I got my order in today of Basjoo Banana plant , Thai Giant EE, Boa EE, and Gagaena EE. all are small plants now in little pots. So how would you get them prepared for for spring planting?
Should I pot them up in larger pots and let them grow till I can plant them outside, or wait a while?
Thanks for any ideas.
Marie
Banana plant and elephant ears deleivered today.
Are they actively growing or are they dormant? If dormant, don't do anything - you can wait until the end of April in your area. If they are actively growing, just keep them damp, give them good light and wait until it warms up a bit.
Potting allows you a comfort zone for the first winter so I say "pot them". Just use a very well drained soil with a good nutrient level. Give them as much sun as possible here in the winter months.
Good luck
What kind of soil would you put them in and what size of pot. The pots now are 1 inch pots and the plants are 5 to 6 inches tall. how much larger should I go? I am sure I would have to change that soil once they are out side. The Banana plants are going in the ground once they get big enough. I have read that the Banana plant is a heavy feeder and that the Giant EE likes lots of water as the 2 others just like damp with more shade.
Always size up. That means dont go too big on the next pot. Let the roots fill in before you go up again. If you have a 1 inch starter, then a 2 inch pot is 4x as big. I personally would go with a 3 inch pot from a 1 inch starter and check the roots in 2-3 months.
It is still so mild up in your area that you can give them lots of sun now. You dont want to do that in the summer. The days are shorter now and less intense.
Thanks that helps a lot. I will be getting the soil and pots on Monday. In the mean time I need to remove the tape he had around them to keep the soil in place. I am hoping for a good results this summer. If so I will post pictures.
Unless you can maintain high levels of light with temperature(air) around 70F. with high humidity levels they will die if the soil gets too moist! Your best bet would be a seed propagation (heat) mat ,in front of a southeast facing window and (place somewhere warm at night and on cloudy cold days) , wait till roots start growing out of the bottom of the 1''pots, and then pot up to a 2-3 '' pot. The most important thing to remember to me; is, if they are not growing they are dying (unless they are dormant!) By the middle of March be careful with the sun amounts, as even inside when the sun climbs high in the sky, they can get burnt inside.
Kay Jones won't steer you wrong!
I have a humidifier that is on 24/7. Along with a 400 watt H.P.S. lamp with this window in one of my upstairs bathrooms! I do not have to water that much as the humidifier keeps the moisture on the leaves!
Give me a shout if you have any other questions. Gardening advice is like gardening soil; Everyones is a little different; doesn't mean they are wrong!
