Musa Basjoo or Sikkimensis.

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Dave Brown
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Re: Musa Basjoo or Sikkimensis.

Post by Dave Brown »

Yours is looking good Half Hardy :) I have a potted Red Tiger, or perhaps I need to call it Green Tiger compared to yours, as very little red. It grew 4 leaves this season and every single one was snapped off by the wind. It never had more than one leaf and roller at a time. For me the problems far outweigh the benefits on this as a garden plant.

Helens Hybrid grows better for me :wink:
Best regards
Dave
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doncasterpalmguy123

Re: Musa Basjoo or Sikkimensis.

Post by doncasterpalmguy123 »

They are beautiful, all the pictures. :D
However I'm quite sure sikkimensis would die p here, we had -14C in 2010. Not so bad last winter at -6C but still.

I think i'll settle with ensette ventricosum. I know they're not hardy, but id rather dry store them like on Daves wonderful video than go through the pain of loosing a sikkimensis every year especially since i can't fid basjoo seeds online, nor have i ever seen a basjoo plant at any garden centre near me. :lol:
Kristen

Re: Musa Basjoo or Sikkimensis.

Post by Kristen »

Leigh wrote:[Kristen, what sort of height P stem are your Basjoo's getting too ?
I only have one Basjoo (I think the leaves are too narrow, and not as attractive as M. sikkimensis)

My Sikkis have about 8' pseudostem. 2 years in pots (i.e. brought in for the Winter) and then planted out, so their 3rd year gives them about 8' stems. If they survive the winter in wire-cage and straw then they should be fairly awesome in 4th year ... otherwise they will be sprouting from the ground and starting from scratch.
IMG_1027_Exotic.jpg
doncasterpalmguy123

Re: Musa Basjoo or Sikkimensis.

Post by doncasterpalmguy123 »

Wow Kristen, you have an amazing garden and beautiful bananas. Theres something that just melts in me when i see cool sights like that, banana plants with leylandi cypresses in the background and in the UK. :lol:
Kristen

Re: Musa Basjoo or Sikkimensis.

Post by Kristen »

doncasterpalmguy123 wrote:leylandi cypresses in the background
Apologies for that bit, we've ripped out all the wretched Leylandii that the previous people put in; sadly they were planted behind Thuja and the like, I am sure with a view to providing protection for the Thuja to get under way and the intention of then being ripped out ... but they were 40' tall and more and had strangled the Thuja. The Thuja is now recovering and thickening up now it doesn't have to compete with a Thug! but the crescent behind the Jungle Garden is an important windbreak, and not very visible, so will have to stay ... bit of a time delay in planting something more attractive and getting it up to windbreak-height :(
doncasterpalmguy123

Re: Musa Basjoo or Sikkimensis.

Post by doncasterpalmguy123 »

Ok guys, thanks all for the help again. :D

I think I'm set with ensete ventricosum seeds. I know they're not hardy but i think id rather dry store them every winter than worrying about weather a sikkimensis will survive the winter. As for basjoo, i can't find them locally anywhere. Plus i think the ensete is much more defying of a garden with their large leaves. Obviously if grown from red they will be the wild green variety but that does not bother me. I just wanted to know if anyone has any experience with germinating these/growth rates once germinated?? thanks. :lol:
Kristen

Re: Musa Basjoo or Sikkimensis.

Post by Kristen »

Someone suggested to me growing Sikkimensis from seed each year, and replanting any that snuff it in the Winter - eventually chance will provide plants hardy enough to survive and then you can stop growing them from seed :)

I've had very low germination rates (M. sikkimensis, haven't tried Ensete), I think fresh seed is very important (but hard to know whether what you have got is fresh, or not ... or the merchant has mixed this year's fresh with last year's unsold :( so I've found it easier / cheaper to buy a few plants on eBay each year ...

Supposedly alternating the temperature day/night improves germination rate.
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