Hibernating a basjoo

Olafhenny · 11-30-2013, 02:32 AM

I should have posted that almost 3 weeks ago, but because I had to learn first how to
insert pictures (thank you Justin and Richard), since my allowed space in my “bananas”
gallery was exceeded, there is this delay

November 9, 2013. It is time to put this basjoo and her two pups into hibernation.

Slice off anything, which will not fit into the last one of the two smaller shelters*
In the back you can see the stubs of those tall Canna Australia shown here:
Ricinus Communis (RC) Purple and RC New Zealand Purple – a comparison

Because I already had all the rhizomes I needed for spring planting, I thought, I might
as well include these into the mulch pile. If they freeze up, - who cares; if not it will be
interesting to see how they compare with the ones I will start indoors.

Stick the permanent shelter* over top and pile a little dirt all around it, to keep the draft
out. A bamboo stick on each side and a rock on top, to keep it from blowing away.

Pile some leaves around it, to keep the cold from seeping in at the joint between shelter
and ground; also extent it over top of that tub sheltering the canna stubs.

*Permanent banana shelter for winter and spring

This may also be of interest:
Packing up the E. Maurelii for outdoor wintering

Olafhenny · 12-01-2013, 08:56 PM

Of course, Mike, this is, what IMOEO this forum is all about: Sharing information and
viewpoints. I see no profit in talking to myself – just an audience, which always
agrees with me.

Any wrinkle or photo you can add or any point you debate will teach me something.
Growing bananas in the tropics is like growing weeds. Growing them in the southern
US is a bit more of a challenge, but the real art comes in, when we keep them alive in
the HZs you describe.

We have stickies in such categories like: “What’s blooming in your garden- bananas” or
the same for “other plants” even “Whatcha having for dinner” and “Camera talk”. We
should certainly have one, which specializes in discussing all the methods of protecting
them in colder regions during the winter. You could call it: “Growing bananas in Zones 4
through 8”

That would make much valuable information available to established members, but
especially to newcomers. It would also make a forum for experimentation. Some of us
have more plants than we need. We could use those for experimentation, by exposing
some of them to borderline conditions.

Some of the threads which already exist could possibly be transfered there. and form
a substantial library of "how to do's" right from the start. But for all of that we would
require the cooperation of Mediahound, who appears to be AWOL for some time. At
least he has not responded to my pleadings about photos and "membership renewal"

Olafhenny · 12-04-2013, 12:07 AM

Yes, Mike I have done that experimentally with one of my basjoos last winter, although the
mulching was pretty sparse. The PS froze to 3 or 4 inches below surface. I dug it up in
spring and raised it, to get the remaining PS stub leve with the ground. Without any PS
above the ground it took a looong time to finally start growing. Based on only this case I
concluded, that if there is only a four inch PS left it is a huge advantage over none. It is
of course also possible, that my raising it has set it back a lot more, than slicing it off at
ground level and mulching it thoroughly would have.

Olafhenny · 05-11-2014, 09:26 PM

Hi Mike,

this is what I got from your link from Flickr:

"This page is private.

Oops! You don't have permission to view this page.

Here's a link back to your home page."

austinl01 · 07-02-2014, 11:08 PM

Thanks for the informative posts.

ego · 08-03-2014, 12:02 PM

What happens if you live in an area where winter minimums can be as low as -5 C but only on few days, while most winter days are much warmer, with some days up to 20 C? Will a basjoo rot if wrapped or covered in mulch on such warm days? Will it start producing new leaves?

Olafhenny · 08-03-2014, 04:54 PM

Hi Ego,

If you are concerned about rot, you should leave some airspace around the PS, as I have
done here:
Permanent banana shelter for winter and spring

As you can see in my last photos everything, I did not chop off in fall, was still there in
spring, without rot or forst damage and started growing immediately after uncovering.

Because your area is much warmer than mine, you might not want to go to such effort,
but just stick a piece of plastic pipe over the PS and wrap some insulation around the
outside. That should also help to even out the temperature within the pipe between
day and night.

Having said all that, you might also want to look at the method Cvrgrl used successfully,
without airspace. As you can see by my posts there, I was very sceptical about the
survival of those plants. However, much was explained, when more details of her
protection were revealed upon the unwrapping in spring. There is much to be learned
from her approach. I do not know any details about moisture protection. The location
suggests, that the plants may have been under an overhanging roof.

For the latter one see here:
. Winter Protection Zone 6 - Fingers Crossed

Best,
Olaf

sandy0225 · 10-16-2014, 03:47 PM

I've been doing the same thing for years. I just don't mulch thickly over them though. I just let the stalks die down and mulch themselves.

Bangkokian · 02-27-2016, 04:11 PM

I'm going to try the box method next year but fill it full of straw. Has anyone tried that method?

