lcweber69

:0491Well, fall is fast approaching, and I am once more facing how to save my babies (giant babies!) from the long grey winter. (I live in Vermont) I just read on another site that unless you have a green house, one cannot overwinter an Ensete Ventricosum. I have overwinterd my Ensete Maurelii 3 years running by cutting all but the psuedo stem off and bringing it in (with help from big strong guys!) to my studio, where I have an east facing window. Why can't I do the same with this one? Actually, my maurelii is so huge this year that I may have to cut if completely off a few inches above the soil line of the pot, and store it in my basement. ?? Or, should I try to store it bare root?? I am really upset with the insecurity of all this. I would feel better if I was certain which way to go. I'm afraid to do anything different with the ensete maurelii but I'm going to have to. As far as the Ventricosum, it'll fit well into my studio in front of the window....:

nannerfunboi

lcweber..this is my 1st yr growing a ventricosum..so i dont have
any advice onwintering it..
i have similar experience with maurelli.. i cut all leaves back..and cut
last leaf in 1/2 ..then with assistance..sigh..LOL.. haul them in
i would think there are others here in areas like u and me..that have
overwintered Ventricosum...
????
hope others post their experiences..
with my V..im going to do same as maurelli..
i have 4 BIG ones this yr..so i will do what i did last yr..
and i store them bareroot..i set mine in a bed of packing peanuts..
then spray roots every month to keep them fresh..
good luck to ya....

sandy0225

I don't see why a ventricosum would be any harder than a maurelii. Actually since they have green leaves, they should be able to take lower light conditions better. I've overwintered ventricosum in the greenhouse before with no problems, just like maurelii. So I'd say do to it what you did to the other one and you should be ok.

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orinoko

Remember to drain them before storing,

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lcweber69

I haven't posted for a while, but I'm (as usual) getting anxious and (as always) overwhelmed with the yearly process of overwintering my tropicals, several of which are ornamental bananas. I'd received replies on questions about overwintering my ensete ventricosum, but none really definitive. So, should I take it out of the pot and store it 'bare root' in my cooler basement? And how exactly do I deal with the root bound issue? Or is it a better idea to try to get it into the house under a T5 light set up, as I have with my ensete maurelli? Speaking of which, one of them is so big now I can't possibly get it into my house as a potted plant as I had done in the past. I wish I could watch a video of someone going through the task of overwintering huge potted nanners. Even videos on overwintering elephant ears are a joke, as the plants shown in them that dI have seen are not 10 ft. tall and 8ft wide. as mine are...they're only showing people preparing plants that can be picked up and put on a table for the process.

eric27

I totally agree with you greenpassion. I'm feel like I'm running out of time fast and getting a bit anxious as well. But as for your plants, in the past I kept huge potted Ensete in the pots and dragged them to the basement. No extra lighting. But I got tired of dragging pots around I have seen many reports around on keeping them laying on basement floors dormant, bareroot. As for elephant ears-big ones like you have and you see to the left-yeah those you don't see how-to's on. My only suggestion on those is to pot them up and keep them in the basmeent although this year my plan is to dig 'em up and store them in bags with peat moss. I just can't drag pots around anymore. Not the kind you are talking about. They are too much. Anything I can store bare root or in peat I will to avoid drying out.