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Post by jean on May 13, 2007 9:29:04 GMT
Phew, just found out that my baby is a Musa Ensete "This indoor banana can be grown outside in milder climates and makes a wonderful feature plant in a large container. It will grow 3 feet (90cm) in only 4 months from seed! The huge, exotic leaves and dramatic treelike form rival any expensive foliage plants. If kept in a conservatory, it may eventually produce flowers followed by a fan of perfectly formed but inedible bananas. Height 1.5m (5 feet) or above at maturity." 5 feet is just fine ;D 3 leaves now
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Post by andy on May 13, 2007 9:42:40 GMT
I always thought Musa and Ensete were two totally different genus....musa being the true, fruit bearing banana
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Post by jean on May 13, 2007 13:30:04 GMT
Been googling Andy and its an Ethiopian Banana - not a true banana plant, the fruits would be inedible.
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Post by Rosefriend on May 13, 2007 18:04:48 GMT
It looks lovely JL , wish mine did - erm just a question - how much water can Musa Basjoo get. This awful weather that we are having isn't doing my plant too much good. The leaves are really starting to look a bit iffy.
I have put the pot under the eaves so that it shouldn't get the worst but it doesn't look very happy.
RF
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on May 19, 2007 19:26:03 GMT
RF...my baby ensete ventriculosum is still in the conservatory, it has 5 leaves on and is about 20" tall...I wouldn't put it outside yet, once they get a big bigger they're much more robust. If it's been outside a while I'd find it a sheltered spot whilst it's so young.
I have a large musa basjoo that's about 6 years old, that has been planted in the ground today (brave CPB ;D)..the bigger leaves are looking a bit tatty where the wind has torn them, but now it's in the ground it isn't quite so exposed and hopefully the leaves will stay intact.
I was in a GC today and they were coming down with bananas...they also had some large kangaroo paw plants, never seen those at a GC before....my baby ones are still only about 2" tall...still alive last time I looked.
Today I bought a trachycarpus fortunei...sigh...£14.99 from Wyvale... it looks grand ;D
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Post by andy on May 21, 2007 17:05:26 GMT
Well my Basjoo's have taken and are growing well. The trunks are around 12' tall and the new leaves coming up are another 4' at least. Trouble, the new young leaves have been torn to shreds by this poxy wind we keep getting....i hate it !!! I've just got a tray of 15 tuberous begonias from work so i'm potting them into 2 litre pots and the will go around the base of all the bigger exotics to provide a bit of colour lower down
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on May 22, 2007 17:00:23 GMT
I'm looking forward to the pics andy ;D
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on May 27, 2007 10:28:51 GMT
my 'big' banana (not as big as your specimens Andy!) grown from a tiny 6" plant bought at Heligan 5 years ago
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on May 27, 2007 10:31:41 GMT
and here's one of the fan palms I have in the border...it's a 'humilis' and only about 3' tall so far...
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on May 27, 2007 11:03:37 GMT
oo and here's my baby trachycarpus fortunei....
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Post by andy on May 27, 2007 12:35:29 GMT
Nice CPB....love the Chamaerops humilis and those baby Trachycarpus are so nice. Just went out and took a few pics of my exotic section. Unfortunatly, the cement mixer is still there as it will be needed when it eventually stops raining. So here's a pic with everything small. The cannas and begonias have a lot of growing to do Tree fern, red banana and my wonderful Fatsia which really does make things look exotic Golden Catalpa which is quite showy....but a few sections died off and the shape is not what i would've liked. Here's the first new leaf on my Japanese banana. This leaf must be 5' long at the moment. The other banana had a similar leaf until a crow landed on it and bent it in half
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on May 27, 2007 17:38:23 GMT
magnificent as always Andy...how big's your musa then? and is your red banana Ok outside in this pigging weather (sorry piggingardener!) looks like your gunnera's enjoying rain !
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Post by jean on May 27, 2007 20:56:38 GMT
Andy that red banana is brilliant, I'd love one of those in my garden. What is it called?
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Post by andy on May 28, 2007 4:03:35 GMT
Andy that red banana is brilliant, I'd love one of those in my garden. What is it called? Ensete maurellii
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Post by andy on May 28, 2007 15:20:16 GMT
And now, the big leaf on the banana in the photo above has been snapped off by the wind. It really makes you wonder why you bother Mind you, it's only 8 degrees outside so i'm suprised they haven't been frosted
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on May 28, 2007 16:52:10 GMT
AAAURGH...sympathy sympathy....it'll grow another one sweetie...don't worry..and DON'T talk about frost....we are NOT having any more frost...OK?
