Ensete and Musa - overwintered indoors

[Stevo]

I posted this in the wrong place I think so I am moving it in here - hope that's OK?


In the autumn I dug up from the garden 2 x 5 foot tall Musa basjoo and 1 x 1 foot tall Ensete maurelli and potted them up to bring indoors to keep them growing over the winter. The Musa normally stay outside but I was moving them anyway so thought I'd keep them indoors as they were already out of the ground.

I kept them fairly dry - I think I watered them 3-4 times over the winter and they carried on growing very slowly. They are now growing well and are now being watered more regularly. I started to harden them off about a week ago ready to be planted out in a few weeks when in warms up.

So far this has been a success story, but I have just joined this site and read a post about trying to store them dry/bare root and in the loft as people have had trouble overwintering musa and ensete indoors. Is this true? Have I been very lucky managing to keep them growing without rotting at my first attempt? Beginners luck perhaps!

As I had managed to successfully overwinter my Ensest maurelli indoors I have just bought a fairly large one. I'm now concerned I may have trouble overwintering it this coming winter. And I paid a bit for it!

What are your thoughts?

I thought I had read in the past that some people keep Ensete as house plants which suggests it's fine.

Thanks for your help!
Steve

[Kristen]

Just answered your earlier post, in its earlier location:

http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/forum/v ... 26#p295926