Anyone from the Carolinas going bananas?

Core, why would that stop a TC from working? It's an exact clone of the parent plant.

With agristarts, do you have to buy in quantities of 72? That's not bad pricing if you sold them commercially. $83 for 72 Saba.

The mutation isn't uniform around the whole corm and that's the reason that some of the pups are pure green, pure white or varigated. You seem to be able to get pure white but they die or so I was told. Let me see if I can track down the explaination I read last night.

I've heard the white die too. I've read that about the pups too, but the pups are often slight mutations from the parent. They have to be propagating these things somehow other than pups, surely. I figured they are rare bc of how they burn and how sensitive they are climatically.

You've got me interested in the Agri Starts thing now. I'm surprised folks don't try that with eBay. Most of those 3-5" bananas would grow enough in a year to be worth $3-$6 in a 4-6" pot on eBay. That's a nice markup considering you'd pay only $1 per plant (plus total shipping).

is anyone on here a member of the SPS??

I am.

do you like it? once i get the chance, i might want to become one

I enjoy the journals and the meetings, when they are nearby, are great. Members bring all types of tropicals to sell and swap. I was amazed to meet members from as far away as New Jersey at the meeting in Beaufort a few years ago.

where can you get AeAe banana tree?

Going Bananas has them but like the Viente Cohol, there is a waiting list for them (which amazes me considering the price.)

www.going-bananas.com

BTW, I asked my banana expert about fall planting in this area and here is his answer.

(quote) For bananas I would suggest holding them in a container (in a greenhouse if possible) until spring. They are not going to do much growing (of even roots) until the soil is warm again. If you do not have the greenhouse space a garage is okay. They don't need much sunlight since they will not be actively growing all that much. Where ever you put them, watch for spider mites on the under sides of the leaves when the humidity drops.(/quote)






This message was edited Sep 30, 2008 11:01 AM

so much for me trying to do blue boxes, LOL.

Aphids are bad too, I had a big issue with them in the garage last year. At the time my plants were between 1-3' tall - pretty small.

I've been separating pups like mad for the spring (to sell and plant) and I'll be over wintering about 40 in the garage and 18 in the ground. Luckily most of those in the garage are still between 1-2" tall. But I decided I'm going to dig up some of my larger basjoo as well so as to preserve their full p-stem. I have two 5', three 4' and a few 3' to store. All in all, that's still pretty small by banana standards.

Luckily next year I can probably dig up most of my new bananas and store them under the house. Unfortunately basjoo doesn't store as well I've heard - and the Cavendish would likely die if I did that. I cannot wait to see how big the Saba's grow. I'm getting a third one now, along with two more Ice Cream (Blue Java).

So come spring, I should have interesting stories on over wintering large, medium, and small bananas. My yard is going to look like some place in Vietnam, LOL

Also, to encourage growth, I wonder if you could take one of those flexible seed warmers and wrap it around the pot? I bet that'd keep the soil nice and warm. I might have to try that and do a comparison on growth over the winter.

I wouldn't do that. I'm thinking a lack of light would cause you trouble. What you really need is a small shed with insulated walls, lights and some way to heat it.

Even in the garage under the halides.

Didn't know you did that to your garage. That would work. If the "green house" has enough heat , water and light they probably won't stop growing at all. When you said seed warmers I pictured a corner of an unheated garage. Just stuff away.

Yeah the concrete still gets a little chilly on the floor, that's why I was thinking it might help. I've insulated the whole garage and have an oil radiator (just in case). I'm thinking of putting those huge pieces of styrofoam insulation down... that might help. I did notice my soil feel a little cold last year, but I bet it's no cooler than 60F or so. I need a good soil thermometer.

I bet those things would grow like crazy will good soil temps though. They actually grew nicely last winter, though warmer soil would have been a huge help (and maybe less water since they were potted).

Hmmmm, if you used those foam insulation sheets that have the foil on one side and used them on the floor, foil side up, you would be reflecting your light back up to plants. I think they would be very happy with the extra light and warmer soil too.

Now that's a cool idea, I didn't even think about that. Thanks! I should have done that on the walls instead of the tarps... or maybe I can still put something reflective there as well.

They sell bubble wrap silver rolls. LOL. Not sure what to call them. They're like bubble wrap tin fiol and not expensive for a roll or at least I remember it that way.

Oh not so cheap when I looked it up. http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=13358-56291-13358&detail=&lpage=none

Thanks, yep I've seen that in the store too, I'll check that isle next time we go and see what I find. I used a bunch of other stuff on that same isle to insulate the garage this year - but it was mostly cheaper stuff.

Dug up all my pups for the winter. What type of soil do you guys use for over wintering, since they will be in the greenhouse all winter? I had some partially composted wood chips. Scared its too thick and will hold to much water. Any one have any ideas?

