Musa basjoo question

[Ben in Norcal]

I'm growing a few different types of bananas in my yard - and love the tropical effect.  One thing I don't like is that they lose their leaves for a couple of months when it frosts.  I saw some Musa basjoo at a local big box, and was wondering if these guys keep their leaves to a lower temp - or if they lose their leaves just the same and are simply cold hardier in ground?

[dalmatiansoap]

Corms are hardier, leaves will be burned same as all the others bananas.

[Ben in Norcal]

4 hours ago, dalmatiansoap said:

Corms are hardier, leaves will be burned same as all the others bananas.

Cheers - that's not very useful then since stems for Ice Cream and Goldfinger are hardy here anyway.

[dalmatiansoap]

Agree, I wouldn't waste any energy on them in your place either.

[The Silent Seed]

The Basjoo is hardy almost up to HERE - but just like any other banana, they will die back to the ground. 

 

[NorCalKing]

I kept a frost cloth over my dwarf orinoco this past winter (planted 3ft from the house) and it never lost a leaf this entire past chilly winter.

[Ben in Norcal]

29 minutes ago, NorCalKing said:

I kept a frost cloth over my dwarf orinoco this past winter (planted 3ft from the house) and it never lost a leaf this entire past chilly winter.

I got all the way through January as I recall, with leaves intact - they got hit with the last (only?) freeze we had.  Oh well, they are coming back now.  

I am thinking of planting some other varieties - maybe Dwarf Orinoco is worth a try around my pond.

[NorCalKing]

I'm sure you'll do fine with a dwarf orinoco. You generally (with your elevation) get less freezes then me. I'm sure keeping mine so close to the house helped. It actually looks like mid season with mine Pushed out 2-3 new leaves already.

[Ben in Norcal]

Have some new cultivars on the way - dwarf orinoco, dwarf Brazilian, Gros Michel...and some ornamentals, just for fun!

[Josh-O]

1 hour ago, Ben in Norcal said:

Have some new cultivars on the way - dwarf orinoco, dwarf Brazilian, Gros Michel...and some ornamentals, just for fun!

did you order them from ebay?

[dalmatiansoap]

How about adding an Ensete or a few?

[Chris Chance]

I have Rajapuri and rebounds from frost quickly. I like the fact they don't get too tall and handle the wind well. 

[Ben in Norcal]

9 hours ago, Josh-O said:

did you order them from ebay?

Yep

[Ben in Norcal]

4 hours ago, dalmatiansoap said:

How about adding an Ensete or a few?

I did order some Ensete glaucum seeds as well.  I don't really like the fact that Ensete don't pup and only last a couple of years though?

[dalmatiansoap]

Yes but they shine in full glory for that time if u feed them a bit better. My Ventricosum had leaves to about 5 meters. Mussela pups and has a beautiful flower.

[nitsua0895]

On March 26, 2016 at 7:37:56 PM, Ben in Norcal said:

I'm growing a few different types of bananas in my yard - and love the tropical effect.  One thing I don't like is that they lose their leaves for a couple of months when it frosts.  I saw some Musa basjoo at a local big box, and was wondering if these guys keep their leaves to a lower temp - or if they lose their leaves just the same and are simply cold hardier in ground?

I've actually seen a few Musa Basjoo retain their leaves down to 29F here. And there was another one in a very sheltered location, against a house, and under a canopy of trees that withstood until our coldest night of 25F this past winter. All of them started to look sad after the first frost but at least they didn't completely burn.

Edited April 6, 2016 by nitsua0895