Bananas, Ensetes (first Year)

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Mark S
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed May 29, 2019 9:31 pm
Location: Leicester

Bananas, Ensetes (first Year)

Post by Mark S »

So its my first year with bananas and I'm quite surprised at the growth rate even though we have some terrible weather recently, i have two ensetes, basjoo ,and bengal tiger (i think ) as well as 1 lasiocarpa all are doing quite well. Do you think that the 2 ensete will be large enough to be dry stored over winter ? they have just got to over 4ft at the tip of the largest leaves and are quite fat around the base, also given that we have at least another 6 weeks of growing the should get even bigger i have various places i could store them which would be best, unheated greenhouse, shed, loft, garage or under the stairs, The ensete were tiny 1 lt. pots when i brought them around April time
TIA Mark
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GREVILLEAJ
Posts: 901
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:38 pm
Location: London

Bananas, Ensetes (first Year)

Post by GREVILLEAJ »

Answered your own question, Mark. :D

The ensete should be big enough and fine for dry store by the time the cold weather arrives. Anywhere dry and frost free will suit them. Yorkshire Kris videos on Overwintering Ensete seem to be the definitive instructions for doing this effectively.
Mark S
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed May 29, 2019 9:31 pm
Location: Leicester

Bananas, Ensetes (first Year)

Post by Mark S »

Thanks for the reply, I've been watching quite a few of Kris's videos so will look it up
cheers mark
Chez2
Posts: 193
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2018 5:09 pm
Location: Rotherham / Sheffield

Bananas, Ensetes (first Year)

Post by Chez2 »

If you have somewhere a little warmer than frost free you don't need to dry them. We have kept them in a heated outbuilding and heated polytunnel at five degrees C and they are fine left in whatever they grew in. Keep them almost dry until you see some growth in spring. Our outbuilding was over ten degrees c so we kept them damp. The only time we lost one was in the garage which got too cold.
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