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I was given some Musa seed earlier this year (variety unknown) and to my delight one germinated.  I now have a plant with about half a dozen mid-green leaves which is around 18" tall.  I very much doubt it is a hardy variety so I intend to pop it in the mini greenhouse over winter.  So a couple of questions if I may.  Should I let it dry out over winter and should I remove the leaves?

G x

Haven't got a Scoobys!
???

wow banana plants are difficult to germanate.

I did try once ages ago but got nothing, recently ordered from www.jungleseeds.co.uk and have been tempted to retry!

Stand by for our expert.  Emma??

Ah Jungle Seeds, what a tempting catalogue that is.   ;D

Tim, I maybe wrong but I think that EJ grows her banana indoors all year round? 

G x

I had one in the conservatory for years in a big pot, I put it out on the patio for the summer and I will take it back in when the clocks go back.It has never fruited but I always cut it off about a foot above ground when it gets too big. It shoots up again from the middle and throw off loads of littleuns from around the base which I use in the garden for a bit of structure, but let them take their chance in the winter.

Sometimes they get through but lost all but one earlier this year because of the late frosts. The one that survived was cut down and covered with leaves.

;D Well done to you for growing from seed, I've not had any luck, but have succeeded  with pups (suckers).

By not knowing the variety you stand a good chance of losing it in a cold greenhouse in winter even in London unless you wrap it up well with Hessian sacks or a small duvet, you can remove all the leaves except the growing tip (leave that poking out the top to see how it fares. ;)

When you have given it its last drink just forget about it until the frosts have gone, doing it this way will make the plant appear larger for next year as it will continue to grow from the top of the pseudostem instead of from the base, talking of which you must wrap the base also to protect from frost. :o ;D

Alternatively you could bring it indoors and water sparingly but watchout for pests. :(

Here's one I grew earlier ;D

I do have my indoor tropical bananas, plus 6 hardy boys in the garden.  They are planted close to the fence, snuggled up together to try and help keep them warm, and make wrapping easier.  The first year I left them to mother nature to see how they faired, but the mummas died - replaced quickly by the multitude of babes, but of course, then you loose the height that Roy mentioned.  Since then I have first put a generous layer of straw around their bases, then made a bamboo wigwam around them which has net curtaining wrapped around.  This is then stuffed with straw or leaves - whichever I happen to have an abundance of at that time.  I loose the big leaves, but the growing tip - like Roy, stays growing so the plants just keep getting bigger and bigger. 

Yours will defo need protection - a sleeping bag of fleece may well be enough within the mini greenhouse.  Don't overwater it as it will rot, and they do very easily!!  My indoor boys get red spider mite during the summer, but then that is something my conservatory seems to breed well.  In the winter, it really is the wet and cold rather than the frost that does the damage. 

Well done for growing it from seed.  My sister bought seed from Eden when she was last there and managed to get one to germinate.  I have no idea how it is doing so I must speak to her to make sure hers is wrapped up as the temperatures drop.

Hey guys, thanks for such comprehensive advice.  I'll do as you suggest and hopefully it will survive.   ;D

G x

Well, I've made a start on your advice. 

Here's the plant as it was in situ



Ready for the chop



Chopped



it is now in the mini greenhouse drying out before it gets its winter coat.   ;D

G x

 :( I think I would have enjoyed it for a little bit longer before the chop :-\ too late now, you could have kept it close to your house until the frosts were forecast. :(

I don't recognise it from anything I have had, the paddles look long and slim unlike most nana plants and very heavey ribs too ???

You could try posting it on some tropical websites like this one, some real experts here. ;)

http://www.ukoasis.co.uk/index.php

LOL, now you tell me Roy!   ;)  I was just a bit worried that the temperature has been dropping a bit some nights here (not freezing obviously) so I thought better safe than sorry. 

Thanks for that link, I'll take up your advice and see what they have to say.

G x

Quote from: Georgie on October 15, 2006, 22:29:12
LOL, now you tell me Roy!   ;)  I was just a bit worried that the temperature has been dropping a bit some nights here (not freezing obviously) so I thought better safe than sorry. 

Thanks for that link, I'll take up your advice and see what they have to say.

G x

I would be interested to know too as I have a gut feeling that it is tender and would hate to see you lose it especially as you have grown it from seed, which in my mind is an achievement on its own. ;)

Roy, these seeds were a present from mate's kids in a jolly little pack entitled 'grow your own bananas'.  Came with compost that swelled and the tiniest pot you have ever seen.  No-one was more surprised than me when one gerninated.  But it makes me think that they can't be the hardest things to grow, nor can they be the most difficult to germinate?

G x

Georgie, I'm impressed! Nice looking banana and from a seed too! I have a big scraggly one that I drag inside and out with the seasons and have made presents for several people out of the shoots. Populating the globe with little banana trees... ;D

Thanks Squashfan.  Nothing gives me more pleasure than passing on cuttings to like-minded mates.  And I love the idea of 'populating the globe with little banana trees'.   ;D

G x

;D Just for the record they are plants not trees ;D they have stems not trunks ;D

Heck, the pedants' bus has arrived.  ;)

Hey Roy, I've already had one reply on UKOasis after only a few mins.  They seem like nice people.   ;D

G x

;D You will find quite a few pedantic peeps on there too praps that’s where I got it from, but hey yes they are a very nice and very helpful bunch of anoraks, ;D  (meant in the nicest possible way). ;D

You will get sound advice from them as they live and breath sub tropical plants and I will be monitoring it to find out what they come up with. ;)

Hush Roy!   I've already got a reputation there and I don't want me cover blown! ;)

G x