frankthetank

These are my Sikkimensis that overwintered in the basement in 5 gallon buckets. I cut all the leaves last fall and never watered them... Just covered them with a blanket. Already popping leaves. Hasn't been that warm, although the nights have stayed 40F or above since i planted. Plan on giving them plenty of water and fertilizer to really get them going.



These were seed grown two years ago.






Last year i believe they became root bound and probably could have been fertilized/watered more then they were.

Hoping for 10ft out of them.

just j

looks like the seeds came from the banana-tree.com i have never had any luck with that place must have to buy them at the right time i guess. they all look good

frankthetank

It was pretty bad germination. Out of 200 seeds, i got less then 15 plants... Plus they take forever to germinate. I had 2 packets of seeds, and i think one packet had none that germinated. Growing from seed is fun...and usually a lot cheaper.

just j

another person from wisconsin that cool i think that makes 3 of us on hear

Rmplmnz

and one from FL....I have bought a few seeds from them with zero germination...

just j

the only thing i had come up out of 40 bags of different types of seeds were 5 ensete vent. and 2 mazari palm and a orange bird of paradise what a waste of money i even called the guy and asked him if they were fresh or not he told me they come from his farms in costa rica and they are always fresh the guy must of hated talking on the phone he was not very pleasent at all with me so i tryed them i also ordered 6 heliconia rhizomes after 4 months on waiting i canceled the order on those he does have good prices on stuff but who wouldnt have junk seeds for dirt cheap

Rmplmnz

We should have been skeptical of buying bananas from any company based in Pennsylvania ....the catalog does have some incredible descriptions...

frankthetank

Yeah... Guess i'm lucky i had any germinate. Now i would research where i bought them, back then i just ordered.

My Basjoos (not pictured) came from Going bananas down in Homestead (i think) and they've done great. They are currently looking ready to throw out a leaf or two. I stored these monsters in a huge black garbage bag in a closet in a spare room! I actually had to drag them out of the house because it was so heavy (broke my wrist 8 weeks ago, was still weak at the time)...the bottom had a hole in it so dirt was all over the floor...oh well.

I wish mine would fruit sooner or later. My SDCs are going on their fourth? summer...

Patty in Wisc

Funny Frank, I just PM'd you today & asked if your plants are out!
I remember you said you will never grow them in pots..."inground in summer". Less watering.
Yes J, so far that's 3 of us nana growers here in Wisconsin LOL.
I am not growing for looks... I want edibles! I am now ruling out Ice Cream for our climate only because they are too heavy to move around especially when they are ready to flower!
Keep us posted Frank. (and, more pics of baby too!)

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Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.

Patty in Wisc

Frank, in 'Container Plants', read my thread on my "Ice Cream doing great..."

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Patty in Wisc has sadly passed away 9/05/11. We will miss you Patty.

Bob

Patty , don't give up now!! You're this( pinching my fingers together) close.

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john_ny

Frank - A couple of questions...
One picture shows plants in nursery containers. Obviously, these had drain holes. Another pictre shows plants in what appear to be taping compound buckets. Did these have drain holes drilled in them? Were the plants growing in the buckets, or were they just dug up and placed in the buckets, for overwintering? What was the temperature in the basement, where you overwintered the buckets, and in the closet, where you stored the garbage bag of basjoos? Thanks.

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John

frankthetank

Yes...all the containers/buckets had holes in the bottom. Yes they were growing in the 5 gallon buckets (Menards) last summer...just too lazy to dig up a spot in the yard ... The temperature in the basement? Probably started out around 70F in October, dropping to the mid/low 50's during the cold part of the winter (the furnace down there keeps it warm...)... The Basjoos in the spare bedroom were probably colder yet...that bedroom has the heat turned off so i'm guessing it might have ranged from 40F to 60F ... I bet you could water them once or twice over the winter, but whatever i did seems to work... (Did the same thing the winter before and my basjoos came back)...

My big problem last year was replanting them outside too early and cutting back all the dead leaves.. I keep killing the new shoots (the cold night time temps). This year i'm just letting them do their thing.

I haven't and wouldn't leave them in the ground here. The frost goes really deep and last winter we had a low of -26F and lots of nights below 0F... Its a PAIN digging them up and dragging them inside/outside in the spring, but it takes all of 5 minutes and your plants will make it no problem.

john_ny

Thanks for your reply. I have conditions that are pretty much the same, and wondered how it'd be. The basjoos, in the garbage bag, were dug up, I assume.

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John

alpha010

Sorry John....had to chuckle....

Frank, this sounds like my plan here this year, and Patty, I'll show you pics of my IC decimation in the fall so you can weep...I plan on lopping leaves and bare rooting it in basement along with my E. maurelii and Mahoi and Lady Finger.

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john_ny

What I meant to say was that I assume that the basjoo had been growing in the ground, then dug up and placed in the bag for winter storage. Now, I have to ask, were the sikimensis in the ground during the summer also, or had they always been growing in containers?

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John

alpha010

I know john, was just yankin your chain a bit....

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LilRaverBoi

Well, it looks like those are going to be looking quite nice in a month or two! Glad they survived the winter and seem to be doing well! Oh...I'm noticing some insect damage on some of those little ones. That's too bad!

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timmko

Yet another person in Wisconsin on here. Anyone near me?? Looks good though

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timmko

Reason I ask is cause my wife and kids think I am nuts..I just want the place to "look" warm...LOL

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