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Banana Tree

mabudon

Metal King
I'm not too sure about this so figured someone here may know-

I have a pretty big banana tree in a large pot- I want to put heem outside over summer (did so last year and it worked out really well)
I was wondering, tho, since it's supposed to be a pretty hot one this summer- would it be possible to sink the thing in the ground, minus the pot, then dig it up next fall?? I know it's possible, but I think it might get too large, and I'm sorta afraid that digging it up after it's made larger roots might shock or kill it- I am pretty sure I can't leave it outside, as I live near Lake Ontario/Niagara Falls and it gets pretty chilly here in winter, I doubt wrapping it in burlap or whatever would help, but who knows??

Thanks for reading this and thanks in advance to anyone who can help!!

Any thoughts???

Basically should I do the transfer, or would it be BEST to just keep it in the pot, or maybe put it into a bigger pot?? I'd rather it live a long time and not get too big, if making it a monster might kill it I just won't bother
 
Hey man! I believe most Musa sp. bananas can take temps down to about 40*F before they start to die off - stopping new growth at about 50*F. Around MN that would mean mid october. If you put it in the ground you'll just have to make sure you dig up a larger ball of soil in the fall to avoid root damage. You also will have a new set of possible problems such as bad-non-draining) surrounding soil and all the myriad of soil bourne pests and illneses. I myself (being lazy) would just put it into a larger pot just before putting it outside, that way I wouldn't have to do any more work until next year when I put it outside again.

BTW A Fuddruckers resturaunt near me has a bunch of plastic bananas hanging from a big plastic PALM tree!
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I wouldn't put her direct in the ground for the reasons stated, go for a tub!
 
I have one in a pot in my g/h... i wonder how big yours is? Got any pictures?
 
Hey guys. I grow bananas all around my house. Granted I live in GA, but it gets cold down here too. I personally would plant it in the ground, and come winter time when the foliage starts to look bad chop it down to the ground, and then mulch the heck out of it like yo would your CP's. Then next spring uncover it a little and it will start to grow back. I'm sure it gets pretty cold up there so you may need to do some extreme mulching, but it should survive. Of course it is up to you. Thats what I do, but I don;t mulch then and they come back. In places I had one three I now have 4. They come back right beside where the old stalk was. Basically from the roots that went dormant over the winter. I do elephant ears too that get about 5 foot tall and they always come back with a vengeance. I gave 60+ away last year and had a bed FULL still. You need to thin them out so they look better. The elephant ears anyways. I find those and bananas to be hard to get rid of once you plant them in the ground.


Some of my bananas are supposed to be the dwarf ones, but they still get 6 foot tall, and then I have some that easy get 10 to 12 foot. So Andrew it is going to depend on the type you have as to what size it will get too.
 
Thanks for the replies!!

I am leaning towards a pot for the reasons stated as well, the thing is maybe 2.5 feet tall but the "stalk" (which is nice and woody) is maybe 4-6" in diameter, so I expect a BIG growth spurt this year and I'm pretty sure digging it up would be a bit of a trick, and the soil in the places I could put the thing is REALLY lousy so the roots would prolly end up quite deep.

I will snap a pic of it later on, the light in my PC room is pretty bad right now since it's real overcast

JB (was gonna say "Josh" but we already gots TWO of them in this here thread, so I'll be specific) I think it might get a bit colder up here than it does where you are- I have one friend (who I guess I should get a hold of
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) who grows one outside and digs it up every year I think (again, have to speak to her) but it is always looking kinda meager due to the enormous setback that said digging deals to the plant, I am under the impresion that we would get steadier, likely more "full" growth out of the thing if we avoided the full transplant, and besides, I don't want to bring anything weird into my house, or get some darn nematodes or something that would eat the roots away til they were gone while the thing was "sleeping", I've had a few plants where I couldn't even tell they were in trouble til they failed to start growing again in spring (poor figs)

So yeah, I will get a pic for you, Adnedarn, and put heem up later today
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mabudon Thats cool. To each their own, but if your able to flower your banana and get bananas then it it will never flower again/ They are like Orchids one flower stalk from one plant, or at least thats what I have been told, but the growing season may be too short up there. I know down here to get fruit I need to fertilize once every two weeks to speed the plants along to get fruit. Heavy heavy feeders they are. Again from what I have been told. This is my second year with them. If your plant shoots up a plant-let From he side of the main plant I would give it a go in the ground, but thats just me. Even though your colder up there I still think it will do OK if mulched. You could even rig up some sort of ground soil heater to keep the area warmer during really cold nights. Just an option. I have seen it done in pots with people who grow bananas. There is a banana trader website too where people swap all kinds of banana trees basically like here but with bananas. Good luck, and I would love to see the tree once you get pics taken.
 
Arrgh cloudy weather has made taking a good pic sifficult, hopefully around 3 the conditions will be right (only have a webcam so the room has to be lit just right)
I think my wife has decided to try the ground route, and ours DID make an offshoot over the winter but a mouse came and ate it I do believe- the pics will be here soon!
 
Mabudon good luck. Just be sure to mulch it good in the winter and the roots will go dorment, but come spring it will start to grow again.
 
  • #10
Bad cloudy weathre means NO pic, but today is finally looking nice, so here's hoping just before he goes into the ground I can snap one- there IS another shoot coming out at the base (basal shoot I guess??) and the top appears to be splitting in 2 as well so I will maybe take a cutting of some sort to ensure we don't lose the species, just a plant

And I forgot to comment on Swords' little tale- LMAO I love how being a particular type of "geek" makes so many odd things totally hilarious- I, too, can't help but criticise fake plants whenever I see's em (like "why would you grow Sansiveria in LFS fer crying out loud?!?!?" and other such observations) and for some reason the really realistic ones make me mad when I have to look extra hard to discover they're phony... which I guess, means that at least the fakes are getting better, but still, most of the stuff that IS faked is stuff that would be SIMPLE to actually grow- you never see fake Neps or Orchids, always junk (and not like I'm calling the plants themselves "junk" per se, I like 'em too) like pothos and sansiveria and Banana and Rubber plants, stuff that would practically not need any light OR water in a humid enough environment and would ACTUALLY make oxygen and stuff rather than just look CHEAP

Whew had to get that out
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  • #11
Musa basjoo i grow here and it goes down to about 0 deggrees. It comes back every year and if the winter isnt bad it sometimes just has some freeze damage like this year.
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  • #12
Well, it's in the ground and looking alright so far, and we've got a 2 year-old seedgrown backup in case it don't make it through the winter, but we will do everything we can to make it as safe as possible, thanks again for all the input!!
 
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