Mekong Giant getting around

[DAVEinMB]

Just noticed this guy poking out near my Lytocaryum Hoehnei.  Anybody have problems with theirs hurting other plants around them? The new shoot is about 10 feet from the initial planting

[DAVEinMB]

I dug down a bit, loosened it up, and moved it away from the lyto as much as I was able. This is my first time working with mekongs so I don't know a whole lot about them but that runner is pretty wild looking. 

[Merlyn]

I read that they can pop up new rhizomes as much as 20' away, so that makes sense!  I tried growing them here, but they refused to grow.  After 2 years the most I got was a single trunk ~7' tall that always looked scraggly.  I finally dug up and trashed it on Sunday.  Maybe they just don't like the sweltering summers here, and need a colder night to grow happy?

[DAVEinMB]

30 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

I read that they can pop up new rhizomes as much as 20' away, so that makes sense!  I tried growing them here, but they refused to grow.  After 2 years the most I got was a single trunk ~7' tall that always looked scraggly.  I finally dug up and trashed it on Sunday.  Maybe they just don't like the sweltering summers here, and need a colder night to grow happy?

Man oh man 20'! I'm gonna have to keep an eye out for more. But I really don't know what makes them happy haha. I planted 3 at the same time and this is the only one that grew well. However I moved the other 2 after initially planting so that may have something to do with it. The one that's doing well is somewhere in the 16' range after a little over a year in the ground. It's in the center of the attached pic

[Keys6505]

Do you have any idea on how to visually differentiate between these and Basjoo?  I've seen some massive plants around here that look like Basjoo but tower over any of the Basjoo that I have ever grown and I've wondered if they were Mekong Giants.  I tried the MG when I lived in Jersey but it just sputtered out.

[DAVEinMB]

1 hour ago, Keys6505 said:

Do you have any idea on how to visually differentiate between these and Basjoo?  I've seen some massive plants around here that look like Basjoo but tower over any of the Basjoo that I have ever grown and I've wondered if they were Mekong Giants.  I tried the MG when I lived in Jersey but it just sputtered out.

I'm growing some basjoo as well and the leaf shape and color is slightly different. I'll take some pics to show the differences. I'm sure there are a number of other differences but someone more knowledgeable than me is going to have to shine some light on that. 

[DAVEinMB]

@Keys6505 ok I retract my previous statement about the leaves haha, aside from size they look pretty similar.

First 2 are MG, last is basjoo

Edited October 3, 2021 by DAVEinMB

[lrnasd90]

I have had way too much success with these Mekong giants, they are popping up everywhere.  I have them popping up in the yard 10 feet away from a group of them.  They have gradually spread all around my 1/3 acre property.   (some of it was my fault, but mostly due to under ground runners)  They seem to grow very fast and in February of this year we had a major freeze for our area, I live in 9a and saw 8 degrees here, I gave them zero protection.  A couple of them died back to the ground, but most just died down to about 4 feet high and shot right back from there.  That was February of this year, so 8 month later and I have 6 or more that are 15+ feet tall.  Before the freeze I had several that where pushing 25 feet tall.   After the freeze I let them run crazy because I lost so many plants, but now I have a problem with them taking over flower beds.

[DAVEinMB]

9 hours ago, lrnasd90 said:

I have had way too much success with these Mekong giants, they are popping up everywhere.  I have them popping up in the yard 10 feet away from a group of them.  They have gradually spread all around my 1/3 acre property.   (some of it was my fault, but mostly due to under ground runners)  They seem to grow very fast and in February of this year we had a major freeze for our area, I live in 9a and saw 8 degrees here, I gave them zero protection.  A couple of them died back to the ground, but most just died down to about 4 feet high and shot right back from there.  That was February of this year, so 8 month later and I have 6 or more that are 15+ feet tall.  Before the freeze I had several that where pushing 25 feet tall.   After the freeze I let them run crazy because I lost so many plants, but now I have a problem with them taking over flower beds.

This concerns me a bit

[lrnasd90]

Yes I would treat them like running bamboo.  I didn't know that when I moved a few around here and there, now they are popping up in my lawn.    I didn't have great success with them when I planted them originally,  so when a few pups popped up, I thought let me see if they like this area or that better.  But now they are everywhere.  I would guess I have 25+ now , most at least 10 feet tall.  Here again that is my fault for letting them go so much.  I lost so much in the freeze it really let the sun in to lots of new places.  Plus I thought I was going to move so I backed off my normal maintenance.   And then the month of July when it was finally getting super hot outside we had over 12"+ of rain, so that set them into over drive.   It was like a banana perfect storm.  Even my Thai Black and Ice Cream bananas that where frozen to the ground came back strong from all that heat and rain.

[Dartolution]

On 10/2/2021 at 9:28 AM, Keys6505 said:

Do you have any idea on how to visually differentiate between these and Basjoo?  I've seen some massive plants around here that look like Basjoo but tower over any of the Basjoo that I have ever grown and I've wondered if they were Mekong Giants.  I tried the MG when I lived in Jersey but it just sputtered out.

@Keys6505 

Mekongs have a much wider base typically, with a deep red and pink trunk. They also lack the pronounced wing on the leave petiole like Basjoo's have, and there is a difference in flower color between the mekongs and Basjoo's.

Basjoos have a cream/yellow colored flower, while Mekongs is red and yellow I believe. I want to say the fruit of the Mekong is purple as well - don't quote me on that last part. 

[DAVEinMB]

Here's a spring 22 update.

Sadly the ice storm killed the mother plant however the offshoot made it through and is putting on some size. 

[Xenon]

On 10/2/2021 at 9:28 AM, Keys6505 said:

Do you have any idea on how to visually differentiate between these and Basjoo?  I've seen some massive plants around here that look like Basjoo but tower over any of the Basjoo that I have ever grown and I've wondered if they were Mekong Giants.  I tried the MG when I lived in Jersey but it just sputtered out.

Where are you seeing basjoo in Htown? It's not common (and frankly why would anyone grow any of these inferior seedy bananas here) and practically did not exist 10-15 years ago. 'Orinoco' is king here and can get huge (and is quite tasty too!). 

[WSimpson]

On 10/2/2021 at 8:45 AM, DAVEinMB said:

I dug down a bit, loosened it up, and moved it away from the lyto as much as I was able. This is my first time working with mekongs so I don't know a whole lot about them but that runner is pretty wild looking. 

I have Mekong Giants too and they do get around . Mine get huge too .