Steve in France

Just an update pic , my favorite Ensete at the moment



Musa collection



Later
Steve

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Always looking for a lost pup

Gabe15

correction "Steves, Ensete 'Thai superbum'".

Looks awesome, much better than it ever did at my place! I grew 2 of these from seed, one went to a collection I have elsewhere, and the other you now have.

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Growing bananas in Colorado, Washington, Hawaii since 2004. Commercial banana farmer, 200+ varieties.

Steve in France

As I said before Gabe just about evering thing you sent is doing well , the Musa rubinea really took it's time to come good , but in the end it has two stems and is progressing nicely.

Be good to get a flower and seeds on 'Thai Superbum' , any chance this one is self fertile ?
And to anyone with spare seedlings of anything , I'm happy to pay good money for seedlings as I'm very very bad at germinating Musa/Ensete seeds.
Thanks to all who have helped me put together a new collection of plants in the US, between buying , trading and kind gifts I'm well on my way to having a bunch of Bananas :-)
Now in four years time we will move and it will be time to give them all away again and start in a new Country , a bit crazy but that's our life.

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Always looking for a lost pup

Greenie

cool!

bigdog

Steve, that's a beauty for sure! I have managed to germinate one E. superbum (India), even though they are supposed to be the easier type to germinate. After seeing jmilligan's picture of his GIANT plant, I was pretty stoked! Hope mine turns out half that nice. Hope the other Ensetes are doing ok. Nice-looking collection you have going there!

May I ask what you do that requires you to move to a different country every four years, or would you have to kill me if you told me?

Steve in France

Hi Frank
The Ensete's are fine and in the shade to re-root , I guess another ten days and they will take off again.

You would be surprised how some of the people we meet react when I talk about places in the Middle East , I'm sure some of our non American friends living here think I'm CIA , But the truth is much less exotic , my Wife is a Journalist and works for one of the big Global news wires . We move every few years because it's part of her job . So your life is safe with me unless I go Bananas

Later
Steve

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Always looking for a lost pup

bananimal

Steve in TBD,

Since you change AO's so often you should change your handle now to "Steve in Bethesda". So we can keep track.

Hope you will get the chance someday to join us down here in south Fla . You will be able to grow anything 365 days per year like the rest of us tropical nuts. I just got a jaboticaba -- get my drift? And my new Pitogo pup transplant is shooting 5 foot leaves.

Dan

Kylie2x

Steve everything looks just BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Must be kind of exciting to be able to move around and enjoy other cultures.... You know if any of your wayward babies need a home you can count on me...
Still trying in Texas...LOL
Kylie

bigdog

Glad to hear it, Steve!

Hey Dan...bet you can't grow a Blue Spruce or a Dogwood, LOL!!



I would love to have South FL winters, with TN summers, spring, and fall. Can't have it all though. I think TN summers are too hot sometimes, but I just don't handle heat that well. FL heat would be just over the top for me. That being said, I'm going to Orlando next week to visit the folks! About 3/4 or more of my family lives somewhere in the Sunshine State. I love to visit there.

bananimal

Hey bigdog,

Despite the fact that I can grow anything here, and catch snook every single time I go fishing here in S Fla, I wouldn't want to live again thru the weather I had in Charlotte, NC where I moved from. Weather just like yours. It's nice to have that change in season, but you're right, the summers are too hot and way too dry. Had the hardest time fruiting bananas in the ol' piedmont. Growing was easy. The humidity here can kick your butt, but then, after 2 hours of mowing and 1 hour of weed whacking I can just fall face first into the pool. Remember that year when it was 100 degrees and better for 2 or 3 in a row. The dog got mad when I kicked her outside for a walk.

Like you, I have been visiting Florida for a long time. Got family from Orlando to Homestead. Got sick of travelling and moved 2.5 years ago.

Oh yeah, I had a nice big blue spruce and forsythias once - way back in NJ. All in all, Fla works for me. Got neighborhood bobcats too. One wierd thing though - many folks here don't stop for red lights. When it happens I put my fingers in my ears waiting for the big boom.

Dan