jrtalley43

I've been scouring through the many posts about overwintering basjoos and am still unsure what route to take. I am a basjoo newb. Bought a couple cheap pups this spring online. When I got them they were very small, and freshly potted in a 4 " pot with very small roots. I also think they may have been water pups. (Didn't know about at the time)

I probably should have put them in a pot, but thinking they would really take off, I planted them near the edges of my patio, amended with some sandy topsoil from a local hardware store.

Needless to say, they have not grown at the rate I had hoped. About halfway through my growing season and 1 has 6 inches or so of pstem, the other one half that. I'm realizing they are not going to mature much this season. And in zone 5b/6a, winter is likely to be rough.

I'm thinking long term, I will have the best success moving them up against the south facing wall of the house for the best microclimate possible. With about 2.5 months of good to decent growing weather left, do I:
1. Transplant them near the house now so that they can put some roots down before winter? Or is it too late?
2. Dig them up soon and pot them, so that I can bring them inside this winter to: a) a sunny window or b) my cool, above freezing garage.
3. Dig them up at the end of the season and store in cool garage
4.Leave them where they're at, attempt to winterize in their current less ideal location, hope for the best, and move them in the spring(or plant new, better starter plants)

Experienced growers, what approach would you take?

geissene

Option 2 sounds good to me. I think the corm might be too small for option 3.
Option 1 seems possible but risky - usually plants that are 2'-3' of pstem can survive winters in zone 6 for me.

Good luck - since you have 2 plants you can try two options....

Erik

mari@adams.net

What I did in this situation was to dig them in the fall and pot and kept them in my basement.....didn't water them through the winter.....planted them out the next Spring when day and night temps were above 50* which is usually end of April here. I did this until they were too big and heavy for me to repot and bring in. Just didn't want to lose them. This is the 3rd year for mine left outside for winter and I mulch and leave out for the winter. They are doing great. This is 3rd year... 2 month (for this year) growth now for Illinois.[IMG]
They do grow better in the ground than in a pot and less chance of root rot.[/IMG]

jrtalley43

Yours look great! Can't wait til these little fellas get that big from what I've heard it sounds like cold storage seems to work better than indoor/ sunny window for basjoos?

mari@adams.net

Yes, very easy to overwater them in the house and rot the root (corm)....I've done it.

cincinnana

I have brought a few indoors and they did ok under a window or a grow light.

__________________

jrtalley43

I have a couple small dwarf cavendish that I'm planning on keeping inside this winter, I've got a small walk in closet with a big south facing window that stays pretty warm. Thought about sticking a humidifier in there on low and making it my makeshift banana greenhouse 🤷*♂️ maybe ill try one there and one in the garage and see which does better