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on May 30, 2007 17:53:18 GMT
OOH OOH OOH OOH My Trachycarpus Fortunei seeds are NOT dead! One of the pots has a teensy weensy baby fan palm leaf emerging I'M SO EXCITED (sorry to shout)...having a little jig and screaming a lot..OH thinks I'm bonkers... ;D
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Jun 3, 2007 14:19:44 GMT
Here's one of my ensete ventriculosum plants (I didn't grow this one from seed)... The addiction carries on indoors...here are 3 of my house plants.... ;D
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Post by andy on Jun 3, 2007 15:03:33 GMT
I like that ventriculosum CPB....i shall be looking out for one of those
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Post by andy on Jun 3, 2007 15:18:54 GMT
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 3, 2007 16:38:22 GMT
I thought that I would post my 5 little "exotics" - well they are for me - not sure if all of them come under the category of Exotic. My Musa Basjoo to start with - it it slowly growing. When do I feed it and with what? then my Hibiscus moscheutos "Galaxy" Enormous flowers - like dinner plates. and Colocasia Esculenta (the German Elephant Ears) Solanum muricatum - Pepino - taste gorgeous and now two plants that I brought back from Hungary 2 years ago, although I swore that I would never bring plants back off holiday but I got them off an old man who was potting them up and his garden was a dream. Punica granatum - the leaves have been burned I am afraid. and my mimosa - Albizia Julibrissin - that is what the old man told me. I have had a lot of trouble with this and eventually just chopped it in half this March and it has just started to come back again. ope that I can keep it. If any of you have any tips for me, I would be grateful. Apart from the Pepino which I have every year, the others are all new for me. RF
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Jun 3, 2007 18:23:58 GMT
Gorgeous pics RF. I have the mimosa too and I'm not really sure what to do with mine either! I keep it in a pot and had it in the GH over winter...it's now in a sheltered spot at the back of the garden with my acers..
I also have the elephants' ears plant...aren't they groovy!? I potted mine up this weekend and have brought it outside...if you look at the pic of my ensete the elephants' ears is in the pot on the far right...at about the same stage as yours by the look of it!
I grew 5 ensete ventriculosum plants from seed this year, using the heated propagator, they took about 2 months to germinate. I've given 4 away and they're about 2' tall now with several leaves...your musa is sooooooooooo sweet too... ;D
XXX
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Jun 3, 2007 18:26:51 GMT
...and I couldn't get any pepino seed... Must try harder next year as they sound just up my street.......
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Jun 3, 2007 18:29:18 GMT
I like that ventriculosum CPB....i shall be looking out for one of those Hi Andy, I got that one last year from the KobaKoba stand at GW Live where I intend to get a muriel (I know that's not how you spell it ;D) this year...if 4P will let me bring it home in her car...
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 3, 2007 18:36:11 GMT
I have the Pepino seeds on my list CPB as they are easy to get here so I will send you some over when I get them if you wish?
As I have said I tend to buy a plant but wanted to try with seeds next year so I will be happy to share.
The Elephants ears are gorgeous - I can't wait until it gets bigger. Your seems to be at the same stage doesn't it - I do hope it grows a little quicker - it is very slow.
The mimosa - well from all accounts they are easy and after 3/4 years can stand up to minus 15 deg apparently - mmmmmh well I don't really want to find out if it really can do as low as that so I shall be putting it in the cellar over winter as I have done the last 2 years. It doesn't mind dark or light over-wintering which is marvellous for me.
However as far as feeding it etc, I don't really know what to do except that it doesn't like to be too wet.
RF
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Jun 3, 2007 18:42:32 GMT
thank you RF I'd LOVE some seed....see how many you get first as sometimes one doesn't get enough....PM me when you get them even if it isn't until next year ;D...maybe I'll be able to send you some equally exotic seed in exchange for you to try in Germany! CPBx
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Post by Rosefriend on Jun 3, 2007 18:57:40 GMT
Ok CPB - I will let you know as soon as I have them. They really do taste lovely and sweet.
RF
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Post by jean on Jun 6, 2007 20:39:05 GMT
Some advice please, my "baby" banana is growing reallly well and I will need to repot it soon, whats the best growing medium to use, its in multipurpose/vermiculite at the moment.
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Post by andy on Jun 7, 2007 4:13:17 GMT
That's all i've got mine in lottie....they tend to prefer a rich soil but on the sandy side so i guess a multi purpose with vermiculite is fine. Just make sure you keep feeding them as Bananas are very hungry plants.
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Jun 7, 2007 19:17:57 GMT
Some advice please, my "baby" banana is growing reallly well and I will need to repot it soon, whats the best growing medium to use, its in multipurpose/vermiculite at the moment. Wotcha JL... banana plants seem to grow whilst you're watching don't they! I potted up my baby (now in a 10" terracotta pot) into a John Innes No. 3 & good multi-purpose compost, 50:50 mix and it seems to be doing really well (touch wood ;D)
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