Yeah! Have Musa Baby, now what?

I bought Musa seeds from Pinetree Garden. The description says Banana Tree-Musa.
Does someone know what kind they are?
One has come up. I am soooo excited!
It is not even 2 weeks old and is already over 6" tall. I have it in a 5" short pot. Should I pot it up already?
If so, shall I plant in a very large pot, like 5 gal. or pot it up a little at a time? I didn't want to be disturbing it
every couple weeks if I don't have to. Unless that's what I'm supposed to do, then I don't mind.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Prism

Looks pretty healthy Prism.
At this stage it needs a LOT of light.
The more the merrier.
Don't let it stay damp but never let it completely dry out.

It will eventually need to be in at least a 5 gallon pot but that's down the road a few months.
After it gets some more leaves I'd go up to a gallon pot.
It will start pushing the pot sides when it next needs lifted.

As for a visual ID...you have a ways to go.

Ric

That's a nice looking young plant. What kind of seeds did you grow the fish from?

Sylvia

don't you know fish come from eggs not seed :-)

Thanks for the info, Ric.
That helps alot.
It's a couple feet from a 500 watt fluorescent street light. Yep, in my living room. : ) I'll have to see what I can do to get it closer.
I'll wait 'til it gets a few more leaves and pot it up to a gallon pot, as you suggest. I just want to give it the best chance, since it's gotten this far.

Funny, I thought I grew that fishie from seed, too. : )
He likes his picture taken.
Prism

Your Banana Tree - Musa plant looks awesome. That away girl, you'll doing good. Whatever you are doing I don't think you need to change.

Prism.
They grow like nothing you've ever seen.
If it's not a dwarf (and happy) don't be surprised to see it be 8-12' tall and the stem at least 6" across by Fall.
That's what my Basjoo did from a start the same size as yours.

I have 4 different types now.
Zebrina, Bordelon, Basjoo and Dwarf Cavendish.
All are pupping like mad and the Bordelon is flowering and has bananas after only 18 months.
(Check PlantFiles for shots.)
The rest should flower this year.

Ric

henryr10 I see you are in the same zone as I am. Do you keep yours in a GH in the winter or do you have them in pots and bring them in the house, or do they make it in the winter outside?

Full of questions aren't I?

This message was edited Feb 3, 2005 3:05 PM

Thanks, 2pugdogs! I had no idea it would grow this quickly.
Ric, now you've got some 'nanas! I enjoyed seeing your pictures. Hey, is that your house or your garden center? Hehehe!
Now that's what kind of yard I'm talkin' about! No grass, just garden!
I love it! (I know too many !'s. I can't help it.)
That's the plan for my yard, sod cutter here I come!
Can you tell what kind it is yet?
Pam

2pugdogs and Prism,

The last year I brought them into our warehouse, here at work, fully expecting them to go dormant.

They lost leaves but then immediately started growing new ones.
Paler and weaker but they were new leaves.
The D. Cav pots were then put in front of a south facing window and perked right up.
By May the whole lot were brought back home and plapped back in the yard.
Under a sheet for shading for the first week.

This Winter they were WAY to big to hassle w/ moving in our Jeep.
I was going to lop them off and store as dormant.

Then we decided to plastic in the part of the front porch.
It has E/,S/ and West exposure.
They REALLY like it there.
A small heater and the Sun are keeping the temps from 45 on a single digit night to 80 yesterday.

The M. Basjoo is proven to be hardy here.
Our neighbor did one in the ground last Winter.
By Fall it was actually taller than one that was stored indoors.

Here's my largest one in mid June of '03' .
It's in a 10" pot.
By the move it was easily tall enough to stand under.

We do have a lawn BTW. It's 3' by 3'. LOL

Ric

Whoops forgot the URL

http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/19976/


Ric

Henryr10 thanks for the information. I think I will start looking for the M. Basjoo. Got to have one. I checked out your pictures and that is what really clinched it up.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=42218&item=4354947444&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I did find this one, the bid so far is for $4.03. I didn't bid, it still has 4 days to go. If a DG'er is bidding on it maybe they will let me know, cause I wouldn't want to be going against a DG'er.

This message was edited Feb 4, 2005 2:43 PM

Hey Pugdogs.. holler at me when it warms up and if ya haven't gotten one by then, mine should be up and I can share a pup with ya.

