Did I screw up my basjoos?

TrailGaiter · 10-20-2011, 08:22 PM

Ok, I seemed like a good idea, and now that I've done it, I'm not so sure. Of course, it's too late. I was so back and forth the past couple of months....leave them in the ground or dig them up? Well...I knew I wanted to move them in the spring, so I figured I may as well just dig them up, and plant them where I want them in the spring. And for ease of keeping them in the house, I hacked them off. Mistake?

Could I have transplanted them this late, and covered them up? I figure the shock of moving them wouldn't have been good coming into cold weather. I don't think I can successfully store them dormant, my insulated garage is too cold in the winter I'm thinking, and my basement is too warm...it stays about as warm as the house.

Should I have not hacked them off? I'm now kinda thinking I didn't do the right thing. If they survive, once they are in their new spot next year, I plan to winter them outdoors from now on. With the protection of bales of straw/tarps.

stan marshall · 10-21-2011, 04:44 PM

I think you did the right thing. I have never had a basjoo make it thru the winter being that small ( I am in zone 6 ) In order to have them make it thru the winter I have to put them in the ground near the end of April ( in your zone 5 I would think near the end of May is best) I leave all the pups to make the mat as large as possible. Wait until the second year to take pups. I see you have some pups all ready so even if the main plant dies you will still be in good shape for the spring. Just don't over water, let them get good and dry ( I would hate to tell you how many I have killed with to much water, including a $100.00 Ae-AE that I bought from Greene this past spring) Will I ever learn? Good luck. Stan Marshall

Olafhenny · 10-21-2011, 05:06 PM

Hi Angie,

here I go: "could'a/ would'a/ should'a", but I had a similar dilemma when deciding what to do with my
Basjoo late in the season, when there was a real potential for night frosts. Only my Basjoo was in a pot
already crowning a pot pyramid and since I did not have any indoor space to keep it growing, and the
mother plant wintered quite successfully in the ground (with lots of mulching), I decided that I
should put in in the ground before the winter's onset.

I did just that and the plant appears to be quite happy with it.

The details of the story are here:
Experience in deep planting Basjoo?

and here: basjoo size for leaving outside?

The upshot is that IMOEO you could have planted your Basjoo in their designated location without any problems.

kaczercat · 10-21-2011, 05:25 PM

it's fine no problem just put them in the house.I cut mine back like that in the pot before they went in the ground when it was in a pot a couple years ago i would cut it back just like you did in Nov. last year I planted in the ground in Aug. was about the size of yours now, and they came back in early May.

TrailGaiter · 10-22-2011, 07:15 PM

Thanks for the input! Olafhenny, I'll check out your links! I was going nuts here, I was unable to get on this forum yesterday....it obviously wasn't down for everyone, as you all posted, but I tried several times, and the website wouldn't appear....

Anyway, I'm totally amazed...OVERNIGHT, I had quite the growth within the stumps of my basjoos already, I took a pic yesterday, and now we're over 48 hours past cutting them, and there's much more growth. I'm amazed! I will share the pic, but it's amazing the growth since!

I don't know for sure, but I decided I didn't want to shock them so quickly...it's been cool here, so instead of bringing them directly in the house, I've been leaving them in the garage at night, and outside in the sun during the day. I will bring them in the house, next to a sunny patio door I'm thinking, for winter. But I figure since we're around 60 during the day now....I'd let them soak up a few more rays.

Olafhenny · 10-22-2011, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrailGaiter

Anyway, I'm totally amazed...OVERNIGHT, I had quite the growth within the stumps of my basjoos already, I took a pic yesterday, and now we're over 48 hours past cutting them, and there's much more growth. I'm amazed! I will share the pic, but it's amazing the growth since!

Sorry to disappoint you, but after bananas are "hacked off" there is often some immediate growth, but that
will soon stop, while the plant "gathers its wits" and prepares for later recovery

sandy0225 · 10-26-2011, 07:02 AM

I'd say that you did the right thing in not transplanting them. Here in Indiana zone 5, I don't like to transplant any later than September 1st or so. They have to be rooted in well before cold weather hits. Now the cutting off part, that could be iffy. You just may end up with lots and lots of basjoo pups to put out in the spring, or they may go ahead and pick right up where they left off. Only time will tell. The warmer and brighter light you keep them in for the short term, the more likely they will grow back from the main stem. If they're too cool and dark, they'll drain that energy back to the roots and try to survive as pups.

