Exotics

[Rosefriend]

Thanks a lot CPB - I was worried that the leaves would burn on such a young plant.

How quick do they grow?

RF

[andy]

Musa Basjoo will certainly reach 8' if it's in a position it likes. Then, by the next year, it should reach twice that...and a bit more.

But, the weather usually cuts the trunks down unless you're in a very sheltered area. The crown should be covered in straw or fleece and hopefully the roots will be ok.

Bananas are usually very hungry and very thirsty plants. I would feed with a pelleted chicken manure or a good layer of farmyard manure plus a weekly liquid feed too.....they will really benifit from it.

Full sun but sheltered from strong winds is almost essential for bananas....strong winds will shred the leaves in minutes

[Rosefriend]

ooh blimey Andy - it says on my Congrats to a Banana Plant bit that here in Germany the whole plant dies off and comes again in Spring - really?

I am beginning to wish that I had never bought it...

RF

[andy]

Noooo...they're magnificent plants.

My friend has several large clumps in his tropical garden down here in tropical sussex . When i say large clumps, i mean that there are probably 10+ stems coming from the soil. These are of varying heights from 6' to 18'.

Every year, the tops die off. ie the leaves die off leaving a small dead, but sealed up, growing point. From within this growing point comes the new summer growth. If you get mild winters, these growing ponts will stay viable. If you get hard winters as indeed you still do in Germany,. the points will die off and so will the stems.

But the roots stay alive and every year, up they come again. Of course you can control these simply by removing any stems you don't want with a spade or sharp bread knife.

The new stems grow at an astounding rate and you can easily expect them to reach 8-10 feet in a season....maybe more if you feed and water it well.

Of course you can keep them in tubs and restrict their growth.....a form of bonsai really although they'd never be classed as minature but Musa Basjoo is one plant that should be allowed to flourish....IMHO .

Do a search in google images and have a look at their stately shape.

[Cheerypeabrain]

Thanks Andy...I'm a self-taught ensete and musa enthusiast with more enthusiasm than knowledge I spose ;D

Anyway...yesterday I visited FOUR nurseries (well 3 nurseries and a GC!) and spoke to a very nice man about my trachycarpus fortunei seeds..apparently once the root emerges it's a good idea to reduce the heat gradually or they shrivel up and die....IS NOTHING STRAIGHT FORWARD!!??...anyway I have them in an ordinary (unheated) propagator now in the conservatory where it is warm but not as warm....watch this space...

Here...a few weeks ago on GW, Joe planted a 'rice paper plant' (think that's what it's called) in the jungle garden...it looked like just my cup of tea...anyone else grown one?

[Rosefriend]

Ok Andy so you have persuaded me - I have found a spot in the garden, even if I have to take 4 perennials out to make it big enough.

For the first time my OH is in favour of what I am going to do in MY garden and I will endeavour to take photo's all the summer.

Thanks for all the good advice.

RF

[jean]

I just wanted to share my excitment with you - one of two musa seeds have germinated ;D ;D ;D. Youngest daughter was only asking last if I had any bananas yet, and there was I telling her they could take months to germinate. Fingers crossed for the 2nd one

[Cheerypeabrain]

Congratulations...lovely seedlings aren't they? I was thrilled with mine...Well done JL ;D

[jean]

I was so pleased CPB, didn't hold out much hope and did consider buying one and telling my daughter who gave me the seeds that one had grown Its only a small shoot about 1/2 inch, so now I'll be worrying what to do next. How much longer should I leave it in the heated propogator?

[Cheerypeabrain]

jlotie said:

I was so pleased CPB, didn't hold out much hope and did consider buying one and telling my daughter who gave me the seeds that one had grown Its only a small shoot about 1/2 inch, so now I'll be worrying what to do next. How much longer should I leave it in the heated propogator?

I kept mine in for a day or two, until it was 3-4" tall and had a couple of leaves...then took it out of the propagator, protecting it with a lemonade bottle (cut off the bottom and sit it over the pot, take the lid off to prevent damp)

If it's in seed compo I'd wait until it has 2/3 leaves then start potting it up into a slightly bigger pots...keep well watered and in a warm sunny location.
If in doubt talk to Uncle Andy (resident exotics expert!)
CPBxxx

[Cheerypeabrain]

BTW...mine are a couple of weeks old now and are out of the lemonade bottles in 4" pots...will post pics later in the week ;D

[jean]

My seedling is now 5" tall and is sat on the windowsill in a poly bag, definitely think it need repotting as there is a long root poking through the bottom of a 4" pot. First leaf is unfurling. I am amazed at how quickly its grown. What size pot should I use next please ;D

[Cheerypeabrain]

I would just move up a step at a time...unless the next sized pot isn't deep enough for the roots...in which case move up another size ;D

[andy]

Tree fern is in and i've just brought home a gunnera cutting....pics to follow ;D

[Cheerypeabrain]

andy said:

Tree fern is in and i've just brought home a gunnera cutting....pics to follow ;D

A GUNNERA!!....be still my beating heart...drool.....I am jealous Andy ;D. I was at Wisley on Sunday and took loads of pics of gunnera plants which I would show here if only I could get onto photobucket...it's sooo slooooow....

