Casa Del Gatos

OK, the weather is getting cooler at night (forecast high 40s coming fast) and I am wondering what to do with my two Ensete Ventricosum Maurelli in pots. They are better than 8 feet tall (leaves up) and there really isn't any more room in the new domehouse. I could bring them inside the house, but not sure the wife will live with that.

Any ideas? We don't have basements in South Alabama, btw.

BobbyinNY

I have alot of the same problems with some of my tall plants - thank god my wife loves them.

rsieminski

Not to distract from your thread, but what sort of conditions does it like? Are they just like any other banana: Full sun, a little shade for better looking leaves?
Thanks

Bananavilla

Ross, you could just de-leaf them (or "top" them to fit) and put them in the garage.
What zone are you again? They take zone 9 just fine outside.
rsieminski - more shade = more vibrant color.
Mike

Casa Del Gatos

Mike,

Technically, we are Zone 8, but I have had local people tell me we are really Zone 8B-9. We will get below freezing at some point though probably not until January. I just hate to lose the investment (time and effort more than money) that I have in these. Although, since these don't really pup, maybe I should cut em down and see if I can get some babies?

Oh yeah, no garage either ... yet.

rsieminski

"maybe I should cut em down and see if I can get some babies?"

How can you do that? Will cutting it down force it to pup? It's just weird that these don't pup on a reg basis like Musa.

Casa Del Gatos

That's what I read on "the other" banana forum. Gabe should chime in shortly with the real skinny.

Bananavilla

Ross, I would not cut them down to a nub. They would most likely just regrow the same stem but why loose all the growth you already have? Just deleaf them and find somewhere to stash them.
I have seen some REALLY mature ensetes and never seen a pup on any of them. Not to say that they won't, but just not a reliable way to hope for a replacement plant.

By the way, I dig all the cat-in-the-banana pics you share Our cat's love the bananas here too. It's almost as if it is taking them back to a place they belong or something.
Mike

Casa Del Gatos

I think the strategy is to cut down to the corm, then divide the corm and each piece will (hopefully) grow a new plant.

Unfortunately, I drilled extra drainage holes in the 18" pots they are in so watering them inside would be problematic. We are supposed to get down to 40 tonight so I am kind of anxious to do something this afternoon.

I wonder about putting them in the ground on the south side of the house (fairly sheltered) and just letting them do whatever they do. I suppose they will grow back from the corm like most that have their foliage die back in the winter. I can't imagine how big they could get in the ground during our long growing season. Of course I only paid about $12 each and they were 3 feet tall then. I guess if they don't come back, I'll just get some more.

Mike, yeah the cats love the banana mats. Miniature jungles to them. I just wish I was fast enough with the camera to catch several of them in one pic while they are playing hide-and-seek. We have six (so far) and they love to "help" us in the yard whenever we go out to work there.