Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what??

bananabeginner · 10-24-2011, 04:00 PM

Any suggestions on what to do with my heavy plant?! It is just beautiful but the frost is coming and I need to get it out of the ground...I had it in a garbage can last winter in my garage but it is going to be a back breaker to do that this year.

I hate winter...will miss my beautiful banana plants

palmtree · 10-24-2011, 06:09 PM

I would just try as hard as possible to bring the ensete indoors, even if it means cutting the plant back a little bit so it is easier to bring in.
Im Worried about my banana plants also and I have to wait till the last minute possible to dig them up since they have gingers flowering next to them and digging them up would mean no more ginger blooms. I'll probably give them some frost protection if we get a frost before mid november. Its getting chilly outside and the bananas refuse to grow anymore.

saltydad · 10-25-2011, 12:29 AM

Try your damnedest to bring it in. My ensete glauca was almost 200 pounds when I dug it up. I had to trim off all but the top leaf and used a dolly to bring it down into the basement. Just leaned it against the wall bare root. It flowered for me this summer.

nannerfunboi · 10-25-2011, 09:34 AM

i too agree with others bananabeginner.. how ever big your ensete
is..it would be a shame to loose it..
my biggest ensetes,and now 1 saba.. are over 14 ft tall..and the biggest
E.maurelli,and E.glaucum im guessing each weigh over 250-300 # each..
i have 2 helpers all summer to keep up on gardening.. both boys are
helping me now to get everything out of the gardens for overwintering..
id ask around and see if some kid in your neighborhood would help you
dig it and haul it in your garage.. you can cut back all the leaves except the
last one.. its worked for me now for 2 yrs..

it would be a shame for you not to have it next yr...
good luck to ya !!!!

bananabeginner · 10-25-2011, 03:17 PM

Well I guess there is no simple way but some muscle then!!! I see there is a new "cigar" now. Would I just cut back all open leaves then?? or leave some with that new one?

Thanks for the encouragement to dig this up....but if it survives, what will next year be like then... hahaha

ChuckT · 10-25-2011, 04:01 PM

Remember that from a practical standpoint all you need is the bulb and the live bud at the base of the pseudostem. Don't be afraid to cut a lot off if that is what is required to get it in the house. It will all grow back, the alternative is to watch it freeze.

sandy0225 · 10-27-2011, 07:07 AM

getting a big banana indoors in 5 easy steps
1. buy a case of beer, cold
2. call several large friends, one of which has a hand truck
3. after they all get there, give them all a shovel before they drink too much
4. cut as necessary and bring it in
5. finish the case and say thanks!
LOL!

bananabeginner · 10-27-2011, 10:14 AM

Thanks all! I left 1 leaf and 1 unrolled on and surprisingly was not heavy like when I replanted it in the spring???!! Don't get it as it was much bigger now but not as heavy?! So it is safe in my garage for the winter

I uploaded photos but they are not showing in my gallery?? Try again later. Cheers!

nannerfunboi · 10-27-2011, 04:25 PM

bananabeginner..pics are great!!
i agree with sandy..have some buds over ..order some pizza and
have beer on hand.. get the work done 1st then party..

i pulled my biggest ensetes in yesterday..or should i say..with help
of 2 tough teen boys.. the maurelli didnt get as tall..but the pseudostem
was HUGE.. easy 250+ #.. and its in.. whew.. LOL
i told the boys..now..next yr..it will be bigger.. LOL
my house is full of EE and nanners.. i forgot i had 23 bananas out there
lol
good luck to ya on your overwintering..im sure u will do fine...

nannerfunboi · 10-27-2011, 04:26 PM

oh..just to be clear..i dont offer teens beer...

lcweber69 · 10-28-2011, 08:35 AM

I have been in such a funk lately that I chose to let my bananas go. What I mean is that I knew I needed to bring them in from the cold, but I didn't. I live in Vermont... Last night, it snowed, and my potted Red Abyssinians are dead, I think. One of them is (was) 9ft tall, and I had overwintered it every year in my studio. The others were smaller, and they also were inside, under T5 lights. I had 7 all together, most Musa Basjoo's, all well tended, and summered out on my deck, in large pots.
I wish I'd not been so depressed. I sit here at the computer, and just out side the window are my freezing bananas. Is it too late? Can I got out there now and pull the smaller ones into the garage or basement? If the leaves are dead, are the corms dead too?? I have no excuse....but can someone help me with this?

bananabeginner · 10-28-2011, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lcweber69

