microfarmer

Can I be 3rd on your list? I promise to leave it out in the cold for my own trials...

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My new hero...

bigdog

There isn't actually a list. If it survives the winter, one pup is going to a friend in Alabama who has given me some great rare stuff in the past, and another is going to go to the UT Gardens. If it is prolific enough, Randy will probably get one also, but other than those three there is not a list. Maybe in a couple of years when I have so much of it I don't know what to do with it and am mowing over pups in the yard I will consider selling a few, lol.

mskitty38583

in a galaxy far, far away..lives the banana farmer. the imperial army is out to capture this rebel for his resistance to leaving his bananas out in the cold, despite what the empire has deemed to be..... an act of treason! you are doomed "luke bananaman!" but it seems the closer that darth musa gets to luke bananaman, all darth musa hears is "your not my musa!" tune in next week for the continuing saga of "BANANA WARS" .

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magicgreen

That was cute mskitty! Magicgreen

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(Started growing bananas July 2007)
(Zone 6)

51st state

I'm semi-amazed that the growth is kicking in again. Mind you I've noticed my Helens hybrid and some of the Sikki's are still pushing on sporadically in the poly tunnel.

Its kind of hard to get climate data for Yunnan but my guess is that its not dissimilar to some parts of NE India and Burma.

Oh and no offence meant by the way...with regular unleaded gas over here at £1.07 = $2.14 a litre, you need a sense of humor!!!

Kev

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a>

Taylor

I am going to feel dumb if you already answered this, but where did you get this plant/seeds?

bigdog

I am pretty amazed at its tenacity...so far. Who knows, it could be a pile of mush by February, which seems like a really long way away right now! The only other banana that is really doing anything right now is Musa basjoo. Actually, they aren't growing at all tonight, considering it is 29F right now, lol. I am going to mulch the base this week, something I should have done already, but we have been fairly mild so I haven't bothered with it.

Taylor, I got it from a friend in Florida, but if I told you I'd have to...well, you know.

douglas gray

hello all,

you all seem pretty knowledgable, so as a novice, I was wondering if you can spare some advice to a newcomer....from UK, but don't hold that against me above thread). I've read which Banana are cold hardy but will they be ok for wet weather ? we get down to 0 degrees in winter, but the problem is the constant rain. My current banana looked like it may have been starting to rot before I wrapped it up for winter because it was raining nearly every day ?
Also, it may sound really novice but what exactly is mulch (leaves???)

thanks

Doug

mskitty38583

mulch: mulch can be a tree thats been cut down and put through a chipper and allower to 'cure' for about 6 months. mulch can be shredded up leaves that you run over with the lawn mower. it can also be pine needles from pine trees. you could even use shredded up paper( as long as its not glossy paper... pictures,etc) i wouldnt advise you using shredded paper as a mulch though. id only use it for your compost pile. your neighbors might complaine. it is pretty much any organic matter that can be used for decoration and insulation of plants. thats the best way i can describe it for you. maybe someone else has a better definition of mulch. it also depends on where you live and whats avaliable.

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douglas gray

hey, thanks for the advice, I appreciate your time. Do you just throw it around the base or does it have to be caged up first then packed around ??

mskitty38583

are you talking about for winter protection? or are you wanting to know for like summertime? im not to sure about using chipped mulch(trees) for the winter protection. but you could use the leaves for winter protection with the cage method.

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Panaroma

If you want to exlude rootrot, then mix lots of sand and compost into the soil. Also plant your banana on 30 cm. higher groundlevel. They should be just fine in rainy UK.
For M. Itinerans, I've read the leaves remain green to about -2* C. That way the cells don't explode by light freeze. As long as the green leaves or still on my bananas (Sikkimensis and Co.) nothing rots.
Actually, it's the (heavy) freezing that grabs them by the throat. :-)

Once frostbitten, provide them with a roof, so those dead cells can dry out. From what I understand that's not your problem, right? ;-)

Succes

Zac in NC

I had a prof in College who was chinese with an X name(Xiang) and it was a zh sound. I say

zhee-shwong-bah-nah-en-sis

LOL

I had this one here in NC in the ground from Gabe and left it, hoping my dad would water it and the new sikkimensis Red Tiger seedling I had in the ground and it died in the drought. All the others did alright though.

Zac

bigdog

Well, I'll take the Chinese guy's pronunciation over mine, lol! Hayes actually told me how to pronounce it, I was saying it as "Zee-shwong..."

Bummer about yours dying in the drought. Mine did not do too well in the massive heat wave back in August. In fact, leaves burned and the pseudostem started peeling itself back slowly. I think I just have it in too much sun. If it lives through the winter, I may move part of it to a shadier location. That is, IF it lives...

bikoro child

Hi ,here inthis area the temperature is about 10 to 15°C in those times but only 0°C or less in the morning..Today I removed the protections of the bananas and i find that all are making new leaves even the musellas which are told to be much longer than other species...You can see on the pics what kind of mulch I use...about temperatures I had -7°C or -8°C in November

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Ivan

mskitty38583

lovely flower.glad to see it has done well in the winter for you.

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bikoro child

thanks, the interest is that maybe it's possible in cold areas to bring edible bananas throw the winter times...

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Ivan

magicgreen

BigDog can you give an update on the xishuangbannaensis you have overwintering in the ground. Iam very curious how this banana is doing since your 1st post on it!

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(Started growing bananas July 2007)
(Zone 6)

bigdog

Oh, it's complete mush, lol! No, I don't know how it is really. The base still feels firm, but most of the pseudostem is completely dry and dessicated now. We have had some cold temps here in my cold hole, reaching 6F twice, 7F three times, and I know of at least 2 days below freezing. Don't think we have had consecutive days below freezing, but it was close. My Musa basjoo is lying on the ground though as well.

We'll just have to wait until April to see if it has survived. I'm very excited to see how it has done, and how early it comes back (if it does). If it doesn't make it, I have another Musa itinerans form to try out next year that grows almost as tall as this one, but is native to much higher elevations! Stay tuned...

island cassie

Great pictures bikoro, and that huge bud and flower - just amazing. A real showstopper - wish I had one like that.

Cassie