Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

Mine isn't growing either but we just had a spring freeze a few days ago.

I wouldn't give up hope yet. Last year, I thought my basjoo was all rotted but it did produce some pups in late May. Not bad - since the corm was outside in soggy soil for part of the winter.

Erik G

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

zone 7a here, started emerging around April 1st, and are about 1 1/4 foot tall now.

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

Thank you very much for this post and this entire thread. It's May 1st and both my Basjoos haven't popped yet. I wrapped both and both were knocked back to the ground and are pretty mushy. The corms are solid about 2 inches below the soil. One of the two grew to about 8 feet last year with a fairly thick pseudo stem, I hope I get similar results this year.

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

I uncovered mine about 4 weeks ago, two of the biggest ones looked like a glob of mush...thought we lost them, they have sice started growing some over 3 feet tall now. all the pups are back up, it was a sucsessful winter here in s.w, Indiana. My first Year wintering them outside too I wonderded if it would work....we just used straw and alot of it.

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

I guess I spoke too soon. I dig up my corm this weekend and most of it is just mush. I guess the winter was too harsh and I didn't do enough to save it. Oh well... at least the pups I removed in fall are still alive and thriving!

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

We're now at 45 days in the ground, no rot going in and no temps below 35 since they were planted. . .

Still nothing.

I'm about to give up, especially since all the elephant ears around them have decided it's time to grow. The question for me now is, do I give up for this year or go find some replacements before summer gets rolling?

The only "nanner" I have left now is a battered and belittled Ensete (which oddly enough is bouncing back and thriving at the center of my banana mound/display).

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

I'm sorry to hear that! So much for a cold hardy plant, right?

Last year, I did get some basjoos to sprout from a partially dead corm but they were very slow to grow. They only got to 2' by the end of summer. Perhaps starting from new pups would be wise....

This fall I will try to minimize the amount of time the plants are dormant and also not put them into my unheated basement until the basement temperature starts to drop below 60F. I may even try to keep one outside in a styrofoam structure like OlafHenry made.


Erik G

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

mine have just started in the last week or so, same with hardy hibiscus. Customers were already coming in asking to buy replacements. I told them to give it some more time.

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

My basjoo is doing great here is a pic from today






My hibiscus just started coming to life about 2 weeks ago. They are starting to pick up some but it has been cold last couple days.
Pic from today

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

Huzzah!

I was weeding the banana patch yesterday (which is amazingly easy as there are no bananas) and noticed I have a tiny sprout!

The elephant ears are all sprouting and there is one 3" little 'nanner also pushing through. Perhaps not all is lost! (also, we finally got above 60F soil temps, so maybe that's it.)

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

Took my box off in early April and this is what I had about 3 weeks after...

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

Wow, you are in zone 5 and you saved that much Pstem, what kind of box did you have on them?

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

I use 1.5" rigid insulation (meant for foundations) and build a small wood frame then attach the insulation to it. Inside the box I have two set of shop lights (4' double t12 tube pull cord style). I hook these up to a thermostat set at 5 degrees and they push through the winter with no issues. Here's a photo today of the bunch.

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

Wow those look good. Might have to experiment some this year and try building a enclosure for mine

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

That's about when they came here in Charlotte, too. They're in the six to eight foot range now.

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

When you're able to save the stem like that Jeff, they obviously have a head start. Does that mean they'll get taller this year than they would have if you'd cut them down, or is that determined more by the maturity of the rhizome?

The reason I ask is that the bananas I just got this year were practically unharmed by the winter, except most of the leaves were dead. Unfortunately I had to cut them down to transport them. I'm just wondering whether it would be worth the effort to try to preserve them through the winter, or if I should just cut them back and mulch them really well.

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

The race is on!

The Basjoo and the Zebrina are up, but the Elephant Ears have a big head start...

Ensete m. in the middle of the patch is playing referee?

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

The first year they were in the ground I munched them instead of the box and they started from the ground. Its just a lot slower for them to get any size. With the box I already have a pretty healthy looking set of banana's. I'll snap a photo tomorrow if what they look like 11 weeks in.

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

So, anybody else having a really slow year?

I had 2 lumps of Basjoo and a small patch of Zebrina come back this year and they seem happy. However, we're now into the beginning of August and they're no even 3 feet tall. This time last year I had leaves over my head! Healthy leaves, healthy P-stems, adequate fertilizer and reasonable soil pH; is this what a long, cool, wet spring will get you?

Cheers,

Re: Outside Basjoo - when did your corms start growing this year?
 

My patch is doing great even though it was below temps for a while and a lot of rain. I trimmed off a bunch of lower leaves cause it looked a giant bush.