Darkman

First year attempts! I look at the rersults and make next year protection decisions. It might get exspensive with 100w bulbs seeing as I protected 13 plants last year.

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Darkman in Pensacola

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NJ Banana

I think my nanas want out of their bubble wrap. One already broke through and the others are not far behind him.. Live in Central NJ and it looks like our night weather should not be in the freezing but will be very close.. Do I let them out? The warmest looks like 70 soon and I don't want to cook them as It feels warm to the touch inside of the wrap.. It is 2 bags of mulch stuffed tight and then wrapped up in the bubble.

Adam

Attached Images

IMG_20110311_065419.jpg (1.24 MB, 22 views)

Bob3

I'm in Sacramento & just uncovered the "outside bananas", the biggest concern is going to be mold for a lot of folks, it's a fine line between danger of frostbite being over & letting the critters breathe enough to start getting healthy again.
I kept the "wire baskets" handy in case we have to throw a blanket over them, hopefully that'll be good enough for most areas.
99 cent spring clamps from Harbor Freight holds the blankets in place & allows fast & easy access.

A 100 watt light bulb is enough to cook a pizza!
I save the foam sheeting from packing materials, it makes a great insulating blanket.
Grocery stores get frozen food delivered to them that often comes in large foam & foil "bags" that can be cut open into sheets; wrapping a stem with the old-style x-mas tree lights (non-LEDs) throws off plenty of heat & allows for a much smaller volume that needs to be kept warm. Cover plant & x-mas tree light arrangement with the insulated bags & things will stay toasty & inexpensive to run.

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Marinemom

Counting the days down here in Western NC for warmer temps at night~ Last year I uncovered March 22 and had to recover twice cause of dipping temps.

Mine are wrapped tight with Christmas lights (small, clear ones with 3 strands per clump of bananas), old carpet batting for excellent insulation, an old cut up solar pool cover around that and a huge black trash bag on top to keep water out. So far, two have poked thru the trash bag and hubby has had to replace them. Lowest temp for this week looks to be 37, but with mine being so tall now, I know I won't be able to just run out there and recover in the event of a cold snap, so I will leave mine covered until maybe the first of April.

Can't lie~I did uncover one of the smaller ones, maybe 4 feet and it has already grown an inch, maybe more!!!!!! It is much easier to recover than the 10 foot ones...

...What is the lowest temp a Musa Basjoo can survive without any damage? And if I did uncover them now, with any cold snaps, could I just keep the lights on to keep the stem warm?
Happy Early Spring!!!!!
MarineMom in NC

NJ Banana

Marinemom,

I did a horible job last year protecting mine. I just cut them down and put 6" to 8" of mulch on them. Needless to say they where just mush. On April 1st last year I had seen a pup start to peek out of the mulch (If you remember we got hit with a beautiful week in the begining of April).

I left on the 1st for Florida for 10 days and the pup was about 2"-3" tall. When I got home it was already 18"-20" tall and I had about 20- 22 pups just between 3 dead plants. I know last year that week would have been a no brainer if they where covered.. This year is a bit risky.. I am going to be at 70 on Friday but will still have a couple of 34-35 degree nights.. I can not imagine they would get that damaged from only a night or 2 exposure to a 34-35 degree night...

Anyone else have any luck removing wrap early?

Adam

Marinemom

Good Morning all!!!!! I couldn't wait any longer and uncovered mine just this morning.


It is above 40 at night for the next week or so and the day temps are in the 60's and 70's, with a few days in the lower 80's!!!! Anyway, they all did fine, except for one, which I was experimenting with~maybe 3 feet tall, just covered it up with some carpet padding and a black trash bag on top...needless to say it was mush all the way to the ground and then some...

But the tall ones are beautiful and actually have some green leaves coming out!!! I will leave the Christmas lights on for some heat just in case it drops to freezing~

Good luck to everyone with the spring uncovering~
Marinemom in NC

NJ Banana

Hope I posted the pics right..

Well I had one breaking through the plastic and we are supposed to get in the 70's today in central NJ so I thought it best to uncover them. Most had a mushy/slimy top (I cut off 6-8"). All had some mushy/slimy outsides so I peeled off until I got to firm Green skin.

It took about a half an hour for them to "ALL" start showing growth. Each one grew about 1/2" in half of an hour.. Things are amazing.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/data/...311_065419.jpg
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/data/...318_081947.jpg
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/data/...317_181844.jpg
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/data/...317_181823.jpg

saltydad

I uncovered my basjoos 3 days ago. Nothing new coming out of the ground yet.

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Linda_GER

I uncovered the Basjoo today. Too early, of course, but the next few days will be too warm and sunny to leave the plant under its protection. Fortunately, this is the only Basjoo that I left outside this winter. Has it survived - what do you think?

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eric27

I usually uncover my basjoo end of March beginning of April. I checked it last week. I could only see about 6 of the 10 or 11 in there. 5 were growing. One (the one I hoped to flower this year) showed signs of the dreaded center rot. I cut it back a bit and it has grown since but I have had ones in the past do the same but then stop.

Linda_GER

It`s growing! Seems to be no problem to overwinter a Basjoo with minimal protection. Nevertheless, I wouldn`t do the same thing with my taller ones. It´s too sad to lose the p-stems.

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saltydad

My basjoo mat (unprotected) in the front has started sending up shoots! The larger parent mat in the backyard still shows nothing, but its in a cooler location. Love M. basjoo!

__________________
Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men"

"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon





"If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal."
John F. Kennedy, September, 1960


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http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad
http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/