Author Topic: Banana Growing in a temperate climate (Read 46490 times)

beteljuice · « **Reply #40 on:** May 29, 2012, 07:11:59 AM »

The banana is going .... bananas !!!

Despite still being half the girth, height and leaf mass that it was before the winter 'rot' down there is now a third right-angle sucker at ground level forming, plus a new peeper only 2cm from the 'old' stem. The two peepers from last year although green are still very small (<2cm) and hardly moving, but a peeper from a few weeks ago is now approx 5cm and begining to look like it might be a 'water' shoot.

I can only assume the banana is trying all options after the severe stress of three parts rotting because of frost damage.

ato2 · « **Reply #41 on:** May 29, 2012, 07:53:30 AM »

I think you are right: the plant was stressed and now it is going "hell for leather" to get on with growing.

I have seen a few large plants in the Far North of New Zealand (circa lat 35 degrees S) hit by a rare Winter frost. One of them turned black and looked like it was going to rot away. I passed by the same spot in mid Spring and the same plant- leafless, and still looking like a layer of creosote had been applied to the trunk- had thrown a huge spike of flowers and the first lot of fruit had appeared!

The frost, most likely, would have been very light- probably air temperatures were not lower than around minus 1 C

beteljuice · « **Reply #42 on:** May 30, 2012, 11:25:30 AM »

Even more peepers breaking ground - It will all end in tears !

How can a recovering parent 'feed' them all ?

TonyC · « **Reply #43 on:** May 30, 2012, 12:35:07 PM »

This thread has piqued my interest and I might give it a go. We only get 1 or two frosts a year and I might start off a plant or two in the greenhouse and see what happens. I see you can buy the plants for about $18 from http://www.subtropica.co.nz/index.php (catalogue page)

Tony C.

ato2 · « **Reply #44 on:** May 30, 2012, 12:49:10 PM »

I did a little trolling around banana forums (fora?) and several times came across posters being surprised at the number of peepers growing after a plant had been stressed. I appeared to me that they let them grow and later removed them to pot so that they ended up with many plants.
These were American sites, with real Winters, not like what I have here in NZ- and obviously more extreme than the UK's- but their experiences may be somewhat more applicable to your situation.
Can I post some links here? Will check with admin or PM you if it suits.

beteljuice · « **Reply #45 on:** May 30, 2012, 02:16:44 PM »

Remark from the subtropica site mentioned by Tony:

Quote

They must be thinned each year to 3 or 4 suckers around each main palm.

ato2 · « **Reply #46 on:** May 30, 2012, 02:40:56 PM »

They must be thinned each year to 3 or 4 suckers around each main palm.[/quote]
I have had people swear that that is the way. I think that it is standard commercial growing practice. I used to do that as well, with my plants and it didn't seem to make much difference- I get plenty of fruit now by letting them colonise. I just remove suckers when I want to start off another colony. Bananas can be very potent growers and I think the Basjoo is one of the fastest.

This site may be of interest: http://www.bananas.org/f311/separating-pups-container-grown-bananas-comment-8638.html

beteljuice · « **Reply #47 on:** June 26, 2012, 10:21:02 AM »

Minor update.

Today, for what feels like the first time in 4 weeks didn't need a coat and hat - It's supposed to be summer here !!!

So the banana was bought out of the potting shed where it's been sulking but protected from the unseasonally cold gusting winds and heavy rain squalls.

It now has 9 pups (4 of which are straight off the psuedo stem from just below soil level to just above).

Guess what, heavy overcast and bands of rain forecast for the next few days .... might get out in the sun again just before winter

ato2 · « **Reply #48 on:** June 26, 2012, 10:41:37 AM »

Gosh it is determined plant! Thanks for the update. Hopefully you will get some more sunny periods soon.

beteljuice · « **Reply #49 on:** June 29, 2012, 09:44:44 AM »

Banana sulking in potting shed again - Here's why: http://www.itv.com/news/central/story/2012-06-28/flash-flooding-strikes-again/ .... but .... another two peepers !

I am going to have to do some surgery, but it's my first 'nana and I don't know which are spears (If any), and which are water shoots.

ato2 · « **Reply #50 on:** January 18, 2013, 11:10:43 AM »

I was wondering how did things turn out, on the musa front?

beteljuice · « **Reply #51 on:** January 18, 2013, 11:35:35 AM »

A mixed bag !

Lousy cool very wet summer. At one time there were 17 peepers including some side shoots at or just above soil level.

I cut back to seven peepers and as an experiment potted three of the best I thinned out.

Parent has been trimmed back, fleeced and in the potting shed, together with an unprotected 'babe'. (We are now back to snow and sub-zero temps)

The two other thinnings I've bought in the house.
Score: One dead, the other nearly dead !

I am unsure why, I am thinking that it wasn't humid enough, all other requirements should have been OK ?

I've got some mobile pics I took before thinning. I'll find them out and post if I can find them.

ato2 · « **Reply #52 on:** January 18, 2013, 11:46:52 AM »

Be great to see the pictures, thanks. Re the the inside ones- you may be right: I am assuming that your house is centrally heated and the humidity is most likely quite low, so they dried out too much?

beteljuice · « **Reply #53 on:** January 29, 2013, 01:57:09 PM »

Sorry about the delay in replying !

Yep - I think the CH did for the indoor 'trial', even though I ensured the pots were moist.

We've had a thaw, but I'm too disheartend to check-out the parent and remaining 'baby pot' in the potting shed. Last time I looked (before it got snowed in) baby was rather brown.

Here's the pics I took of the recovery and thinning out back in July:

Hmmm ... limited to two attachments per post ...

beteljuice · « **Reply #54 on:** January 29, 2013, 01:58:02 PM »

cont ...

beteljuice · « **Reply #55 on:** January 29, 2013, 02:00:09 PM »

... and finally ...
The recovered parent which was just a sludgy brown stump after the the previous winter.

Still nowhere near it's full potential - but alive !!!

ato2 · « **Reply #56 on:** January 29, 2013, 02:14:51 PM »

Thanks for the update. The plant looks well and thriving!

WaikanaeNZ · « **Reply #57 on:** May 20, 2018, 09:45:21 PM »

Hi Guys.
I stumbled upon this post while searching for Musa Basjoo pups/rhizome's for sale in NZ so apologies in advance for replying on an old thread.

How are yours doing after all of this time? I'm currently growing 'Misi Luki' here in Waikanae and they grow quiet well.

Anybody keen to sell a Musa Basjoo pup/rhizome or small plant?

beteljuice · « **Reply #58 on:** May 21, 2018, 07:19:53 AM »

UK - sad to relate last winter saw off all (10) of my plants !

ato2 · « **Reply #59 on:** May 21, 2018, 08:50:11 AM »

I wondered how you were getting on..sorry to learn that drastic action was required

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Author Topic: Banana Growing in a temperate climate (Read 46490 times)