The Potential of Musa Basjoo

austinl01 · 07-05-2008, 10:02 AM

I thought I'd break into my picture vault and find some musa basjoo pictures from a few years ago to compare their growth rate. I found a few good pictures starting with the 3" tissue cultured plants. I hope these pics will give new growers of musa basjoo inspiration. Starting with tissue culture isn't all bad.

The beginning...

The next year...

A couple rewards in 2007 for my hard work...

Here they are today...

I hope you enjoyed watching my musa basjoo grow over the years!

mskitty38583 · 07-05-2008, 11:10 AM

dablo93 · 07-05-2008, 11:53 AM

amazing to see how they grow there, they really love the hot humid summers i see!
do you have also pictures of the ripened basjoo fruit, is that also yellow (like chiquita bananas) ?

thanks for posting those beautiful pictures

Raules · 07-05-2008, 10:56 PM

Hi Austin! Very beautiful photos basjoo, very much! Thanks! I too dream to grow up same big, beautiful, blossoming basjoo. At me they still small. It was pleasant to observe of growth of your plants. At you it has not turned out to pollinate them to receive seeds?

austinl01 · 07-05-2008, 11:15 PM

Thanks everyone so far. Arkansas has turned out to be a great place for growing all different kinds of bananas due to our long, hot, and humid summers and relatively mild winters. The plants bloomed in October and produced small immature fruits before frost. Then, it froze and the fruit never had a chance to ripen. It would have been really neat to get ripe musa basjoo bananas...maybe this year?

v1rtu0s1ty · 07-06-2008, 01:53 PM

Awesome pics! I have a question though specifically from the first picture. Did you plant it like that? Did it experience heat stress during the first few months?

Thanks.

austinl01 · 07-06-2008, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by v1rtu0s1ty

Awesome pics! I have a question though specifically from the first picture. Did you plant it like that? Did it experience heat stress during the first few months?

Thanks.

Yeah, I planted the basjoos directly in the ground even though they were very young tissue cultured plants. I kept them well watered and fertilized all season. I recall adjusting the plants to direct sunlight for a couple weeks and then planting them right in the ground. I added a pic of the plants at the end of the first year. It appears they grew to 6 feet overall height.

v1rtu0s1ty · 07-06-2008, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by austinl01

Yeah, I planted the basjoos directly in the ground even though they were very young tissue cultured plants. I kept them well watered and fertilized all season. I recall adjusting the plants to direct sunlight for a couple weeks and then planting them right in the ground. I added a pic of the plants at the end of the first year. It appears they grew to 6 feet overall height.

What fertilizer do I need to put? I haven't done any to my basjoo just watering every other day.

austinl01 · 07-06-2008, 04:50 PM

I used a mixture of fertilizer. When the plants are small, I'd recommend an all purpose liquid fertilizer especially one with micronutrients. I think Peters acid loving fertilizer has micros--I've used this quite a bit. As the plants grow, I'd use a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote.

v1rtu0s1ty · 07-06-2008, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by austinl01

I used a mixture of fertilizer. When the plants are small, I'd recommend an all purpose liquid fertilizer especially one with micronutrients. I think Peters acid loving fertilizer has micros--I've used this quite a bit. As the plants grow, I'd use a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote.

I should try my fish hydrolysate. Thanks.

austinl01 · 07-06-2008, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by v1rtu0s1ty

I should try my fish hydrolysate. Thanks.

I think that would work well. Keep us posted!

Chironex · 07-06-2008, 07:50 PM

Beautiful, but where did you move the elephant ears?

austinl01 · 07-06-2008, 07:58 PM

Scot, the elephant ears went into decline after that year. I couldn't pour on the water enough to make them happy in my climate. I have since decided to grow only the upright elephant ears; they don't need as much water and look a lot better, in my opinion.

Larry815 · 07-07-2008, 04:27 PM

I hope I can get my plants to look that good!!! I have tryed and every year they die back... Id be so happy if i can get them to come back...
yours look GREAT

Bananaman88 · 07-07-2008, 05:47 PM

Nice looking plants, Austin. Isn't it funny how quickly we have to expand our beds?

