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franktank232

Planted Basjoo's in zone 5

franktank232
16 years ago

I bought these last September online from a place in Florida. They've grown some over the winter inside (not a lot) and now i sunk them in their summer home. Here is hoping for a warm spring to continue. I might put some black plastic around them.

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I dug nice deep holes and filled them with compost. The plants are about 4 feet apart in a spot that has sun almost all day.

Comments (12)

  • diana55
    16 years ago

    Looking good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think they should be huge by Mid summer. They look great!!! Are you going to be mulching them this winter or bringing them in to the house? You must post picks when they get big!!! Diana55

  • turquoise
    16 years ago

    They look great! I'm sure they'll be huge this summer. I'm in Madison and last spring I started with tiny plants. By the end of the summer they must have been 9 or 10 feet tall! Now I'm just waiting to see if they survived. Good luck, have fun!!

  • franktank232
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I think i'll pull them this fall and keep them in the basement (cool). I think the timing might be right because even through next week its looking warm and thats already early may. POssible 80's again late weekend, early next week. We topped out in the low mid 80's this past weekend.

  • ferrous
    16 years ago

    I'm in zone 5, NW Chicago suburbs and I left this winter my Basjoo in ground, gave it 8 inches of extra bark mulch. In March I uncovered the cut stems, they looked soggy and dead but this week I noticed three shoots sprouting from the soil! I kept some of the banana in basement, just in case, but I think I won't have to anymore.

    The temperatures this winter were not record low, but we had something like over a month of solid freezing temps in the teens, I thought that would have killed the banana but they're fine.

    How did your plants make through the winter?

  • novascotian
    16 years ago

    Isn't it a little risky to plant a musa basjoo so early?

  • franktank232
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Risky? Yes. Mine are so small that i could easily insulate them againsta brief cooldown into the 20's (IF that happens). I've got some confidence in the forecast through the early May, and its looking mild. If the plants were larger, i wouldn't have done it. Its actually quite mild here in my part of this state. We were 85F last Sunday and almost that warm on Sat. This weekend/early next week should see us in the 80's again.

    My Basjoos stayed in the house all winter... Next winter they'll go in the basement. Our low this past winter was right around -20F...not sure what your low in ChiTown was? I bet if i could get one to survive here, i would be king?

  • blondboy47
    16 years ago

    Still no sign of life from our Basjoos that we protected this winter. I'm still holding out hope because while most everything was mushy, I was able to shave down what was left of the trunk and go to firm material. That MUST me a good sign.

    Here's to eternal hope! ):D

  • turquoise
    16 years ago

    Yeah, no life from mine either. It's still early but I'm losing hope. Luckily I have one that overwintered as a houseplant so if I get knocked down I'll just try again! I learned a few lessons this winter and I think I'll have better luck next winter (if mine didn't make it).

  • billn119
    16 years ago

    I removed the straw I had on mine a few weeks ago and My biggest one is a foot tall and I have many small ones popping up. If you haven't removed the mulch or whatever you protected it with it hasn't had a chance to warm up yet. It may take sometime. Bill

  • franktank232
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Well, its been 8 days now (with 4 of those days cool/wet), and they haven't really done much except have their leaves change colors (sunburn?). Hopefully they are just getting ready for takeoff. Tomorrow should see us @ 86F.

  • watergal
    16 years ago

    franktank, be patient. Give them a couple of weeks to settle in. Once the weather gets warm and stays that way for a while, they'll take off, especially with lots of food and water. My banana book says they don't grow when the temps are below 52 degrees F.

  • ferrous
    14 years ago

    Few weeks ago I noticed a new growth of the banana. Fourth year, going strong, using less and less cover to protect for winter. This year I'll plant it in a new location so I'll have it growing in two places. I won't cover one to see if it survives.