I have been in such a funk lately that I chose to let my bananas go. What I mean is that I knew I needed to bring them in from the cold, but I didn't. I live in Vermont... Last night, it snowed, and my potted Red Abyssinians are dead, I think. One of them is (was) 9ft tall, and I had overwintered it every year in my studio. The others were smaller, and they also were inside, under T5 lights. I had 7 all together, most Musa Basjoo's, all well tended, and summered out on my deck, in large pots.
I wish I'd not been so depressed. I sit here at the computer, and just out side the window are my freezing bananas. Is it too late? Can I got out there now and pull the smaller ones into the garage or basement? If the leaves are dead, are the corms dead too?? I have no excuse....but can someone help me with this?

Last year I left my red out too long and the leaves were dead by frost. I still brought it into my garage and it survived. Mind you only the leaves were affected by the frost, not the stem.....good luck and I would be depressed if it snowed here too!!

Michael_Andrew · 10-28-2011, 03:35 PM

Boy howdy was it a job getting this one in the basement this year.

sandy0225 · 10-31-2011, 04:40 PM

I left one out by my sign at the highway last year until thanksgiving and then I felt sorry for it and dug it up. I had to cut off all the leaves, it kind of looked like a pineapple. It grew back like crazy in the greenhouse over winter and was just huge and I sold it this spring for $50 at about 6 feet tall. So it's probably not too late.

ChuckT · 11-01-2011, 08:47 AM

I just moved mine in last weekend, was about 6 ft tall. Trimmed the lower leaves off and dug what I could. So far it seems happy enough.
Here it is in the garden

natej740 · 11-02-2011, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nannerfunboi

bananabeginner..pics are great!!
i agree with sandy..have some buds over ..order some pizza and
have beer on hand.. get the work done 1st then party..

i pulled my biggest ensetes in yesterday..or should i say..with help
of 2 tough teen boys.. the maurelli didnt get as tall..but the pseudostem
was HUGE.. easy 250+ #.. and its in.. whew.. LOL
i told the boys..now..next yr..it will be bigger.. LOL
my house is full of EE and nanners.. i forgot i had 23 bananas out there
lol
good luck to ya on your overwintering..im sure u will do fine...

Do you have any pics of your ensete? I'd love to know what a 250lb pstem looks like.

Worm_Farmer · 11-06-2011, 12:45 PM

Why not bury heating cable around the bulb/corm and put a big pile of compost over the top of it? This might work, just remove the cable each spring.

tastyratz · 12-14-2011, 11:02 PM

I have an ensete now and honestly I think it has more cold tolerance than people give it credit. The thing did not seem to really show any leaf damage from some seriously cold nights here, my sikki's did a little in comparison. Where it comes from natively can be quite cold at nights sometimes.
I do however believe that it is EXTREMELY sensitive to moisture and cold rains. I had one that just about destroyed the plant around the mid 30's, but boy I think before that it saw several dry nights in the teens? and that was potted.

nannerfunboi · 12-15-2011, 07:47 PM

nate ..i will get a pic of it.. thank goodness i had help of kids to haul it in..
lol funny.. i told them last yr..after we got same nanner dug and hauled in..
now ya know..it will be bigger next yr.. lol and it was..

mmm.. wonder how much bigger next fall????

everything seems to be doing ok in winter storage..so far... yea!!!
i dusted bareroot ones last weekend with cinnamon.. seemed to do a good
job on no rot on ensetes last yr..

bananas101 · 12-29-2011, 08:28 AM

Have you considered building a house around it?

10-24-2011, 04:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
bananabeginner bananabeginner's Photo Gallery Location: Vancouver BC Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 80 BananaBucks : 17,321 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 57 Times Was Thanked 18 Times in 11 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? Any suggestions on what to do with my heavy plant?! It is just beautiful but the frost is coming and I need to get it out of the ground...I had it in a garbage can last winter in my garage but it is going to be a back breaker to do that this year. I hate winter...will miss my beautiful banana plants __________________

10-24-2011, 06:09 PM	#2 (permalink)
palmtree palmtree 's Photo Gallery Location: New York City Find me on the map! Zone: 7b Name: Alex C Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,016 BananaBucks : 107,015 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 1,492 Times Was Thanked 1,428 Times in 644 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 103 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? I would just try as hard as possible to bring the ensete indoors, even if it means cutting the plant back a little bit so it is easier to bring in. Im Worried about my banana plants also and I have to wait till the last minute possible to dig them up since they have gingers flowering next to them and digging them up would mean no more ginger blooms. I'll probably give them some frost protection if we get a frost before mid november. Its getting chilly outside and the bananas refuse to grow anymore. __________________ Location: New York City, zone 7b

