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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2006 6:48:13 GMT
My daughter gave me 5 seeds last Christmas - one germinated. It grew very quickly into a very large plant. Does anyone know how to care for it? It's not listed in any of my books  |
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Post by andy on Oct 5, 2006 6:54:46 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2006 7:13:38 GMT
Thanks for the link Andy - how would you describe a "subtropical border" - mine will have to stay in a pot outside until we move house  |
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Post by andy on Oct 5, 2006 7:31:11 GMT
A sub-trpical border would....in my eyes, contain stuff like datura, oleander, pommegranites, plumbego, musa, etc....stuff that will take a bit of cold.
A tropical border would have crotons, diffenbachia, aglaonema, cheese plants, ficus sp, draceana etc and would only really appreciate being outside when it's really warm.
My patio.....which is only 12' x 12' (because i've just built a koi pond on the other half) is shaping up to be a sub-tropical area. I have 3 species of musa...which will come into the conservatory soon, some datura, a punica, fatsia, fargesia nitida (bamboo), plumbego and a heavenly bamboo (nandina domestica).....all in pots.
Hopefully the bananas wil grow taller next year giving me the potential to add smaller pots of exotic stuff under the canopy of musa leaves. There is great temptation to add a large tree fern but i really don't think space will allow.
So if you have any more suggestions as to what exotic looking plants i can add, please fire away !!!
Andy
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2006 8:14:11 GMT
Thanks Andy - my present garden is too exposed for any subtropical planting I wonder if I should bring my banana back indoors for the winter? It started well but I don't think it likes the wind - some of the leaves have turned brown and crispy round the edges and look a bit rusty! |
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Post by andy on Oct 5, 2006 8:55:16 GMT
I wonder if I should bring my banana back indoors for the winter? It started well but I don't think it likes the wind - some of the leaves have turned brown and crispy round the edges and look a bit rusty! I would certainly think about bringing it indoors for the winter. I know many people cut the stems right off to allow a new stem to come up from the base. Bananas usually fare pretty well in windy conditions although the leaves can split badly. I would remove the crispy leaves and allow new leaves to develop. I'm pretty sure that everything will be fine next sunner with them. Andy |
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Oct 8, 2006 5:27:25 GMT
Rita, I have 3 varieties of banana plants all in pots in the garden over summer. The hardiest (musa basjoo) is supposed to be OK outside over winter if you mulch the roots well. I've not risked it yet and have oiked it into the (cold) GH every winter, cutting off the leaves so that it'll fit. I had a beautiful red ensete as well, but the GH wasn't warm enough for that last year and it didn't survive  I don't know what the other 2 varieties are (bought on impulse 'rescued' from GC & market) but I think one of them at least is an ensete which are supposed to be tender..so I've brought those 2 into the conservatory where it's a little warmer than the GH. I'm well impressed that you managed to grow one from seed, I wouldn't want to risk exposing such a precious specimen to the unpredictable weather of a British winter so I'd bring it undercover. I hope that it survives. CPBx |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2006 6:17:36 GMT
I've brought it into the conservatory and cut off some of the leaves that were looking rather shabby, poor plant has only one leave now.  My daughter bought the seeds from ebay - her aim is to buy me plants or seeds which are challenging lol ;D If I can remember back to last Christmas - the seeds needed soaking for at least 10 days - germination was really slow and only one seed out of the 5 sprouted.  I hope it survives as well CPB - the biggest problem for me at the moment, knowing we will be moving house soon <fingers crossed smiley>, is will there be room in the removal lorry for all of my plants. |
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