Dean W. · 07-07-2008, 08:04 PM

Your bananas look great, Austin!

MagicKiwi · 07-07-2008, 08:25 PM

Can I grow Musa Basjoo in USDA Zone 5 SW Michigan?
How about anyone growing them in zone 4 or 3?
How well are they doing in the ground over winter?

I have the chance to buy some but I don't know how well they will winter over in the ground.
Would love to hear from anyone who has been growing them in zone 5.
Thanks

cedardave · 07-07-2008, 08:37 PM

Well ...Im growing them in zone 2b...all summer anyway. As for the winter , they all come indoors to live with the family.

MagicKiwi · 07-07-2008, 09:08 PM

Thanks - if I had room I would love to overwinter them inside ... but ...

I already bring in brugmansias, hanging plants, store cannas and so forth inside - these things get big so I can't imagine a dozen of them inside!!!

The info from ads etc say that they are supposed to be hardy in zone 5.

mskitty38583 · 07-07-2008, 11:00 PM

ha ha ha! this is what my den looked like last winter and thats what it will look like this winter too:

.

07-05-2008, 10:02 AM	#1 (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 : 168,039 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,590 Times Was Thanked 907 Times in 397 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 507 Times	The Potential of Musa Basjoo I thought I'd break into my picture vault and find some musa basjoo pictures from a few years ago to compare their growth rate. I found a few good pictures starting with the 3" tissue cultured plants. I hope these pics will give new growers of musa basjoo inspiration. Starting with tissue culture isn't all bad. The beginning... The next year... A couple rewards in 2007 for my hard work... Here they are today... I hope you enjoyed watching my musa basjoo grow over the years! __________________ 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 Last edited by austinl01 : 07-06-2008 at 02:18 PM. Reason: Added end of year pic for 2005

07-05-2008, 11:10 AM	#2 (permalink)
mskitty38583 banana junkie mskitty38583 's Photo Gallery Location: north carolina Find me on the map! Zone: 7b Name: mskitty Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4,071 BananaBucks : 194,118 Feedback: 26 / 100% Said "Thanks" 82 Times Was Thanked 890 Times in 617 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 136 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo __________________ WELCOME TO THE GATOR NATION

07-05-2008, 11:53 AM	#3 (permalink)
dablo93 dablo93 's Photo Gallery Location: Randstad North Find me on the map! Zone: Z8b-Z9a, wet cold winters and mild summers Name: daen Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 909 BananaBucks : 97,222 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 122 Times Was Thanked 262 Times in 166 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 159 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo amazing to see how they grow there, they really love the hot humid summers i see! do you have also pictures of the ripened basjoo fruit, is that also yellow (like chiquita bananas) ? thanks for posting those beautiful pictures __________________ -=

07-05-2008, 10:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
Raules Member Raules's Photo Gallery Location: Irkutsk, Russia Find me on the map! Zone: 8 Name: Andrei Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 5,699 BananaBucks : 178,329 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 676 Times Was Thanked 754 Times in 184 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo Hi Austin! Very beautiful photos basjoo, very much! Thanks! I too dream to grow up same big, beautiful, blossoming basjoo. At me they still small. It was pleasant to observe of growth of your plants. At you it has not turned out to pollinate them to receive seeds? __________________ Tropical agriculturist

07-05-2008, 11:15 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 : 168,039 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,590 Times Was Thanked 907 Times in 397 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 507 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo Thanks everyone so far. Arkansas has turned out to be a great place for growing all different kinds of bananas due to our long, hot, and humid summers and relatively mild winters. The plants bloomed in October and produced small immature fruits before frost. Then, it froze and the fruit never had a chance to ripen. It would have been really neat to get ripe musa basjoo bananas...maybe this year? __________________ 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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07-06-2008, 01:53 PM	#6 (permalink)
v1rtu0s1ty Location: Chicago Area, IL Zone: 5a Name: Neil Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 133 BananaBucks : 69,992 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 6 Times Was Thanked 32 Times in 24 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo Awesome pics! I have a question though specifically from the first picture. Did you plant it like that? Did it experience heat stress during the first few months? Thanks.

