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Old 01-27-2010, 09:33 AM   #9 (permalink)
sandy0225
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Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5
Zone: zone 5
Name: Sandy
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Default Re: Ensete ventricosum var. 'Maurelii'

I've found them to be very easy, as long as you're vigilant for spider mites when they're inside or if you have excessively dry weather. I haven't noticed that ensete don't like humidity, they do just fine here in the same conditions as the other bananas I grow. I overwinter mine in the heated basement with weak light from my grow light. They are in the corner, 10 feet or more from the light. I just dig them up bare rooted in the fall, stuff the root ball in whatever size plastic nursery pot they will fit into. I set the pots on the basement floor and spritz them with water about once a week or so. They are still growing. They do have spider mites on them now, but I spray them with 1T cooking oil and 1T suave coconut shampoo in 1 gal water once a week and that seems to be keeping the mites down. They still have good leaves on them. I did the same thing with these plants last year, but it seemed I didn't water them enough last year because they dried out more and lost some height. As long as they're alive in the spring, when you put them out they'll grow. I'll add some pictures in a few minutes.
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Sandy Burrell



Northern Tropics Greenhouse
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Muncie, IN 47302
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Last edited by sandy0225 : 01-27-2010 at 09:42 AM. Reason: add pictures
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