THANKS a bunch Starlight1153 I will do that. The more I check into them the more I like them. I would love to live in a zone where I could have tropicals everywhere in my yard and really not have to worry about them getting froze out. But I know I never will so I have to keep looking for the tropicals that can make it in my zone, and when I find one I just know I have to have it.

Thanks again. Linda

Check the Big Box stores also.
Lowes, HD, etc many times have Dwarf Cavendish in the tropical/houseplant areas for very little money.
I picked up 4 for under 6 bucks each.

Ric

I was in Lowe's last month checking what plants they had in, and the vendor was there working with the plants so I asked when they would start getting in some tropicals and she said they should be arriving in Feb. I live about 35 miles from the nearest Lowe's so thought I would wait until the 3rd week in Feb. and go check them out again. They always have a great variety of plants sometimes better then out local nursery. Then we only have 1 of them in town.

2pugdogs, I left you a note on another thread about nanas....... Do you ever get over this direction...... I got one of these at the Earl May's in Lawrence...... it was 12.99 I believe...... that is more than henryr10 had to pay but I really wanted one too...... of course it might be worth it for you and I to drive to Cincinnati...... 4 for 6 bucks......

VS71099, no I never make it to Lawrence. Do you suppose we could justify driving to Cincinnati to save a few bucks for plants? I got a Banana Ice Cream Blue Java off EBay this morning for around 15 bucks. It is coming from Canada. They ship them from Washington, which has already been cleared through customs. They grow to an average of 14ft, and they are very cold tolerant. Their bananas are the smaller desert bananas and their taste is of vanilla ice cream.

Edit to add if anyone is interested in checking this out. The seller is Boergreen.

This message was edited Feb 9, 2005 1:28 PM

That's a good deal on the Ice Cream.
Let us know how the whole thing comes out.
Pictures of course :)

2pugdogs,
What kind is the nana in the picture?
I think it looks like that might be what kind mine is.

Maybe they all look alike at this stage but it sure looks right.
Mine doesn't look like it's growing any more like at first.
Do you think it might need more warmth? Or is it just normal to slow down.
It's probably about 70 degrees where it's at.

Prism.
They all slow down in they're not in the sun w/ warm/hot temps.
It's natural.
Most of mine are only holding a leaf or two now.
A new leaf is taking about 3 weeks to form.
That will change to 2 leaves a week come high Summer.

Just be sure not to over water at this stage.
The soil should be just barely moist.
Don't let them sit in water.

Ric

henryr10:
You can bet I will be sending pictures. I can't wait to get it. I imagine it will come in next week. I hope they don't ship over the week-end. Thanks for the information and how fast they grow, and the watering tip. I can't get enough of those kind of tips, if you know what I mean. Since this is by first banana plant. I did get some seeds of of EBay I got HARDY ROYAL PURPLE FLOWER BANANA Musa Ornata, and Velvet PINK BANANA (Musa velutina). I'm looking for them to come today or tomorrow. Can't wait to get them started. I do enjoy planting seeds and praying for them to come up. This is the first year I have started seeds in the house, and this is a whole new experience for me. I have 24 brugs started, 7 of those came from seeds, the others were from cuttings. Then about 24 hibiscus started. So far so good, but I do pray a lot for them. Also I have gotten into something new this year African Violets, and EE's. I'm not having to good of luck with the EE's I hope they do better when I put them out this summer, all my leaves are dying off. Maybe they trying to go dormant.

Thanks Ric.
That's good news!
I'm glad to know that it's normal for them to slow down. It is starting to put out another leaf.

Also, glad you warned me about over watering. I tend to water too often, not a lot at a time tho.
I don't know how accurate the water meter I'm using is, but it has been helping me not to water as often.

2pugdogs,
So as to not cross threads email me if you'd like on the EE's.
I raise, and over-Winter, over a dozen different kinds of Zanth, Alocasia and Colocasia.
I might be able to give you some tips as our zones are about the same.

Be sure to also check here.
There are tons of advice threads on EE's.

Ric

henryr10; I will later take some pictures and then I will email you and let you know what I have.
Linda

Linda (2pugdogs)..... it's the journey not the destination that makes a trip worthwhile...... two crazy nana lovers in search of the ultimate bargain..... I THINK we'd have a great time regardless and I bet we'd come home with leaves sticking out of every window...... wouldn't be the first time the inside of my vehicle looked like a mobile jungle...... I would just be a matter of if OHIO was ready for two wild women from Kansas...... ; - )

Are you going to make it to the Wichita Garden Show.... ?

Valarie