I mixed up a new batch this winter for mine - dug up more last night even though I said I wouldn't. I think I have over 45 bananas in the garage now, LOL - many of which were pups.

I used a mix of 4 cu. ft potting mix (or even top soil) - which is give or take about two 40lb bags, an 8qt bag of vermiculite, an 8qt bag of perlite, and then mix with a few scoops of peat moss (which I'd go easy on for winter storage of bananas). I often mix in a little acid-fertilizer too, just for good measure. I mix all that together and it should be a nice winter mix. Drains well and keeps the soil on the acidic side, which nanners like. I do actively grow mine over winter though, so if you're storing them - cut way back (or off) on the water.

I actively grow mine in the winter too. especially the one I keep in the garage.

I wonder if there is any advantage to keep banana trees in the ground cutting leaves and wrapping for winter verses digging up and putting in garage? I have 8 banana trees 8 to 11 feet tall to highest leaf. may just suck it up and dig them up? What do ya think?

Well this is my experiment winter. I'm doing a lot of things to see what works best. Last year I only had a single mat, but this year I have a few dozen to play with.

1.) No protection
2.) Christmas lights wrapped around stem - come on at 38F
3.) Straw insulation with a cage about 3' up from the ground
4.) Mix of straw insulation AND Christmas lights
5.) Fiberglass insulation with bag to keep moisture out
6.) Pipe insulation foam wrapped around smallest p-stems and pups
7.) Leaf/mulch just around base of p-stem
8.) Dug up and placed in large pot
9.) Dug up and placed in small constricted pot

Since Basjoo and DC don't over winter well, I couldn't try one under the house. But next year I plan to do that with my Saba, Namwah, Pisang Ceylon, and Orinoco bananas. They should store OK. I might even try it on the Blue Java, but I've heard they also don't over winter well.

I'll report back in the spring on what worked and what didn't. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Good experiment, only way to figure out what works. I would be trying to figure out what is the least you have to do. LOL. I'm kind of lazy that way.

I hear you. My wife says this is more trouble than it's worth - but I figured I'd rather sacrifice a few basjoo to bad methods than some of my new bananas next year. Hopefully I'll get some good methods down pat this winter. Now if we could just avoid winter altogether... LOL, I can dream right?

wow thats a lot of work!

Just a update. The Christmas lights really do keep the surrounding air warmer. I had a remote thermometer sitting near the p-stem (up off the ground) on top of the hay cage and it registered between 43-45F all night long. It got down to around 31F this morning, so that's an impressive difference considering it was fully exposed and a few inches away from the lights.

May be on to something here - I'm not as skeptical of the lights now. But I'll wait until it gets colder, this banana is near the house after all. Though the banana in the front yard with the lights was also the only plant to survive the frost last night - everything else was killed.

I've had people suggest lights for my citrus trees. Only problem I see with that is wind. Windy night and I'm not sure how well that will work. Calm night and I have no doubt it will work.

Could you attach the lights using soft twist ties? I use these for everything now and they work great - plus no way to harm the plant.
http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(zpksjhj2nwn2nc45km3akg45)/ProductDetails.aspx?SKU=7198146

Sure, you could use zip tie or whatever.

Of all the methods I've used this year - so far the easiest, fastest, and I think the best overall (temperature wise) is the lights. They might even be cheaper in the long run since I can use them year after year with only the cost to power them.

I am only trying them on two of my basjoo, the largest and one up front (which I'll probably mulch eventually and remove the lights). But the one in the back is my tallest and I wanted to preserve it. Frost hasn't hit it bad yet - it's next to the house. But we've been 32, 31, and 29 the last three nights. Bad frost yesterday and today - took my whole front yard out. Calling for 33 tonight with more frost.

Lights come on at 38F and the largest lights burn the warmest - but not too hot (I can hold it in my hand). Smallest lights are easier to cover a larger area and together make a nice amount of heat themselves. Last night at 29F the trunk of this banana was a nice 43F (with just a single strand of lights - there are three now). So even on our coldest night of around 16F in January that should mean a lot of protection, especially if I throw the frost blanket over it too.

Closeup

The neighbors are going to love you. You'll be that guy. The one with the Christmas lights up all year. LOL.

LOL, thank goodness for the privacy fence. It is just a tad bright back there. The one up front looks like a Christmas Banana - so until around the first of January, I have an excuse for that one.

Brian WIlliams has some interesting info on overwintering Basjoo's in the thread. His is the third post I think.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/924298/

Thanks, he knows his stuff.

So that's the difference between hard wood mulch and wood chips exactly? And I guess my hay idea is moot. I'll replace with leaves/grass - which was the plan originally (just didn't have leaves available yet).

I wondered about that wood mulch/chips thing too. I do know the pine bark mulch I buy from Lowe's, etc. never breaks down. When I get fresh ground chips from the tree guys it heats up and breaks down right away.

I love using hay, I wonder if the climate difference has any effect?