[andy]

I've got loads of gunnera around the pond at work. I just find an "arm"....a branch, that is sticking out with some good healthy growth on, i cut it from the main plant with a spade and then dig it up. Yhey're pretty shallow rooted and mine started to wilt before i got it home.

Potted it up in some leaf mould soil i have at work and chopped a few leaves off to allow it to recove and luckily, it's been raining all day.

Anyway, there's one of the beasts from work taken last week....they've almost doubled in size since this was taken.

[andy]

Here's my limp looking Gunnera and the magnificent 6' tree fern.

had a chat with my mate who gave it to me last night (he has 12 of them !!!) and he was saying that the trunk must be kept wet. Although the roots should be kept moist too, it's more important to water the top and allow it to filter down through the trunk....adding a liquid feed every week.

The fronds that you see are last years and my mate has also neglected this one quite badly but he said with a good feed (done today), new fronds should appear in a week or two.

[Cheerypeabrain]

GORGEOUS!...oo I do love them...there was me excited because I've got my alocasia to start shooting... ;D

[jean]

Glad its not just me trying to grow gunneras in pots

I've had 2 in large dustbins for a few years and some cuttings from last year in large pots. They do take some watering though.





I just love the huge leaves ;D

[jean]

Repotted my Musa successfuly and the 2nd leaf is just beginning to unfurl. Tipped out the other seed to see if anything was happening - no joy - so popped it back in the propogator after giving it a tepid watering - I can wait

[Rosefriend]

I know that we have a thread on growing Ginger but I thought that I would carry it on here a little as it is an "Exotic" anyway.

I know that Rita planted or was going to plant some ginger and I have a feeling that you wanted to CPB - did you?

The reason that I ask is that I had some ginger in the house that I hadn't used (how many times does that happen) and I decided to bung it into a pot and see what happened.

Well I did - bung it in a pot I mean and now what. It has been there 2 weeks and there is not a sign of anything. What does it need as far as care is concerned always assuming that it will come through.

I just have it in a small pot so that I can have it in the house in the winter.

RF

[andy]

You can treat them much like any other corm or tuber such as Dahlia or Cannas. I put them in the pot but almost so the top few millimeters were above soil level.

They took a fair few weeks to get going in a warm conservatory so be patient !!!

[Rosefriend]

Oh Andy mine are buried about an inch under the surface, - shall I dig them out a bit or leave well alone?

RF

[Cheerypeabrain]

andy said:

You can treat them much like any other corm or tuber such as Dahlia or Cannas. I put them in the pot but almost so the top few millimeters were above soil level.

They took a fair few weeks to get going in a warm conservatory so be patient !!!

I have had a nobbly bit of ginger in a pot in the GH for months...I gave up on it and slung it in the compost bin...but OH found it and when we looked, the nobbly bits are swelling...no leaves yet tho It's now back in the GH....
My alocasia on the other hand has a shoot WOW! it's in a big pot in the conservatory..fingers crossed it carries on. ;D
Keep us posted RF ;D

[andy]

I've got my narners at last (Musa basjoo). My mate bought round two 12' tall trunks which are minus the leaves due to damage when being dug up.

I'm preying they survive as they didn't have a great deal of roots on but even if the main trunk dies off, there should be smaller plants that come up from the bottom

[Rosefriend]

I am pleased that you have got your narners Andy although slowly but surely you are frightening me to death. Do you mean that my 6 inch Musa basjoo is going to get that size? Even without leaves they are pretty impressive.

Just as a matter of interest when they have leaves on - well how wide are these plants - I can see that I am going to have a few space problems.

RF

[madonplants]

Impressive Andy!!

Here you are RF. Hope this helps!

Keith

P.s. Andy, how much of the trunk are you going to save, if the main plant does survive, for next year? That is going to take some lagging!!

[andy]

madonplants said:

P.s. Andy, how much of the trunk are you going to save, if the main plant does survive, for next year? That is going to take some lagging!!

Haven't thought about that one yet Keith

I have two options. I keep the plant at its existing height and let the top take it's chances through the winter or i cut the entire trunk down to ground level and allow it to sucker up.

.....A bridge that'll have to be crossed when it comes to it

[Rosefriend]

Thanks Keith - that really is rather large isn't it?

RF

[Cheerypeabrain]

Andy...they are magnificent ! ours is in a huge pot and is only about 5' tall...I was thinking of putting it in the ground as the pot (repotted last year) is full of root. Are you planting yours into the ground or keeping them in large pots?