How big can this Ensete get?

[ourarka]

Hi everyone,

I have asked this somewhere else, but there was no reply and I could really do with a guide today 'cos I am making an excursion to the nursery and it will be my chance to pick one up if needed.

The question is, will this Ensete still reach a good size once planted out .... as it is so small now? It was around 6-7 feet last year, but almost lost it through the winter. As you can see it looks quite healthy now .... and want it to reach a decent height planted out to provide some shade for my Chamaedorea radicalis'.

Many thanks,

[Mr List]

very

[kata]

Not too sure about that left side leaf, could be nothing or a cotyledon (seed leaf) going off,

Its got a new roller leaf so thats good. If it continues like that then could easy achieve a decent height from what I have seen, and look at DB's Enste.

I can't say exact how big but at least 4-5ft in first year at a guess. Give copius watering and a good food. It will need a sunny position of course...weather dictates.

I bought a belter from DB..seedling, not that you would think it a seedling...

I bought another from a nursery/Ebay not sure which and its still the same size as when I bought it.

Found this on a site not seen before

Ensete Ventricosum
The Abyssinian Banana (Ensete Ventricosum) originates from the mountainous regions of Ethiopia which gives it more tolerance to the cold than most of the other bananas. Available in traditional green (Ensete Ventricosum) or with a rather reddish tinge to the foliage (Ensete Ventricosum �Maurelii�), the leaves are burned back when touched by frost, but the plant will remain in good condition down to about 2 deg C.

Both plants grow large very quickly ultimately capable of reaching 12 metres in height given the right conditions (although a more usual height in the UK will be around 3-4 metres) making them ideal landscaping plants. The Abyssinian Banana can be grown in a large pot or tub, but for optimum development will need at least an 18 inch plus tub. The Abyssinian Banana is a non suckering plant which means that it can only be obtained either by raising from seed obtained either by raising from seed or by purchase from a garden centre or nursery.

[ourarka]

Thanks guys - a few more rollers since that picture and don't think it is a seed leaf, just where it got a bit crispy in the early days.

I have noticed that a lot of the leaves are fading at the edges, and going brown. I am keeping it well watered .... is this just 'one of those things'?

[kata]

Might be the compost, could be too dry/wet,

Try a good MP/John innis number unknown 1/2?/perlite. Add slow release food.

[ourarka]

Thanks Kata - to be honest, it is probably going to go in the ground this week now it seems like the night temperatures are going to be well up.

[Dave Brown]

Found this on a site not seen before

Ensete Ventricosum
The Abyssinian Banana (Ensete Ventricosum) originates from the mountainous regions of Ethiopia which gives it more tolerance to the cold than most of the other bananas. Available in traditional green (Ensete Ventricosum) or with a rather reddish tinge to the foliage (Ensete Ventricosum �Maurelii�), the leaves are burned back when touched by frost, but the plant will remain in good condition down to about 2 deg C.

Both plants grow large very quickly ultimately capable of reaching 12 metres in height given the right conditions (although a more usual height in the UK will be around 3-4 metres) making them ideal landscaping plants. The Abyssinian Banana can be grown in a large pot or tub, but for optimum development will need at least an 18 inch plus tub. The Abyssinian Banana is a non suckering plant which means that it can only be obtained either by raising from seed obtained either by raising from seed or by purchase from a garden centre or nursery.

Cheeky wotsits

This is what I wrote in November 2009, http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/Bananas ... Banana.php I note your quote is almost the same word for word. As I wrote it, they must have copied That copy is inaccurate as Ensete Maurelii is much smaller than the wild ventricosum, growing only to about 7m, not 12m.

[kata]

Oh dear Dave,

I could have hit on any site There are millions of pages on the net and I choose that one. Will you write to the site owner? What you and Aidan need is copyscape.

http://copyscape.com/

Anyway I found someone linking to your site...

http://www.forestferns.co.uk/growing-tree-ferns/links

[greendragon]

Oh dear Dave,

I could have hit on any site There are millions of pages on the net and I choose that one. Will you write to the site owner? What you and Aidan need is copyscape.

http://copyscape.com/

Anyway I found someone linking to your site...

http://www.forestferns.co.uk/growing-tree-ferns/links

Unless Dave could prove that he had lost money as a result of the information being taken and used (for example if there were paid ads next to the article) any legal action would be on shaky ground. At the moment this website is like an open-source for information on tropical plants.

