sunsetsammy

Hello banana lovers!

I was wondering if anyone one out there knows specific temperatures in which different types of bananas start growing?

The bananas I'm interested in are:

1. Musa Basjoo - I've read somewhere that these will start growing at temps above 50 degrees. I've also heard that if it isn't freezing they're growing.

2. Musa Lasiocarpa - no idea about these but I've read that they need considerably higher temps to leaf-out.

3. Ensete Maurelli - I haven't a clue??

If anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Sam

sunsetsammy

No responses.

Hmmm... maybe I'm blacklisted. Hope I didn't upset anyone?? Or maybe I'm just asking dumb questions....

Anyhow I've been experimenting with my own plants and keeping track of temps and measuring new growth. I don't know if anyone would be interested in this stuff. Maybe some of the people who live in colder places who can't wait for summer like me.

*Note: All plants dug up, trimmed, and stored bareroot over the winter. I realize Basjoo and Lasiocarpa are hardy enough for my area but my backyard turns into a swamp come winter time and I don't want to risk losing these guys. I recently potted these plants (3 weeks ago) and I've placed them in the sunniest part of my property during the day. Spring is coming late in my area and night time temps have been quite cool still (We've had a couple nights of 0C). I've been pulling the ensete and lasiocarpa inside the shed at night or on cold days. Paranoid I guess.

So far.....

1. Basjoo (10 plants)
-Week 1: Temps 8-12C very little growth over the week. Almost immeasurable with a tape measure. Maybe 1 inch on a couple plants.
-Week 2: Temps 8-13C slow growth maybe between 1-3 inches average.
-Week 3: Temps 10-16C noticeable growth which I can see even without measuring. Approx. 2-5 inches.

2. Ensete Maurelli (3 plants)
-Week 1: Temps 8-12C no noticeable growth.
-Week 2: Temps 8-13C no noticeable growth.
-Week 3: Temps 10-16C no noticeable growth until last day. On the last day 2 out of 3 plants seem to have pushed out approximately 2-3 inches in about 8 hours. Wow they woke up!

3. Musella Lasiocarpa (1 plant)
-Week 1: Temps 8-12C no noticeable growth
-Week 2: Temps 8-13C no noticeable growth
-Week 3: Temps 10-16C no noticeable growth


Anyhow I'll keep this up for a few more weeks.

P.S. Yes I know I'm weird. Its not like I'm bored either. I have way too much to do.

Cheers

Sam

Tropicallvr

It should take awhile to get them going after being barerooted. I bet the Ensete will take off first followed by the Basjoo.
Good luck growing this year.

bigdog

I think you're overreacting here, Sammy. I just think that the kind of data you're looking for doesn't exist in a scientific form (to my knowledge). I can tell you that Musa yunnanensis, M. basjoo, M. itinerans, M. sikkimensis, M. 'Helen's Hybrid', M. velutina and Musella lasiocarpa all return in late March or early April here. Night temps are still in the 40's or even 30's Fahrenheit, but daytime temps can reach 80F (but usually in the 60's). Musa itinerans doesn't seem to mind the cool weather at all, as it is outpacing all other bananas in my yard at the present.

sunsetsammy

Hey thanks guys.

I guess I still consider it a minor miracle that these things actually survive through the winter.

sandy0225

It's just that none of us have taken the time to measure any of this, really.
Not that you're blacklisted or anything.
I just know when they get warm enough they grow. And the opposite when it's cold. But no specific temps etc.

__________________
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!

Lodewijkp

there are alot of factors including; sunlight, sheltered spot , mulched , fertilized, Soil PH , soil type, mild winter or artic blast winter, provided winter protection.

the temperatures always fluctate and is never the same on the same days every year.
this year we had night freezes in far april , but the daytime temps were very high and the nanners did grow.

-- I've been pulling the ensete and lasiocarpa inside the shed at night or on cold days. Paranoid I guess.--

your not paranoid, ensete looks better if sheltered and the growth wil activate quicker.


my basjoo was above 2 C and did put out a leaf in a week.
all hardy nanners wil grow wel , basjoo and sikkimensis wil grow faster then the Musella Lasiocarpa but this is not the case because Lasiocarpa's max size is not great; Growth :Ratio : Size

__________________
www.Theorionproject.org

Banana Mike

Temperatures may be a moot point, as the soil temperature can't really be influenced. At least in practical terms.

Banana grow when it warms.

Of course, come to think of it, I wonder if a five ft diameter ring of black mulch around the base, assuming it got full sunlight, might speed things up?

sunsetsammy

Hello again,

I was actually just joking about the "black listed" comment.

I'm not trying to get too overly scientific here. I just wanted a rough idea of what kind of temps different bananas will need to start pushing out new leaves.

All these bananas that I'm watching were all wintered the same way. They're all in the same size pots with the same soil and in the same location.

I understand that plants in the ground or in different climates may react differently. I'm more concerned about the differences between these 3 types.

For example: after doing nothing all week, one day of 16C and the ensete's put out approximately 2-3 inches in 8 hours. That is interesting to me.

I realize my measurements, etc are all "rough" but I'm just curious to see if there is a spike in growth at a specific temperature.

Lodewijkp

just keep looking at your nanners at certain temps maybe you find something interesting.

Soil temperature can be influenced, a thick mulch layer ( depends on type- leaves, bark etc some types are better )

the temp under the layer is 3 C warmer then the surface, when wet it defenitely looses it's insulation function so a very thick layer mulch or a plastic sheet wil keep of any rain.

i know this guy that has a cactus garden which uses some kind of mulch - don't know what kind of mulch - and has a second layer of black colored stone with large white stones.

the black colored stone absorbs alot of heat but also wil loose the heat faster when sunlight is fading while the white stones loose less heat.

mulching is a underrated technique that has alot of other good properties like retaining soil moisture and keep the roots cooler during hot weather and lifting any leaves from the earth which contains pathogens and other harmful micro-organisms

so soil type and mulch does matter if you don't live in North east russia

sorry about my english i just came back from the night shift.

gr.

__________________
www.Theorionproject.org