Topic: musa basjoo care

[Kerry]

one for all you exotics fans.....
i have a musa basjoo which i have in a large terracotta pot.
i moved it a week ago into the greenhouse to overwinter.
is this all i need to do, apart from keeping compost on the dry side?
i'm presuming i cut off the leaves as they go brown?
and leave the stem alone completely? (now i'm feeling really stuuuupid!)
it must be fairly happy as it's got a little baby alongside it. this the second one this year, the other i took off with some root and now it's 2ft tall!
thanks for advice. :)

[Mrs Ava]

I had my 2 in pots until this spring, when I decided they weren't doing as well as they could, and they are now in the garden next to the pond.  

I used to move mine into my conservatory and water the same as the other plants....so about once a week-ish.  Didn't loose any leaves, altho growth did slow right down.  Come spring, as soon as I could I got them out and started watering and feeding again.  

Since planting them directly in the soil they have gone mad and each one has about 5 babies.  I am leaving them unwrapped for now, they are in an incredibly sheltered position in the only dry area of my garden.  I do however have lots of net curtains and bamboos at the ready so if a really really cold snap is forecast (which isn't often in this part of tropical Essex) I am at the ready to wrap!

[Roy Bham UK]

I have three basjoo's in pots and they are still outdoors unprotected here in sunny Brum, I wait until the leaves look brown and tatty (normally after first frost December) then chop em off just leaving the growing tip leaf, this just makes it easy for storage.

If it has to stay outside, remove leaves, buy a piece of plastic netting, roll it into a tube and tie to secure, then cover the tube in several layers of fleece and tie top and bottom to keep in place then simply pop it on the leafless pseudostem when the weather is freezing, remove on fair weather days to eliminate rot, a thick mulch may improve its chances too. I call this my “Musa Matey” ;D

[Kerry]

thanks you two :)
i'm going to leave it in the greenhouse to overwinter and chop off the leaves as they brown. i shall leave well alone apart from that.

[Andy H]

I guess these Musa things are bananas?
Can you eat any of them?

[Roy Bham UK]

I guess these Musa things are bananas?
Can you eat any of them?

The ones I grow Musa basjoo (hardy banana) may produce fruit but not edible, (I haven't succeeded yet) Musa acuminata "Dwarf Cavendish" the ones you see in most DIY Warehouses produce fruit you can eat, but they are very tender plant and can only stay outdoors in summer.

[Andy H]

ok thanks for that.

[Kerry]

Andy, i know that bob flowerdew has managed to fruit a banana, his lives permanently in a polytunnel, i believe.
mines not the one that fruits here. :-\