[Kristen]

Unless Dave could prove that he had lost money as a result of the information being taken and used (for example if there were paid ads next to the article) any legal action would be on shaky ground. At the moment this website is like an open-source for information on tropical plants.

Yeah, but its breech of copyright, and a "cease and desist" note should be enough to get them to take it down, or risk their ISP disconnecting them ...

[Kristen]

What you and Aidan need is copyscape.

http://copyscape.com/

Not seen that before, very interesting It found:

Dave http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/Bananas ... Banana.php

"If planted out and the plant is required for the next year, and this is the way to get large plants, dig out before the first frosts, and pot up in a pot/tub just big enough to accommodate the root ball. Use free draining compost that is dryish. If brought into a heated conservatory/greenhouse, carry on growing on the dry side, This plant is not really suitable for overwintering in an unheated greenhouse in the UK as the minimums inside can get too cold. However, the Germans have sucessfully overwintered these in cellars inducing domancy. After overwintering dormant in the dark, bring out into an unheated greenhouse once temperatures start to warm up and the risk of very cold spells has passed. Watch for signs of growth, and give a little water once seen. Remember that the growth should determine the watering levels not the other way around, Don't try to force it by watering as you will most likely just induce rot. Once growing strongly, water and feed as for normal summer conditions. Always use tepid water up to 30C to keep it growing, but keep cool and airy until planted out to avoid weak, leggy growth."

http://hardybananas.co.uk/2009/02/the-a ... an-banana/

"If the plant is required for the following year, and this is the way to get large plants, dig out before the first frosts, and pot up in a pot/tub just big enough to accommodate the root ball. Use free draining compost that is just moist. If brought into a heated conservatory, carry on growing on the dry side, or if in an unheated greenhouse cut the leaves off at the stem and leave dry, but in a light airy position. After over wintering in an unheated greenhouse, watch for signs of growth, and give a little water. Once growing strongly water and feed as for normal summer conditions. Always use tepid water up to 30C to keep the banana growing, and keep cool to avoid leggy weak growth. "

[Dave Brown]

Obviously everyone has to get their info from somwhere, but I have got mine through trial and error over 30 years, together with hours of research of University crop studies on how Ensete grows in Ethiopia, and then interpreted that to our climatic conditions, therefore I'm not too happy with having it just ripped off.

Also, where as I know Ensete ventricosum will not survive an unheated greenhouse accept in the mildest places, in mildest year, they are suggesting it is a place to store. While Montbeliardii will be ok a few degrees below freezing if dry. Maurelii really needs to be kept frost free, and green ventricosum above +3C.

[Shamone10]

Dave i'm quite sure most similar sites (they're not as good as this ofc) have ripped alot of information from you that you've put up and shared on HardyTropicals.

But yer it's probably not illegal as you said, you're not really making money from it. But it's more out of dis-taste and can make it infuriating if people don't say where or who they got the information from.

I'm surprised the info for certain ensete's on wikipedia isn't just a copy and paste from you lol - you could have been a source though!

[Kristen]

But yer it's probably not illegal as you said, you're not really making money from it. But it's more out of dis-taste and can make it infuriating if people don't say where or who they got the information from.

Depends on your view of "illegal". Its breach of copyright. The fact that Dave is not making money from it has nothing to do with it. If it came out of "his pen" it has his copyright.

Considering this as just distasteful is wrong, in the same way as people justify photocopying books, copying music, and so on (irrespective of the argument we might have over the high price of music increasing likelihood of copying etc etc)

There are allowances in the Copyright Act for quoting small parts of a work and attributing the source, etc. and there is a grey area between what is legitimate use, and what is not. Blatant word-for-word copying with no attribution of the source is not legitimate use!

As Dave says, everyone had to get their information from somewhere, but we all learnt to paraphrase in school and were taught that blatant copying was wrong.

Breach of copyright is theft.