10-25-2011, 12:29 AM	#3 (permalink)
saltydad saltydad's Photo Gallery Location: Silver Spring, Maryland USA Find me on the map! Zone: 7a Name: Howard Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 4,552 BananaBucks : 183,451 Feedback: 2 / 100% Said "Thanks" 14,712 Times Was Thanked 4,662 Times in 1,778 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 824 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? Try your damnedest to bring it in. My ensete glauca was almost 200 pounds when I dug it up. I had to trim off all but the top leaf and used a dolly to bring it down into the basement. Just leaned it against the wall bare root. It flowered for me this summer. __________________ Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men" "Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon "If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal." John F. Kennedy, September, 1960 http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/

10-25-2011, 09:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
nannerfunboi nannerfunboi's Photo Gallery Location: provo utah Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 393 BananaBucks : 34,064 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 692 Times Was Thanked 481 Times in 251 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 23 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? i too agree with others bananabeginner.. how ever big your ensete is..it would be a shame to loose it.. my biggest ensetes,and now 1 saba.. are over 14 ft tall..and the biggest E.maurelli,and E.glaucum im guessing each weigh over 250-300 # each.. i have 2 helpers all summer to keep up on gardening.. both boys are helping me now to get everything out of the gardens for overwintering.. id ask around and see if some kid in your neighborhood would help you dig it and haul it in your garage.. you can cut back all the leaves except the last one.. its worked for me now for 2 yrs.. it would be a shame for you not to have it next yr... good luck to ya !!!!

10-25-2011, 03:17 PM	#5 (permalink)
bananabeginner bananabeginner's Photo Gallery Location: Vancouver BC Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 80 BananaBucks : 17,321 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 57 Times Was Thanked 18 Times in 11 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? Well I guess there is no simple way but some muscle then!!! I see there is a new "cigar" now. Would I just cut back all open leaves then?? or leave some with that new one? Thanks for the encouragement to dig this up....but if it survives, what will next year be like then... hahaha __________________

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10-25-2011, 04:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
ChuckT ChuckT's Photo Gallery Location: Maryland USA Zone: 6B Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 36 BananaBucks : 12,669 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 38 Times in 15 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? Remember that from a practical standpoint all you need is the bulb and the live bud at the base of the pseudostem. Don't be afraid to cut a lot off if that is what is required to get it in the house. It will all grow back, the alternative is to watch it freeze.

10-27-2011, 07:07 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 : 362,834 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? getting a big banana indoors in 5 easy steps 1. buy a case of beer, cold 2. call several large friends, one of which has a hand truck 3. after they all get there, give them all a shovel before they drink too much 4. cut as necessary and bring it in 5. finish the case and say thanks! LOL! __________________ 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!

10-27-2011, 10:14 AM	#8 (permalink)
bananabeginner bananabeginner's Photo Gallery Location: Vancouver BC Find me on the map! Zone: 7 Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 80 BananaBucks : 17,321 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 57 Times Was Thanked 18 Times in 11 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? Thanks all! I left 1 leaf and 1 unrolled on and surprisingly was not heavy like when I replanted it in the spring???!! Don't get it as it was much bigger now but not as heavy?! So it is safe in my garage for the winter I uploaded photos but they are not showing in my gallery?? Try again later. Cheers! __________________

10-27-2011, 04:25 PM	#9 (permalink)
nannerfunboi nannerfunboi's Photo Gallery Location: provo utah Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 393 BananaBucks : 34,064 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 692 Times Was Thanked 481 Times in 251 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 23 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? bananabeginner..pics are great!! i agree with sandy..have some buds over ..order some pizza and have beer on hand.. get the work done 1st then party.. i pulled my biggest ensetes in yesterday..or should i say..with help of 2 tough teen boys.. the maurelli didnt get as tall..but the pseudostem was HUGE.. easy 250+ #.. and its in.. whew.. LOL i told the boys..now..next yr..it will be bigger.. LOL my house is full of EE and nanners.. i forgot i had 23 bananas out there lol good luck to ya on your overwintering..im sure u will do fine...

10-27-2011, 04:26 PM	#10 (permalink)
nannerfunboi nannerfunboi's Photo Gallery Location: provo utah Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 393 BananaBucks : 34,064 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 692 Times Was Thanked 481 Times in 251 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 23 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? oh..just to be clear..i dont offer teens beer...

