Overwintering Ensete Update

[Dave Brown]

A Feb 2013 update on some of my overwintering Ensete.

All of those featured in this post were dug out on 25th November 2012, and stored in the conservatory. The 'Montbeliardii' and 'Maurelii' were placed bare root in tubs, while the Hiniba was place in a tub with dry compost.

All in all, this has been a bad winter, and unsually I have had to heat the conservatory due to persistent cold, windy, dismal days, with no sun, followed cold windy nights. Temps have been kept above 7C and on the odd sunny day temps are now getting up to 27C.

The Ensete seem not to be too bothered about the cold, dismal winter and are growing on que. The only real difference is the Maurelii has lost all it's colour including the midrib. This normally happens to a certain extent over winter due to lack of sun strength, this is worse this year due to absent sun.

Once we start to get some consistently warm days in there I will pot the 'Montbeliardii' and 'Maurelii' in nearly dry compost.

Ensete 'Montbeliardii'

Ensete 'Maurelii'

Ensete 'Hiniba'

[gabriel]

They look good Dave.
Just ispected mine,they have formed so many new roots,they look like they have not been stored dry at all lol.

I will be potting mine in mid march.

[CW01]

Looking like you will need to hire a crane come November

[kata]

OMG, Dave,

They are massive before they even go out. Great specimens though I have to say.

Well done!

It looks like you leave your ferns out.

Its a lovely outlook (garden).

[GREVILLE]

With your winter light levels, Dave, it probably means we can try these in the dark and succeed

[fieldfest]

With your winter light levels, Dave, it probably means we can try these in the dark and succeed

works fine in the dark, mine have gone in the loft the last 2 years

[Palmer]

With your winter light levels, Dave, it probably means we can try these in the dark and succeed

works fine in the dark, mine have gone in the loft the last 2 years

This winter I experimented with overwintering Ensete glaucum in the loft and that has survived too!
Brought it out of the loft two weeks ago and its now growing again

[CW01]

Do you wrap them in fleece when you store in the loft?

[Palmer]

Do you wrap them in fleece when you store in the loft?

I don’t Carl… I think wrapping them wouldn’t help because they need air around them to stop them from rotting, I store without roots and leaves like Dave, with the Ensete glaucum I left it in its pot and watered just enough to stop the compost from drying out completely.
It’s an easy way of overwintering them they just go dormant until spring

I wouldn’t like to hall those big boys of Dave’s up in the loft though
Looking good Dave

[fieldfest]

Do you wrap them in fleece when you store in the loft?

nope