Your in zone 7 so they should have enough time if you did it today ....lol Give them a good balanced feeding 20-20-20 every week and a half they can take it. - don't make the hole to big - a little larger than the pot it is in - these guys like company - they don't like to be swimming in their own large space they will stall if you do that.

cheers and good luck

Jeff

Barb:
Honestly, I don't agree that they will have time to really adapt.

Since they are so small, I would suggest keep them in the pots and store them inside for the winter. Near a sunny or bright window would be good.

This way, they will put on new leaves all winter and be really beautiful come spring.

Also, here's something from my personal experience. We have 3 adult Basjoos that had pups. Last spring, we planted one of the pups and it just shot up like crazy. Just loved it.

We did the protection thing for the winter. When spring came, we didn't see any movement and figured that they didn't survive. Then, sometime in later spring, there it was! New growth. We were extatic that it really did survive...... do you hear a but in there? LOL

BUT! here we are near the end of summer and the plant is only about 2.5' to 3' tall! That's it! Well, this was our experiement.

So, due to that, we are probably going to dig that up in the late fall and throw it into a pot.

The ones that we've kept in pots are amazing and tall. The continue to grow, although slowly, throughout the winter, providing some green to get us through.

Also, being in pots, gives us more ability to change the "look" of the yard as we can move them to whereever we want to.

Mind you, they have been in 21" pots for 3 or 4 years now and have outgrown them. I think that before winter storage, we'll move them to larger pots so that next year, they will be even more fabulous.

Anyway, Barb, just some thoughts to help you make the best decision for you.

Cheers ):D

Thanks to both of you for your reply's.
I'm kinda set up to test both theories.
I did end up planting the first 2 on that day, the 11th. But I also went back and bought 2 more so I could keep them in pots and overwinter them inside. I ended up splitting the new ones and potting them up and leaving them outside in a morning sun area. Now I have 6 total and all seem to be doing great. Everyone of them has pushed out a full new leaf and are working on their second new leaf. The ones in the ground seem to be growing faster, but not by much.
Hopefully no matter what, I should have something in the spring.

Thanks again it's good to hear advice from people w/experience

Next season when you have decided where to plant your Musa Basjoos, prepare the planting beds with lots of compost, composted manure, pine bark, shredded leaves and lots of Milorganite fertilzer. Give them lots of water as they grow in the heat of summer and they will be 15-20 feet tall by the fall of 2008. Trust me it works with dramatic effect.

I'd go ahead and plant them here if they are close to 3 feet tall, as long as they can root in good, they should be alright, but just to be on the safe side, you could mulch the heck out of them this fall, more then you would usually mulch them (thicker) for even a little more protection.

Hi

I am up by Albany NY and I have heard that the Musa Basjoos will overwinter up here. I have several 'dwarf cavendish' that do well outside each summer but I keep them in a 60 degree heated basement with 12 hours of light once we get close to frost.

If I switched to the basjoos would they last outside all winter? And where can I pick them up? Or is anyone interested in trading some cavendish pups for basjoo?

Jean

You can usually find Musa Basjoos in the Spring at Home Depot or Lowes. Another source to consider is eBay and do a google search too as it should yield multiple sources. Especially in your area I would wait until next year to try to plant them outside as they need a whole growing season to get ready for the winter. You will need to mulch the corm heavily after frost to have them overwinter next year.

Thank you virginian for your advice. It is strange but I have never seen the basjoo's up this way. Maybe they are considered marginal in my area.

Jean

most higher end nurseries now carry them in the spring