10-20-2011, 08:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
TrailGaiter Angie Location: Madison, Wisconsin Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Angie Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 127 BananaBucks : 92,180 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 115 Times Was Thanked 117 Times in 64 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2 Times	Did I screw up my basjoos? Ok, I seemed like a good idea, and now that I've done it, I'm not so sure. Of course, it's too late. I was so back and forth the past couple of months....leave them in the ground or dig them up? Well...I knew I wanted to move them in the spring, so I figured I may as well just dig them up, and plant them where I want them in the spring. And for ease of keeping them in the house, I hacked them off. Mistake? Could I have transplanted them this late, and covered them up? I figure the shock of moving them wouldn't have been good coming into cold weather. I don't think I can successfully store them dormant, my insulated garage is too cold in the winter I'm thinking, and my basement is too warm...it stays about as warm as the house. Should I have not hacked them off? I'm now kinda thinking I didn't do the right thing. If they survive, once they are in their new spot next year, I plan to winter them outdoors from now on. With the protection of bales of straw/tarps.

10-21-2011, 04:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
stan marshall Junior Member stan marshall's Photo Gallery Location: churchville pa. just outside phila. Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Name: stan Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 27 BananaBucks : 14,697 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 66 Times Was Thanked 22 Times in 7 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 29 Times	Re: Did I screw up my basjoos? I think you did the right thing. I have never had a basjoo make it thru the winter being that small ( I am in zone 6 ) In order to have them make it thru the winter I have to put them in the ground near the end of April ( in your zone 5 I would think near the end of May is best) I leave all the pups to make the mat as large as possible. Wait until the second year to take pups. I see you have some pups all ready so even if the main plant dies you will still be in good shape for the spring. Just don't over water, let them get good and dry ( I would hate to tell you how many I have killed with to much water, including a $100.00 Ae-AE that I bought from Greene this past spring) Will I ever learn? Good luck. Stan Marshall

10-21-2011, 05:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 252,872 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: Did I screw up my basjoos? Hi Angie, here I go: "could'a/ would'a/ should'a", but I had a similar dilemma when deciding what to do with my Basjoo late in the season, when there was a real potential for night frosts. Only my Basjoo was in a pot already crowning a pot pyramid and since I did not have any indoor space to keep it growing, and the mother plant wintered quite successfully in the ground (with lots of mulching), I decided that I should put in in the ground before the winter's onset. I did just that and the plant appears to be quite happy with it. The details of the story are here: Experience in deep planting Basjoo? and here: basjoo size for leaving outside? The upshot is that IMOEO you could have planted your Basjoo in their designated location without any problems. __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.

10-21-2011, 05:25 PM	#4 (permalink)
kaczercat kaczercat's Photo Gallery Location: Southern ON Find me on the map! Zone: 5b 9b Name: Matt Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,874 BananaBucks : 225,196 Feedback: 3 / 100% Said "Thanks" 3,116 Times Was Thanked 2,111 Times in 750 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 11 Times	Re: Did I screw up my basjoos? it's fine no problem just put them in the house.I cut mine back like that in the pot before they went in the ground when it was in a pot a couple years ago i would cut it back just like you did in Nov. last year I planted in the ground in Aug. was about the size of yours now, and they came back in early May. __________________ Matt

10-22-2011, 07:15 PM	#5 (permalink)
TrailGaiter Angie Location: Madison, Wisconsin Find me on the map! Zone: 5 Name: Angie Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 127 BananaBucks : 92,180 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 115 Times Was Thanked 117 Times in 64 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2 Times	Re: Did I screw up my basjoos? Thanks for the input! Olafhenny, I'll check out your links! I was going nuts here, I was unable to get on this forum yesterday....it obviously wasn't down for everyone, as you all posted, but I tried several times, and the website wouldn't appear.... Anyway, I'm totally amazed...OVERNIGHT, I had quite the growth within the stumps of my basjoos already, I took a pic yesterday, and now we're over 48 hours past cutting them, and there's much more growth. I'm amazed! I will share the pic, but it's amazing the growth since! I don't know for sure, but I decided I didn't want to shock them so quickly...it's been cool here, so instead of bringing them directly in the house, I've been leaving them in the garage at night, and outside in the sun during the day. I will bring them in the house, next to a sunny patio door I'm thinking, for winter. But I figure since we're around 60 during the day now....I'd let them soak up a few more rays.

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10-26-2011, 07:02 AM	#7 (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 : 365,196 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: Did I screw up my basjoos? I'd say that you did the right thing in not transplanting them. Here in Indiana zone 5, I don't like to transplant any later than September 1st or so. They have to be rooted in well before cold weather hits. Now the cutting off part, that could be iffy. You just may end up with lots and lots of basjoo pups to put out in the spring, or they may go ahead and pick right up where they left off. Only time will tell. The warmer and brighter light you keep them in for the short term, the more likely they will grow back from the main stem. If they're too cool and dark, they'll drain that energy back to the roots and try to survive as pups. __________________ 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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