Show us your maurelii's

[Dave Brown]

This is the big one stored dry, bare rooted, in the conservatory. Potted up 2 weeks ago

[Andy P]

Looking good Dave. It`s a Monster isn`t it. I remember watching the Video of you digging it up and lugging it across the garden. How many years have you had it?

[Dave Brown]

How many years have you had it?

this is the start of the 3rd (monster) year

[Andy P]

Well i`ve got mine through it`s first Winter. It`s going in the ground as soon as the frost risk is gone. Hopefully a few more years and mine will be credited Monster status too. I don`t relish the thought of digging it up and lugging it around every year but it certainly looks worth the while. Will there ever come a point where it`s just too big to lift though????

[Dave Brown]

Will there ever come a point where it`s just too big to lift though????

My 'Montbeliardii' was a 2 person lift last autumn, but is not as bad in spring as it has lost 50% of it's weight through over winter water loss.

Ensete ventricosum is an altogether bigger plant, growing to 12m (40ft) and at that size will not be liftable without many hands or lifting equipment. Victorian Manor owners did it by using all their estate staff, as described in the Myles Challace book on exotic gardening.

[The Codfather]

Dave.....does that light help much ???? I am after a couple to help give extra light in the garage for winter storage.

[jacko]

mines been sitting in the kitchen window all winter looking good and now producing new leaves.

[ourarka]

I just feel inadequate ..... will mine ever get there?

Also, how come some of you seem to 'soak' your Maurelliis ... .and some recommend a teacup of water a week?

[paulrm71]

Dont lose heart Ouraka, mine is very similar to yours.....I give half a cup of warm water once or twice a week to the bottom, and I have got a single roller looking like yours!!! I'll keep persevering and hope it will pull through.

[fieldfest]

I just feel inadequate ..... will mine ever get there?

Also, how come some of you seem to 'soak' your Maurelliis ... .and some recommend a teacup of water a week?

water it more once its started growing as until then it wont have any roots to soak up the water. daves little one was left in a pot so has roots already unlike dry stored ones where most people cut them all off

[pdid]

I just feel inadequate ..... will mine ever get there?

Also, how come some of you seem to 'soak' your Maurelliis ... .and some recommend a teacup of water a week?

Mine looked a little bit like yours, you may need to slice through the dry part of the leaf so that the new growth can unfurl or the plant could end up strangling itself. Just remove the dead bits from the growing tip.

[ourarka]

Yes, I have now chopped a lot of that brown finger off as I couldn't see any way that a roller could unfurl. Fingers crossed.

[Yorkshire Kris]

I just feel inadequate ..... will mine ever get there?

Also, how come some of you seem to 'soak' your Maurelliis ... .and some recommend a teacup of water a week?

If you can keep it warm day and night and have it potted in a free draining perlite/Mp mix then you can give it a good watering. If kept in plain MP and it cools off a lot at night (eg if in an unheated greenhouse or cold room then water very sparingly until active growth commences. IMO

[Dave Brown]

I think there is a lot of "doing what I'm told" rather than understanding what is required and "doing the right thing"

If it has been left with no roots overwinter, then it needs potting when conditions warm up and humidity rises. Left in dry heat indoors, it may just remain dormant. The humidity rises in my conservatory when it warms up and I start watering other plants in mid Feb. The compost should be well drained and should be just damp to start with, then left for about 2 weeks.

Far to many people have their head in a calendar, and I hear do this in x month, do that in y month. Don't go by the calendar, go by the weather

The damp compost encourages root formation. However, if it is warm, like June, you need to water it like June WHILE IT remains WARM. The heat and water, will cause growth. Watering a teaspoon a week with temps in the high teems/ twenties, may result in no growth.

Mine has a full set of roots as has been getting between 1 and 2 litres of water a week since it has been warm and sunny.

It is now outside against the south facing kitchen wall.

[The Codfather]

agree.......the weather here though has been great so I have changed things to suit my growing conditions. But advice for me is always welcome....