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The Ensetes are out.

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:14 pm
by simon
Well, I dug my Ensetes up at the weekend and stowed them away in my garage. I thought I would post a pic of the final size of the ventricosum.

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when I dug the ventricosum out I broke a piece of the corm off. I was wandering if this would affect the health of the plant and also whether there is a likelyhood of geeting a new plant to grow from this piece of corm.

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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:16 pm
by Gaz
Must have been a weekend for it. Our Murelli came out on Sunday. Will post a pic later - it didnt reach the size of yours.

We have left the emerging roller on - should we have chopped it off?

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:22 pm
by Dave Brown
Hi Simon

Nice garden and Ensetes. Looking at the size of the ventricosum, I would have thought no problem with the bit that broke off, but it could allow rot to set in. Not sure if the broken bit is big enough to be viable, but no harm in trying. Mark Hall is probably the man to tell you more :wink:

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:23 pm
by simon
Hi Gaz, I cut mine down to the last 3, as you see in the pic. Although I had to shorten them to get them in the garage. I think it is best to leave something on there, space permitting.

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:37 pm
by Don
Simon--Fantastic examples and why everyone should have a go at growing Ensetes.
How old are those plants :?:

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:05 pm
by Dave Brown
Talk about variation :shock: This is my second year ventricosum. Thinking of nicknaming it Stumpy :wink:

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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:29 pm
by simon
Thanks Don, I actually bought that this spring at Urban Jungle when we all met up. It was only a small plant. I was really suprised at its rate of growth.

You can see it in this pic from early in the season, just behind the Canna Australia. The Maurellii to the right is a second year plant which was overtaken by the ventricosum by the end of the season.

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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:33 pm
by simon
Dave your plant is completely different. Very dark pseudostem and and midribs. Also a quite stocky plant. Mine has a tall but very slender pseudostem.

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:49 pm
by Don
Simon-That really is spectacular growth,particuarly with the lousy summer we had. Think what size that will be next year :lol:
Pre-book a Chiro/Physio session now.

Dave-that stumpy plant has all the characteristics of E.superbum or something very similar.

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:12 pm
by Dave Brown
Don wrote:Dave-that stumpy plant has all the characteristics of E.superbum or something very similar.
Well, I did ask that on UKO, but superbum is a tropical banana that does not do well outside (in summer) in the UK. My stumpy has withstood down to 0C last winter, and 0.9C last week. I put on another post the leaves were stiff with frost, and the pic above was taken 3 days later.

This is the pic I put on UKO, someone might remember it. My stumpy bottom left with Singapore botanical gardens superbum in the background. It does look similar, I must admit :lol:
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:46 pm
by Don
Perhaps the Superbum Mark Hall can shed a bit of light on this one :?:
I think the Ensete naming side of things is probably even more confused (screwed up) than that of Musa.

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:47 pm
by SteveW
Simon,
Well done mate thats an awesome looking plant,you must be well pleased to get it to that size in its first season.
Whats the secret,Elephant poo or something :lol:

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:50 pm
by Dave Brown
It's like Luciens Maurelii, and he used worm wee :lol:

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 6:37 pm
by lucienc
Dave Brown wrote:It's like Luciens Maurelii, and he used worm wee :lol:
It did start with a bag of elephant poo. Oh didn't I tell you that before.... oops

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:04 pm
by Adrian
What have you done with the roots Simon? theres none left. I always lift mine with a rootball. Can you get away with slashing them right off? Storage and moving around would be a hell of a lot easier.