DC area Bananas - New start for 2020

thewebgal · 05-31-2020, 01:40 PM

Hi y'all! I've been away for a while, but with the Cover-19 isolation, I decided I wanted a fresh start on a garden of tropicals this year. We are in Fairfax, VA - close to Wash, DC. We have a garden space by the front door that faces SSE, so I figured with a brick wall behind them, I could get an extended growing season. I'd grown elephant ears in the space in years past, but even tho we had a mild winter there was no sign of therm coming back. So, I moved an azelea and some hostas out of the space, threw 3 wheelbarrowloads of chopped mulched leaves there and worked them in with a tiller, then we had a couple of late freezes, and I was able to plant new plants there on May 16. Anyway - I planted 4 green elephant ears in the back row by the wall, 2 black fringe elephant ears and 2 Basjoo Musa cold hardy bananas in the front so they'll clear the rain gutters when they get tall. (Green arrows point at the bananas - 2 in ground and a dwarf cavendish in the pot).
I've been running the sprinkler every other day now that we are having warm sunny days - and while I thought one of the two Basjoo Musa banana plants was dying, with the main leaf folding over and turning yellow, it started sprouting a new leaf yesterday and its thriving!
I've grown bananas in pots before and had good luck a couple times (tho never any fruit - I suspect we are too far north for fruit) - but I love the look of the plants once they get going.

cincinnana · 05-31-2020, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thewebgal

Hi y'all! I've been away for a while, but with the Cover-19 isolation, I decided I wanted a fresh start on a garden of tropicals this year. We are in Fairfax, VA - close to Wash, DC. We have a garden space by the front door that faces SSE, so I figured with a brick wall behind them, I could get an extended growing season. I'd grown elephant ears in the space in years past, but even tho we had a mild winter there was no sign of therm coming back. So, I moved an azelea and some hostas out of the space, threw 3 wheelbarrowloads of chopped mulched leaves there and worked them in with a tiller, then we had a couple of late freezes, and I was able to plant new plants there on May 16. Anyway - I planted 4 green elephant ears in the back row by the wall, 2 black fringe elephant ears and 2 Basjoo Musa cold hardy bananas in the front so they'll clear the rain gutters when they get tall.
I've been running the sprinkler every other day now that we are having warm sunny days - and while I thought one of the two Basjoo Musa banana plants was dying, with the main leaf folding over and turning yellow, it started sprouting a new leaf yesterday and its thriving!
I've grown bananas in puts before and had good luck a couple times (tho never any fruit - I suspect we are too far north for fruit) - but I love the look of the plants once they get going.

Welcome to the Jungle...........

Have a riot here...

05-31-2020, 01:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
thewebgal thewebgal's Photo Gallery Location: ... near Wash, DC Find me on the map! Zone: 7A Name: Heather Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 95 BananaBucks : 7,135 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 96 Times Was Thanked 127 Times in 37 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 5 Times	DC area Bananas - New start for 2020 Hi y'all! I've been away for a while, but with the Cover-19 isolation, I decided I wanted a fresh start on a garden of tropicals this year. We are in Fairfax, VA - close to Wash, DC. We have a garden space by the front door that faces SSE, so I figured with a brick wall behind them, I could get an extended growing season. I'd grown elephant ears in the space in years past, but even tho we had a mild winter there was no sign of therm coming back. So, I moved an azelea and some hostas out of the space, threw 3 wheelbarrowloads of chopped mulched leaves there and worked them in with a tiller, then we had a couple of late freezes, and I was able to plant new plants there on May 16. Anyway - I planted 4 green elephant ears in the back row by the wall, 2 black fringe elephant ears and 2 Basjoo Musa cold hardy bananas in the front so they'll clear the rain gutters when they get tall. (Green arrows point at the bananas - 2 in ground and a dwarf cavendish in the pot). I've been running the sprinkler every other day now that we are having warm sunny days - and while I thought one of the two Basjoo Musa banana plants was dying, with the main leaf folding over and turning yellow, it started sprouting a new leaf yesterday and its thriving! I've grown bananas in pots before and had good luck a couple times (tho never any fruit - I suspect we are too far north for fruit) - but I love the look of the plants once they get going. __________________ -= )-(eather =- Last edited by thewebgal : 05-31-2020 at 08:57 PM.

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