11-30-2013, 02:32 AM	#1 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 251,202 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Hibernating a basjoo I should have posted that almost 3 weeks ago, but because I had to learn first how to insert pictures (thank you Justin and Richard), since my allowed space in my “bananas” gallery was exceeded, there is this delay November 9, 2013. It is time to put this basjoo and her two pups into hibernation. Slice off anything, which will not fit into the last one of the two smaller shelters* In the back you can see the stubs of those tall Canna Australia shown here: Ricinus Communis (RC) Purple and RC New Zealand Purple – a comparison Because I already had all the rhizomes I needed for spring planting, I thought, I might as well include these into the mulch pile. If they freeze up, - who cares; if not it will be interesting to see how they compare with the ones I will start indoors. Stick the permanent shelter* over top and pile a little dirt all around it, to keep the draft out. A bamboo stick on each side and a rock on top, to keep it from blowing away. Pile some leaves around it, to keep the cold from seeping in at the joint between shelter and ground; also extent it over top of that tub sheltering the canna stubs. *Permanent banana shelter for winter and spring This may also be of interest: Packing up the E. Maurelii for outdoor wintering __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

12-01-2013, 08:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 251,202 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: Hibernating a basjoo Of course, Mike, this is, what IMOEO this forum is all about: Sharing information and viewpoints. I see no profit in talking to myself – just an audience, which always agrees with me. Any wrinkle or photo you can add or any point you debate will teach me something. Growing bananas in the tropics is like growing weeds. Growing them in the southern US is a bit more of a challenge, but the real art comes in, when we keep them alive in the HZs you describe. We have stickies in such categories like: “What’s blooming in your garden- bananas” or the same for “other plants” even “Whatcha having for dinner” and “Camera talk”. We should certainly have one, which specializes in discussing all the methods of protecting them in colder regions during the winter. You could call it: “Growing bananas in Zones 4 through 8” That would make much valuable information available to established members, but especially to newcomers. It would also make a forum for experimentation. Some of us have more plants than we need. We could use those for experimentation, by exposing some of them to borderline conditions. Some of the threads which already exist could possibly be transfered there. and form a substantial library of "how to do's" right from the start. But for all of that we would require the cooperation of Mediahound, who appears to be AWOL for some time. At least he has not responded to my pleadings about photos and "membership renewal" __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

12-04-2013, 12:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 251,202 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: Hibernating a basjoo Yes, Mike I have done that experimentally with one of my basjoos last winter, although the mulching was pretty sparse. The PS froze to 3 or 4 inches below surface. I dug it up in spring and raised it, to get the remaining PS stub leve with the ground. Without any PS above the ground it took a looong time to finally start growing. Based on only this case I concluded, that if there is only a four inch PS left it is a huge advantage over none. It is of course also possible, that my raising it has set it back a lot more, than slicing it off at ground level and mulching it thoroughly would have. __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

05-11-2014, 09:26 PM	#4 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 251,202 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: Hibernating a basjoo Hi Mike, this is what I got from your link from Flickr: "This page is private. Oops! You don't have permission to view this page. Here's a link back to your home page." __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

07-02-2014, 11:08 PM	#5 (permalink)
austinl01 Got pink bananas? austinl01's Photo Gallery Location: Little Rock, AR Find me on the map! Zone: 7b/8a Line Name: Austin Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,288 BananaBucks : 167,072 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,590 Times Was Thanked 907 Times in 397 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 507 Times	Re: Hibernating a basjoo Thanks for the informative posts. __________________ Austin Arkansas River Valley Average January Low: 31°F, Average August High: 92°F Extreme Winter Lows: 5-15°F, Extreme Summer Highs: 100-112°F, Annual Precipitation: 52 inches

Members currently in the chatroom: 0
	The most chatters online in one day was 17, 09-06-2009. No one is currently using the chat.

08-03-2014, 12:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
ego Location: Greece Find me on the map! Zone: 8b Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 28 BananaBucks : 17,633 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: Hibernating a basjoo What happens if you live in an area where winter minimums can be as low as -5 C but only on few days, while most winter days are much warmer, with some days up to 20 C? Will a basjoo rot if wrapped or covered in mulch on such warm days? Will it start producing new leaves?

08-03-2014, 04:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 251,202 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: Hibernating a basjoo Hi Ego, If you are concerned about rot, you should leave some airspace around the PS, as I have done here: Permanent banana shelter for winter and spring As you can see in my last photos everything, I did not chop off in fall, was still there in spring, without rot or forst damage and started growing immediately after uncovering. Because your area is much warmer than mine, you might not want to go to such effort, but just stick a piece of plastic pipe over the PS and wrap some insulation around the outside. That should also help to even out the temperature within the pipe between day and night. Having said all that, you might also want to look at the method Cvrgrl used successfully, without airspace. As you can see by my posts there, I was very sceptical about the survival of those plants. However, much was explained, when more details of her protection were revealed upon the unwrapping in spring. There is much to be learned from her approach. I do not know any details about moisture protection. The location suggests, that the plants may have been under an overhanging roof. For the latter one see here: . Winter Protection Zone 6 - Fingers Crossed Best, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them. Last edited by Olafhenny : 08-03-2014 at 04:58 PM.

10-16-2014, 03:47 PM	#8 (permalink)
sandy0225 Northern Tropics sandy0225's Photo Gallery Location: Muncie, Indiana zone 5 Find me on the map! Zone: zone 5 Name: Sandy Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,718 BananaBucks : 362,600 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: Hibernating a basjoo I've been doing the same thing for years. I just don't mulch thickly over them though. I just let the stalks die down and mulch themselves. __________________ Sandy Burrell Northern Tropics Greenhouse 1501 East Fuson Road Muncie, IN 47302 www.northerntropics.com specializing in bananas, heirloom tomatoes and water gardening plants~ check out our new online store at our website!

02-27-2016, 04:11 PM	#9 (permalink)
Bangkokian Find me on the map! Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 3 BananaBucks : 2,982 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 10 Times Was Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 5 Times	Re: Hibernating a basjoo I'm going to try the box method next year but fill it full of straw. Has anyone tried that method? __________________ Bangkok Ian - now living in York, UK http://www.bananas.org/images/smilies/waving_banana.gif I love growing bananas, but best of all is eating them.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Sakhalin Basjoo and normal Basjoo flower	tony palmer	Cold Hardy Bananas	10	07-16-2008 04:24 PM