I've been outside all day. It's chilly, but a good day to dig. It's rained for the past two weeks, and the ground is soft. It hasn't rained for a couple of days, perfect!! Now to get these all into the bushel baskets I keep them in. I never wash these(just my way, you can wash if you want) lol. I just pop them into bushel baskets lined with garbage bags and cart them into the garage. This photo doesn't include the 4 huge banana trees, I couldn't drag them to this side of the yard!!
All layed out in a row. Lucky one's south of us dont have to do this.
I'm gonna move to Texas one day(way down South Texas) and I'll have them year round!!!
Better make it Corpus Christi Cala........LOL. Most things we can leave in the ground, but I have a feeling we're in for a hard winter. Better safe, than sorry. I don't wash mine either, and they are fine.
"eyes"
So Cala... you put several plants in each basket? Do you add any soil around the roots? What about watering through the winter?
Susie, I have been digging up some stuff for you. Will see you early tomorrow afternoon. Tried to get some small stuff so you won't have to worry about that much space.
Dee, I used to tuck the small stuff in the brug pots. Guess what? It gets big too.
Poppysue, there is what ever soil is stuck to them. I line the baskets with garbage bags to hold in the moisture. If they get too dry, I'll sprinkle a bit of water in there.
Eyes, we're looking at South Padre Island, we usually vacation there in the winter, though I like Port Isabell better, more room, lol.
Sure is..........have you considered the area around Lake Corpus Christi, about an hour outside of Corpus?? It's georgeous.
"eyes"
Eyes, only passed thru there, but I love South Texas(even if I was born in Dallas!!) I like McAllen too. I'll have to make Bill take a detour.
Sure hope you get down this way next summer. Take the detour that Eyes is talking about . . you might just like it better than South Padre area. Corpus area is a great area to be in.
Susie, I was going to ask you about putting small pots on my bigger brugs extra room. have you had a hard time getting them out in the spring? if I match watering needs, are there any that I shouldn't set in there?
TiG, it's not the ones in pots that are a problem, it's the ones I stick in the top of the soil. You know, the ones you think you will find a spot for and forget about!!
so I'm guessing when spring comes, I just cut the roots and seperate them? I'm really going to need the room so that will help me a bunch
Calla -- the tops of all these -- bananas, gingers, cannas, brugs, etc., make it through the winter that way? Or do the tops dissolve into mush, leaving the roots to replant? Do you have lights on them in your garage? Any heat?
I let the tops on the EEs and cannas dry out, if they start getting mushy, I pull them off.Once they start drying, I cut them off. The gingers that don't go dormant keep thier leaves as do the bananas. The garage has flourescent lights and 2 small windows, it doesn't freeze, but I will only heat it if it's going to be in the teens outside(which it does for a week or so in Jan)
Thanks! I've been trying to figure out whether everything should be brought in. I am going to bring in and pot the cannas that I want to continue to multiply through the winter, and all but one of my gingers and bananas are so small that they'll have to spend the winter in the greenhouse. The one larger ginger is potted, so I may as well bring it in, too, and let it continue to grow to get some more size on it.
Practically all my EEs are potted, and, though some are big, they are not old enough to have developed corms big enough to make it through a winter outside, so, they'll come in, even if I have to cut them off and put them under the benches. I have one bed of elephant ears that I'm leaving out 'cause they are really big, and they're in the ground in a place that is easy to put a plastic coldframe over -- then I'll half-fill the coldframe with straw and ... we'll see. They aren't the only ones I have of those varieties, so I'll take the chance.
I've been trying to give away a couple of big potted loquats that are outgrowing my GH, but no takers. So I'm going to plant them out, mulch them heavily and put a plastic frame over them, and they'll have to take their chances.
Your tips will be a great help when planning what to plant out and where and what to keep potted next spring, and next fall it'll help me know what I should bring in and how to do it.
