from water, spray with fungicide and plant in a pot filled with sterile soil.
3. Keep the soil warm.

To elaborate further…

I store my musas bare root and with full stem and only the newest leaf.

Before I start them I inspect the whole plant. If the root ball is mushy I discard the plant, from past years experience mushy = rotting. I also inspect the stem at the base and note if tissue is soft or it has brown spots. Now, if root ball looks solid and it has tints of yellowish, greenish or reddish and the stem is all mushy I remove the stem and plant just the root ball if, both root ball and stem look good I do not cut anything.

I dip the root ball in warm water to ensure that the plant will have some moisture.

I spray with fungicide and use sterile soil to eliminate any potential causes for rotting.

I keep my pots in a room where the temperature is 27 C (80F) and 75% humidity. I keep the soil warm by directing a heater (with a fan) towards the pot. Usually signs of growth are noted 10 to 14 days later (but I had plants that took almost 20 days).

When the plant starts to grow I place it next to the windows that get maximum sunlight (in my case I only get afternoon sun) at ambient temperature 21 -23 C (approx 72F) and 50 to 60% humidity.

They will grow slowly until I move them outside at the end of May.

Lucian

[scooterbug]

Thank You Lucian.

You referred to 'sterile soil' .... I assume you mean fresh potting medium or do you actually sterilze it ?


My banana plants that are short enough after trimming back the pseudostem will be potted up first and brought up into the house.
Trying for the best jump start I can get in our short growing season.
I can place the pots near a baseboard heat panel to keep the soil warm. I do this for all the other overwintering plants

"It's a jungle in here"

Shirley

[Lucian]

Shirley,

I use bagged potting soil that is available at most garden centers (cheaply available at Home Depot). I find it the easiest to work with .

A method to sterilize soil is with heat. Heat oven to 108 F place soil (4 inches thick) on tray “roast” for 30 min.

You can also use Canadian sphagnum peat moss, perlite, gypsum, dolomitic lime and a wetting agent to mix all of them and voila, you have your very own sterile soilless medium.

But again I would stick with purchasing the bagged stuff...

[scooterbug]

OK I wuz just checking

Most commercial potting soils are harboring critters like white fly or fungus gnats. Just something ya gotta live with.

I sterilize soil for my German hybrid brugmansia seeds by putting the soil in a old kitchen towel into a pot and pouring boiling water over all .

For seeds I also use Rock Wool (sheet cubes) which is sterile unless you contaminate it with dirty hands or utensils

Moo-chas Grass-ias from da Dairy State

[scooterbug]

Update.

Life got in the way of my plans but I FINALLY brought them up and trimmed all the dead yukky stuff off.

Soaked the corms in warm water for 2 hours, let air dry then sprayed with a 10-1 clorox solution , planted in fresh potting medium to cover the root zones .
Only 2 weeks later the pups are sending up new growth

There is life ! ! ! ! !

This is fun !