Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Will you protect your basjoos?

Yes I will protect to retain height
27
66%
No I don't need to I live in mild area and they will keep height
4
10%
No I can't be bothered
2
5%
No I don't mind them being cut down to the ground
8
20%
 
Total votes: 41

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Yorkshire Kris
Posts: 10163
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:59 am
Location: Rural South Wakefield, Yorkshire Lat 53.64 Long-1.54

Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Simple question really, what will you be doing with your musa basjoos?

Pro of protecting are:

You stand a much higher chance of retaining the pseudo-stems of your plants

You are 99.99999% certain that the plants will return next year

Against:

It's not needed in the mildest parts of the country as the pseudo stems would survive anyway

It takes time

It costs money

It is an eyesore in the garden

It can make a mess if using straw.
cordyman

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by cordyman »

i definetely want to save my biggest Musa, not that keen on a mass of small Musa's growing from fresh.
sanatic1234

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by sanatic1234 »

I don't really think it matters on the P-stem to be honest from what i have gathered, as long as the corm is a good size then you will get a good height, if the corm is not a big size you will get a small to medium sized height. I think i will just mulch mine round the base and that will be it. :-)
flounder

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by flounder »

I'm going for the protection, my garden looks like a tip anyway so being wrapped won't make the slightest difference in appearance :roll:
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DiCasS
Posts: 3131
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 5:59 pm
Location: Hereford

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by DiCasS »

At this moment in time I'm thinking yes, definitely, I want to keep those pseudostems and over time eventually get a flower, but in reality, I know this isn't going to happen and frosts will probably get at it first and then wished I had have protected them after the event :( So, before the probable outcome, I'll vote no :lol:

Why can't I vote again :?

Edit: I have :lol:

Di
I'm at an age where my back goes out more than I do.
Supporter of the N.A.S.
Mr List

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by Mr List »

a couple of my bananas i have in places where the design needs the leaves to be at least chest height, so i really want my pstems to survive.
Darlo Mark

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by Darlo Mark »

i picked up a 2ft musa basjoo from homebase for £3 3 weeks ago. I think i'll overwinter indoors and plant out next May.
Tom2006
Posts: 8094
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 11:23 am
Location: East Yorkshire UK

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by Tom2006 »

I only have one small Basjoo in a large pot so I will move it under protection but if it dies back I wont mind. I have tried to protect them (planted out) for three winters running and all died (not even growth from the base) due to the harsh cold.
Most wanted list - Any Young Trachycarpus and/or fern.
derrick

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by derrick »

I will protect the same way as last year i like the height on them. I have all the insulation from last year A flower would be nice
nige pook

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by nige pook »

Hi guys,just wondered what materials you all use to insulate the stems. Have heard you talk of straw but guess this could get rather wet and soggy. Any other suggestions/ideas for insulating? Also what about potted basjoos that are about three feet high but a little too big to bring indoors? Nige
sanatic1234

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by sanatic1234 »

Arlon got his through the winter last year with P-stem in tact. If i can remember right he used loft insulation, or though arlon will put me right if i'm wrong.
mumfie

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by mumfie »

luckily i only have one large stem to protect now as i lifted and chopped the flowering basjoo. the lifted basjoo will be kept in a large pot and shoved out the way, ready for new pups next year.

people are worrying about the mess that straw makes. when removing the straw in march, i shove the dry stuff straight in to bags ready for use the following year. the soggy stuff goes on the compost. the straw that lands on the lawn gets picked up by the mower, and the bits that blow in and around other emerging bulbs, etc are ignored: they soon disappear naturally.
Mr List

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by Mr List »

since straw uses air for insulation of the pstems
and there was discussion that water is better at insulation because it takes longer to cool than air

could you fill a chicken wire cage with 2ltr pop bottles filled with water stacked up in towers and packed in with straw?

Image

anybody tried this before?

i might try with a ring around the base.
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Las Palmas Norte
Posts: 1892
Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2007 7:17 pm
Location: Lantzville, British Columbia (Vancouver Island)

Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by Las Palmas Norte »

"Will you protect your basjoos this winter?"

No.
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AndyC
Posts: 1714
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 8:17 am
Location: North Hampshire
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Re: Will you protect your basjoos this winter?

Post by AndyC »

Yes. I have always wanted to get a basjoo to flower and I don't think it has any chance unless the pstems are preserved. Haven't managed it in ten years but still live in hope.
Andy
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