Ensete Survivor??

Delboy

Ensete Survivor??

Post by Delboy »

I left my Morrisons ensete potted in my unheated greenhouse since october.

Basically i decided to treat it as summer bedding after failing miserably in the past at overwintering them dry/trimmed roots.
I put it on my potting bench and left it with the intention of seeing at what point it would die icon_rambo
I did trim the leaves off so it took up less room.

Well when i put other stuff in the greenhouse i blocked the ensette from view and forgot all about it.

A few weeks back i moved some stuff around and discovered a rather frazzled, mushy looking nana that was only fit for the bin. We had lows of minus 7 on a few nights and lots of -4-5's.
I left it on the side (again) with the intention of binning it once i had done my garden tidy up.

The other day i tidied up the garden as best i could and then remembered the 'dead' Banana.

To my suprise when i went to fetch it it was now showing some green icon_scratch this was definately not there before. It also feels firm, although looks a bit mushy its suprisingly not.

Is it too early to say it has survived?

Its not been watered since i put it in the greenhouse,so 3 months or so but the soil does still feel damp. Its had no heat, no fleece, just some other potted plants around it. It would of had some overhead light from the roof.

I have just took a photo, i dropped it on its head lol so flattened it a little but its been thru worse.
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flounder

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by flounder »

I'd be inclined to knock some of the compost out if its feeling damp and stand it on newspaper to draw a bit more moisture out. Even if its showing signs of life, I personally think it would be better off being drier than it is now especially seeing the photo. I'm more confident this time of year dry rather than slightly not icon_thumleft
call

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by call »

bring it in cut off all the mushy no good stuff give it a water and watch it send out new shoots
cordyman

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by cordyman »

If I were a betting man, i'd say thats alive icon_salut icon_salut icon_salut icon_salut
Delboy

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by Delboy »

It's a tough little sod if it is.
Tempted to just leave it alone and let it do it's thing icon_scratch
dorothy

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by dorothy »

I agree with Flounder.It look like it has survived..just. But with the cold temps and damp soil, Im sure it will def rot and then die. I watered one of my ensete early last year.. only a tiny amount mind you. The water did not dry out quickly enough because it was too cold at night and it popped it's cloggs! This year I have some more in the conservatory and I have not touched them yet but they are doing fine.
Delboy

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by Delboy »

I'm not expecting it to survive tbh, i was just amazed it still had some life left in it.
Palmer

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by Palmer »

I’m sure that will survive if you bring it into the house… it needs a dryer atmosphere around it!
I left one in the garden laid under a bush one winter and it survived, the lowest temp was -5c but with very few frosty mornings that winter.
I couldn’t be bothered to bring my biggest Maurelii in so I just cut the leaves/roots off and left it propped upside down against the house… be interesting to see if that survives, I have three backups in the loft though.

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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

I would say it's currently alive but now is the killer time, i.e. mid winter when its cold AND wet. Get it somewhere dry to avoid it rotting all the way through.
Palmer

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by Palmer »

Yorkshire Kris wrote:I would say it's currently alive but now is the killer time, i.e. mid winter when its cold AND wet. Get it somewhere dry to avoid it rotting all the way through.
Something has obviously pricked my conscience :lol: I can still see some cell damage on the leaf sheaths from the frost but as long as the frost hasn’t penetrated the corm it should be OK… it’s now in the house. icon_thumright

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Delboy

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by Delboy »

Mines still in the greenhouse so it's kept dry, i don't really have anywhere in the house to put it.

We have those annoying vertical blinds that make it impossible to put anything on the windowsills icon_aaargh

Hopefully yours will be ok too icon_thumleft
kata

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by kata »

Is that a water feature Palmer?

If it is its nice, very nice. I hope to see it as a working model in summer. :lol:

:mrgreen:

DB,
We have those annoying vertical blinds that make it impossible to put anything on the windowsills
Blutty murder ain't they...mine were in when I got here, wooden ones, another in the bedroom.

:x
Delboy

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by Delboy »

Kata, I liked them before I got into gardening, but now they bug me as I have little space to put plants.

We have them in every room :evil:
cordyman

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by cordyman »

Palmer wrote:I’m sure that will survive if you bring it into the house… it needs a dryer atmosphere around it!
I left one in the garden laid under a bush one winter and it survived, the lowest temp was -5c but with very few frosty mornings that winter.
I couldn’t be bothered to bring my biggest Maurelii in so I just cut the leaves/roots off and left it propped upside down against the house… be interesting to see if that survives, I have three backups in the loft though.

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i'm sure I read them being upside down for too long causes the growth point to self implode on itself? icon_scratch :lol:
Palmer

Re: Ensete Survivor??

Post by Palmer »

That’s true cordy… if the temperatures rise sufficient for it to start growing again but in this case it was dug up in December and temps haven’t been good enough for that to happen. :wink:

I have my doubts it’s going to survive though i should of give the corm more protection… it’s too exposed like that with just a plastic bag to protect it. :oops:

Basjoo Musella and Sikkimensis have all collapsed into mush in the garden. :roll:
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