Basjoo update after terrible winter

sandy0225 · 07-03-2014, 05:01 PM

We lost a few, 2/13 out front in our line, both in places where we lost bananas before in less cold winters than this one. And unfortunately, we lost all three of them by the fish pond, but that totally makes sense because the bamboo perforated the pond liner over winter and drained the pond slowly over winter.
We also lost one that we had planted in practically all shade by the door. The one on the other side of the door is just fine. So out of 18 we had return on 12 with no mulching or protection at all besides planting them 2-4 years ago at a foot below grade. So not too bad!
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I sold all the basjoo that were big enough to plant a foot deeper this spring, so I got in another liner of 72 and I'm growing them as quickly as possible because people, including me, are waiting on them...

austinl01 · 07-03-2014, 05:11 PM

It was a terrible winter even down here in Arkansas. You will get back to normal with that nice flat of basjoos in no time. Do you ever grow velutina?

cincinnana · 07-03-2014, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandy0225

We also lost one that we had planted in practically all shade by the door. The one on the other side of the door is just fine. So out of 18 we had return on 12 with no mulching or protection at all besides planting them 2-4 years ago at a foot below grade. So not too bad!
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I sold all the basjoo that were big enough to plant a foot deeper this spring, so I got in another liner of 72 and I'm growing them as quickly as possible because people, including me, are waiting on them...

Thanks for posting that......accurate planting information.... Again.
You rock

john_ny · 07-04-2014, 01:59 PM

Last year, I was able to uncover my in-ground basjoos, and bring out the indoor ones on April 5. I had rigged a string of mini Christmas lights, under the cover, but sometime in March, a bulb blew out, taking the whole string out. The plants were still OK.
This year, I never got to rig the lights and, after a brutal winter, I was unable to uncover until mid May, but the plants were fine, and are growing well now. Go figure!

burris · 08-22-2014, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by austinl01

It was a terrible winter even down here in Arkansas. You will get back to normal with that nice flat of basjoos in no time. Do you ever grow velutina?

@ Austin - I'm in the Arkansas River Valley as well (Russellville AREA). Last year i started my first bananas (Basjoo tiny plants from Atwoods) had 13 pots with the largest about 4 foot by frost. I overwintered them in my unheated greenhouse and like you say, it was uncommonly cold.

All basjoo came back fine. I lost some tropicals. This year, I'm going to heat a small 8 x 8 section of the greenhouse to 40 degrees and see how that works.

What other banana varieties do you grow successfully? I want to think i know where a banana plant is that survives all winter, but they may cover or take it in. I'll be watching to see this winter. It's about a 8 footer and i know I've seen it pretty late in the year.

Anyone know how low a temperature a bajoo can survive without dieing back? Maybe the size when you put it in the ground has something to do with it too.

austinl01 · 08-22-2014, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burris

@ Austin - I'm in the Arkansas River Valley as well (Russellville AREA). Last year i started my first bananas (Basjoo tiny plants from Atwoods) had 13 pots with the largest about 4 foot by frost. I overwintered them in my unheated greenhouse and like you say, it was uncommonly cold.

All basjoo came back fine. I lost some tropicals. This year, I'm going to heat a small 8 x 8 section of the greenhouse to 40 degrees and see how that works.

What other banana varieties do you grow successfully? I want to think i know where a banana plant is that survives all winter, but they may cover or take it in. I'll be watching to see this winter. It's about a 8 footer and i know I've seen it pretty late in the year.

Anyone know how low a temperature a bajoo can survive without dieing back? Maybe the size when you put it in the ground has something to do with it too.

Awesome! I'm just north of Little Rock. An established basjoo can take any winter we get without any protection. They will come roaring back. I have been highly successful with musella lasiocarpa and musa velutina over the past 8 years without any mulch--no winter protection--even last winter! I am now trying musa ornata since they survived around 0*F in Alabama last winter. Arkansas is a great state to grow bananas!

burris · 08-23-2014, 03:05 PM

Austin - thanks for sharing - I'll add Musa Velutina to my list to try. Only tropical i have is Musa FHIA-3 Sweetheart that i bought online last fall. It was a tiny TC plant from FloridaHillNursery. Ordered 2, only one survived. Kept indoors through winter. It's 4 foot tall and stem as big as my arm - looks good. I'll keep it in a container. I'll wait another month or so and post some pics before frost.

austinl01 · 08-23-2014, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burris

Austin - thanks for sharing - I'll add Musa Velutina to my list to try. Only tropical i have is Musa FHIA-3 Sweetheart that i bought online last fall. It was a tiny TC plant from FloridaHillNursery. Ordered 2, only one survived. Kept indoors through winter. It's 4 foot tall and stem as big as my arm - looks good. I'll keep it in a container. I'll wait another month or so and post some pics before frost.

