Hardy Tropicals UK

Do i get a prize or what? My original basjoo is flowering up here in darlington! I thought it was in decline as the leaves are stunted compared to normal and my other basjoo is so much taller and healthier looking.

here is flower about to come, a view of the plant and a view of the healthier looking plant that isn't flowering.
am i right in saying the main trunk will die after flowering?

Well done Mumfie ! I've not been able to get a stem through the last 2 Winters so no flowers for me Did you get that one through outside ? If so, then you certainly do deserve a prize ! You are right though, the main trunk will die..but you should get plenty of pups around the base which will gradually take over.

well done to, hope mine looks like that soon haha, did u wrapp that up each winter or did u dig it up and store it ?

i've explained the over-wintering using straw+clear plastic on a number of threads. yes: all basjoos remained in ground but with thick protection layer. (no heaters or lights used, though).

interestingly my dad's basjoo down in kent has flowered this year for the 1st time aswell. it was a pup off mine.

i'm starting to think the age of the plant determines flowering rather than long summers as previously thought.

Great news Mumfie. To get it through this Winter was an achievement, let alone for it to flower too I'd oh so love to get a flower on a basjoo. No chance any time soon for me though.

Di

once the nanana flowers does the whole banana die and a pup replaces it ?

Congratulations!

it's already pupping. normally i clean-spade them off straight away but i guess i'll have to let the little fellas grow now!

just for info, i've had the plant about 7 years. it had 2ft thin trunk when i bought it. the 1st winter it was in a pot and kept in green house. the following year it was planted out and remained there ever since.

i used to chop the trunk down to 2 ft every winter before wrapping. then i started buying long canes and keeping as much trunk as possible.

for about 3 years i let pups grow quite tall before removing and giving away; but since then i've always chopped off at 1st sight.

i'm well chuffed!

Have to see in full flower great

great going, love to get one to that stage

Great stuff! More credit for you getting that stem through last winter.

davidjonesUK wrote:once the nanana flowers does the whole banana die and a pup replaces it ?

Yes that's the sad part. Grow your basjoo for four years ie through three winters and it will reward you by flowering, but that will be the end of it

Mumfie said:i'm starting to think the age of the plant determines flowering rather than long summers as previously thought.

Well I was looking at the height of your plant and the Basjoos I've seen pics of that have been in flower seem a lot taller, so maybe height doesn't matter as long as you have some of the original stem I kept mine for three years, growing taller each year, was a good height and thought the next year I might have been lucky and it would have flowered, but sadly the next Winter cut them down to the ground. Mine were about 4 years old in all, so maybe not so near to flowering as I thought if its age.

Di

That's brilliant. Well done! In the last couple of years mine has reduced from eight stems down to two, but the two left are healthy, so I'm hoping it'll start to recover now. I've never taken any of the pups off it, as I didn't think I ought to.
I never really thought that they could possibly flower, so that's great to see. Post more piccies please!