10-28-2011, 08:35 AM	#11 (permalink)
lcweber69 greenpassion Location: Vermont Zone: z5 Name: greenpassion Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 25 BananaBucks : 17,075 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 30 Times Was Thanked 16 Times in 8 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian's left out in the cold-can they be saved? I have been in such a funk lately that I chose to let my bananas go. What I mean is that I knew I needed to bring them in from the cold, but I didn't. I live in Vermont... Last night, it snowed, and my potted Red Abyssinians are dead, I think. One of them is (was) 9ft tall, and I had overwintered it every year in my studio. The others were smaller, and they also were inside, under T5 lights. I had 7 all together, most Musa Basjoo's, all well tended, and summered out on my deck, in large pots. I wish I'd not been so depressed. I sit here at the computer, and just out side the window are my freezing bananas. Is it too late? Can I got out there now and pull the smaller ones into the garage or basement? If the leaves are dead, are the corms dead too?? I have no excuse....but can someone help me with this?

10-28-2011, 03:35 PM	#13 (permalink)
Michael_Andrew Michael_Andrew's Photo Gallery Location: Toledo, Ohio Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Name: Michael Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 517 BananaBucks : 68,590 Feedback: 1 / 100% Said "Thanks" 248 Times Was Thanked 384 Times in 182 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 226 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? Boy howdy was it a job getting this one in the basement this year.

10-31-2011, 04:40 PM	#14 (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 : 362,834 Feedback: 31 / 97% Said "Thanks" 38 Times Was Thanked 1,801 Times in 682 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 9 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? I left one out by my sign at the highway last year until thanksgiving and then I felt sorry for it and dug it up. I had to cut off all the leaves, it kind of looked like a pineapple. It grew back like crazy in the greenhouse over winter and was just huge and I sold it this spring for $50 at about 6 feet tall. So it's probably not too late. __________________ 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!

11-01-2011, 08:47 AM	#15 (permalink)
ChuckT ChuckT's Photo Gallery Location: Maryland USA Zone: 6B Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 36 BananaBucks : 12,669 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 0 Times Was Thanked 38 Times in 15 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 0 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? I just moved mine in last weekend, was about 6 ft tall. Trimmed the lower leaves off and dug what I could. So far it seems happy enough. Here it is in the garden

11-06-2011, 12:45 PM	#17 (permalink)
Worm_Farmer Worm_Farmer 's Photo Gallery Location: Palm Bay, FL Zone: 9b Name: Mike Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,533 BananaBucks : 50,312 Feedback: 14 / 100% Said "Thanks" 5,326 Times Was Thanked 1,830 Times in 679 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 2,866 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? Why not bury heating cable around the bulb/corm and put a big pile of compost over the top of it? This might work, just remove the cable each spring.

12-14-2011, 11:02 PM	#18 (permalink)
tastyratz Location: NH, USA Zone: 5b denial Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 65 BananaBucks : 27,863 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 18 Times Was Thanked 81 Times in 38 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? I have an ensete now and honestly I think it has more cold tolerance than people give it credit. The thing did not seem to really show any leaf damage from some seriously cold nights here, my sikki's did a little in comparison. Where it comes from natively can be quite cold at nights sometimes. I do however believe that it is EXTREMELY sensitive to moisture and cold rains. I had one that just about destroyed the plant around the mid 30's, but boy I think before that it saw several dry nights in the teens? and that was potted.

12-15-2011, 07:47 PM	#19 (permalink)
nannerfunboi nannerfunboi's Photo Gallery Location: provo utah Find me on the map! Zone: 6 Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 393 BananaBucks : 34,064 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 692 Times Was Thanked 481 Times in 251 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 23 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? nate ..i will get a pic of it.. thank goodness i had help of kids to haul it in.. lol funny.. i told them last yr..after we got same nanner dug and hauled in.. now ya know..it will be bigger next yr.. lol and it was.. mmm.. wonder how much bigger next fall???? everything seems to be doing ok in winter storage..so far... yea!!! i dusted bareroot ones last weekend with cinnamon.. seemed to do a good job on no rot on ensetes last yr..

12-29-2011, 08:28 AM	#20 (permalink)
bananas101 Location: Jackson Mississippi Zone: 8 Name: Brian Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 64 BananaBucks : 25,822 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 9 Times Was Thanked 70 Times in 28 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 3 Times	Re: Red Abyssinian too large to dig up for winter, now what?? Have you considered building a house around it?

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