It probably depends on the temperature. If it's warm there like it is going to be here for the next week, that's going to make it open faster. Dark cool rainy weather would make it go slower. Congratulations, by the way! Very cool!!!!

Thanks for the nice comment Sandy (also for the one at bananas.org) The bees love it, I haven't seen so many bees in one place for years! It is supposed to be quite warm here for the next week or so.

I'm in zone 7, my M. basjoo clump is about 6 years old, the plants get huge every year, and I've never seen so much as a bud on mine--not even after a mild winter two years ago when the pseudostems didn't die all the way to the ground. Maybe I should start giving them a little more protection...