Sounds good. Musa velutina is a must. Look at my pink bananas they produce to the left under my screen name! They are reliable!

austinl01 · 08-24-2014, 05:19 PM

Hey Burris...if you are on Facebook, add the group Arkansas Palms and Exotics!

Jeremiah bradley · 09-12-2014, 08:41 PM

Hello everyon. Im in zone6 and have grown tha basjoo for ten years never mulching and grew clumps with 30 trunks. Last year we had about 3 weeks at 10 or so an windchill minus 20 at times for weeks.didnt mulch or cover my clumps.everything came back so it a very hardy banana.

Hammocked Banana · 09-14-2014, 12:20 PM

Hey Sandy how r your basjoos now.

sandy0225 · 09-14-2014, 06:41 PM

just a little smaller than normal.

http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a542/sandy02256/imagejpg13_zpsbd6f61e9.jpg

07-03-2014, 05:01 PM	#1 (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 : 366,559 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Basjoo update after terrible winter We lost a few, 2/13 out front in our line, both in places where we lost bananas before in less cold winters than this one. And unfortunately, we lost all three of them by the fish pond, but that totally makes sense because the bamboo perforated the pond liner over winter and drained the pond slowly over winter. We also lost one that we had planted in practically all shade by the door. The one on the other side of the door is just fine. So out of 18 we had return on 12 with no mulching or protection at all besides planting them 2-4 years ago at a foot below grade. So not too bad! Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I sold all the basjoo that were big enough to plant a foot deeper this spring, so I got in another liner of 72 and I'm growing them as quickly as possible because people, including me, are waiting on them... __________________ 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!

07-03-2014, 05:11 PM	#2 (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 : 169,681 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,590 Times Was Thanked 907 Times in 397 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 507 Times	Re: Basjoo update after terrible winter It was a terrible winter even down here in Arkansas. You will get back to normal with that nice flat of basjoos in no time. Do you ever grow velutina? __________________ 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

07-04-2014, 01:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
john_ny Member john_ny's Photo Gallery Location: Staten Island, NY - southernmost county in NY State. Find me on the map! Zone: USDA7- Sunset34 Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,014 BananaBucks : 626,101 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,057 Times Was Thanked 2,284 Times in 832 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 37 Times	Re: Basjoo update after terrible winter Last year, I was able to uncover my in-ground basjoos, and bring out the indoor ones on April 5. I had rigged a string of mini Christmas lights, under the cover, but sometime in March, a bulb blew out, taking the whole string out. The plants were still OK. This year, I never got to rig the lights and, after a brutal winter, I was unable to uncover until mid May, but the plants were fine, and are growing well now. Go figure! __________________ John

08-23-2014, 03:05 PM	#7 (permalink)
burris Location: Arkansas Zone: 7A Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 28 BananaBucks : 16,214 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 41 Times Was Thanked 26 Times in 13 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Basjoo update after terrible winter Austin - thanks for sharing - I'll add Musa Velutina to my list to try. Only tropical i have is Musa FHIA-3 Sweetheart that i bought online last fall. It was a tiny TC plant from FloridaHillNursery. Ordered 2, only one survived. Kept indoors through winter. It's 4 foot tall and stem as big as my arm - looks good. I'll keep it in a container. I'll wait another month or so and post some pics before frost.

08-24-2014, 05:19 PM	#9 (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 : 169,681 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,590 Times Was Thanked 907 Times in 397 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 507 Times	Re: Basjoo update after terrible winter Hey Burris...if you are on Facebook, add the group Arkansas Palms and Exotics! __________________ 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

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09-12-2014, 08:41 PM	#10 (permalink)
Jeremiah bradley green thumb Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 2 BananaBucks : 870 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1 Times Was Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Basjoo update after terrible winter Hello everyon. Im in zone6 and have grown tha basjoo for ten years never mulching and grew clumps with 30 trunks. Last year we had about 3 weeks at 10 or so an windchill minus 20 at times for weeks.didnt mulch or cover my clumps.everything came back so it a very hardy banana.

09-14-2014, 12:20 PM	#11 (permalink)
Hammocked Banana Relaxin Under the Nanners Location: Toronto, ON and Peterborough, ON Find me on the map! Zone: 6a and 5a respectively Name: Brady Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 958 BananaBucks : 54,860 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,178 Times Was Thanked 1,156 Times in 555 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 30 Times	Re: Basjoo update after terrible winter Hey Sandy how r your basjoos now.

09-14-2014, 06:41 PM	#12 (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 : 366,559 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: Basjoo update after terrible winter just a little smaller than normal. http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a542/sandy02256/imagejpg13_zpsbd6f61e9.jpg __________________ 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!

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