Bananas and hardiness

[grub]

My Basjoo 'Rubra' is still flying along and looks great with a second pup just putting in an appearance . (It is in Mums tropically heated consevatory though )

[photonbucket]

Red stemmed cavendish/bajoo rubra are a real nice banana,butaren't anywhere near hardy Tom.Even in my heated greenhouse mines struggling Last year was the same,thankfully it managed to hold on long enough for the wether to warm up.Don't know if it'll make it this year though,fingers crossed

The place I bought them from said that they were hardy. He has offered me a full refund, which is fair enough. I didnt ask for it, I just mentioned that they were dead. He said that he was misinformed himself and lost the stock.

[Palmer]

I think this must be a confusing post to any newcomer to the hobby!! Musa basjoo is the hardiest banana and this winter hasn’t changed that….?

[grub]

I think this must be a confusing post to any newcomer to the hobby!! Musa basjoo is the hardiest banana and this winter hasn’t changed that….?

I agree with that Tony seeing as once again my Basjoos are still standing (well, some of them) and once again the Sikkis have gone to ground

[photonbucket]

Maybe it depends on the strain? I've heard very mixed strories, but for me, Sikkis win. I'm not saying that they are more hardy, but they do seem to keep/start growing in cooler temperatures.

[Palmer]

If you can find an unprotected sikki that has flowered further north then my dads basjoo I’ll show my A… In Hammond’s window

[TOP BANANA]

My sikkis a stump now , only had it a year thought they were all hardy. if it cant cope with a -7C here no point in me growing them and that was with fleece cover , basjoo has been fine for me for over 10 years with fleece protection.

[photonbucket]

If you can find an unprotected sikki that has flowered further north then my dads basjoo I’ll show my A… In Hammond’s window

I'm sure I could find one somewhere on the west coast of Scotland. I hope your butt is worth seeing!

[Palmer]

Go for it

[Dave in Warrington]

I think this must be a confusing post to any newcomer to the hobby!! Musa basjoo is the hardiest banana and this winter hasn’t changed that….?

As we fast approach another winter, I've been looking through many threads on Musa hardiness and even the basjoo needs protection from the hard frost.

I think this thread
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk/forum/v ... f=1&t=3716
brings this back to us. Many left their 'basjoo' and 'silkis' to the elements with unfortunate results.

I'll be using my 'no cost' carpet rolls again as per the photos in the thread which proved themselves.

Good luck to you all this winter

[Dave Brown]

Dave, what is the purpose of protecting M. basjoo To get them taller to be wrecked more by the wind To get them to flower and then be wrecked by the wind, and once flowering there is no more leaf growth so they just get more and more tatty I agree with the sentiment Ade has, and that is I want my garden to look good, not just have wrecked plants to put a tic in a box.

I cut my basjoo back once wrecked so in 16 years I've only ever had one flower, but the shorter bananas look far better, as sheltered from the wind. As have been put on other threads, members M basjoo mushed to the ground last winter have reached 2m this summer and in forest proportions. I completely dug a clump out at the end of March, well, not quite all, as 5 pups appeared during May and have reached 6 to 7 feet

By all means protect if you want, but in the -6C we get here they are stem hardy.

[philip kitts]

Bajoo is almost indestructible I would,nt be without it always dig some pups up and over winter indoors if you can give them heat they will give you instant impact in the garden whilst waiting for mum to catch up and probably take over by the autumn