07-06-2008, 04:50 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 : 168,039 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,590 Times Was Thanked 907 Times in 397 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 507 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo I used a mixture of fertilizer. When the plants are small, I'd recommend an all purpose liquid fertilizer especially one with micronutrients. I think Peters acid loving fertilizer has micros--I've used this quite a bit. As the plants grow, I'd use a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote. __________________ 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

07-06-2008, 07:50 PM	#12 (permalink)
Chironex The causasian Asian! Chironex's Photo Gallery Location: Jakarta, Indonesia Find me on the map! Zone: I have no idea Name: Scot Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2,788 BananaBucks : 121,959 Feedback: 9 / 100% Said "Thanks" 4,544 Times Was Thanked 1,406 Times in 808 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 609 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo Beautiful, but where did you move the elephant ears? __________________ Scot

07-06-2008, 07:58 PM	#13 (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 : 168,039 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,590 Times Was Thanked 907 Times in 397 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 507 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo Scot, the elephant ears went into decline after that year. I couldn't pour on the water enough to make them happy in my climate. I have since decided to grow only the upright elephant ears; they don't need as much water and look a lot better, in my opinion. __________________ 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

07-07-2008, 04:27 PM	#14 (permalink)
Larry815 Find me on the map! Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 7 BananaBucks : 7,845 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo I hope I can get my plants to look that good!!! I have tryed and every year they die back... Id be so happy if i can get them to come back... yours look GREAT

07-07-2008, 05:47 PM	#15 (permalink)
Bananaman88 Bananaculturist Bananaman88's Photo Gallery Location: Houston, TX area Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Brent Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 3,019 BananaBucks : 222,355 Feedback: 22 / 100% Said "Thanks" 1,339 Times Was Thanked 2,263 Times in 1,178 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 191 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo Nice looking plants, Austin. Isn't it funny how quickly we have to expand our beds?

07-07-2008, 08:04 PM	#16 (permalink)
Dean W. Dean W.'s Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Park, TX Zone: 8b Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4,279 BananaBucks : 240,869 Feedback: 13 / 100% Said "Thanks" 6,325 Times Was Thanked 2,130 Times in 972 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 300 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo Your bananas look great, Austin! __________________

07-07-2008, 08:25 PM	#17 (permalink)
MagicKiwi Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 7 BananaBucks : 759 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 3 Times Was Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Musa Basjoo in Michigan Can I grow Musa Basjoo in USDA Zone 5 SW Michigan? How about anyone growing them in zone 4 or 3? How well are they doing in the ground over winter? I have the chance to buy some but I don't know how well they will winter over in the ground. Would love to hear from anyone who has been growing them in zone 5. Thanks

07-07-2008, 08:37 PM	#18 (permalink)
cedardave Junior Member cedardave's Photo Gallery Find me on the map! Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 127 BananaBucks : 19,346 Feedback: 5 / 100% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 31 Times in 24 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 4 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo Well ...Im growing them in zone 2b...all summer anyway. As for the winter , they all come indoors to live with the family.

07-07-2008, 09:08 PM	#19 (permalink)
MagicKiwi Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 7 BananaBucks : 759 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 3 Times Was Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo Thanks - if I had room I would love to overwinter them inside ... but ... I already bring in brugmansias, hanging plants, store cannas and so forth inside - these things get big so I can't imagine a dozen of them inside!!! The info from ads etc say that they are supposed to be hardy in zone 5.

07-07-2008, 11:00 PM	#20 (permalink)
mskitty38583 banana junkie mskitty38583 's Photo Gallery Location: north carolina Find me on the map! Zone: 7b Name: mskitty Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 4,071 BananaBucks : 194,118 Feedback: 26 / 100% Said "Thanks" 82 Times Was Thanked 890 Times in 617 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 136 Times	Re: The Potential of Musa Basjoo ha ha ha! this is what my den looked like last winter and thats what it will look like this winter too: . __________________ WELCOME TO THE GATOR NATION

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