"Where and how much did you order your basjoo, if you don't mind me asking?" Sorry, I'm just catching up! I ordered mine on Ebay. This is my second time ordering and I think I generally pay around $5-6 a plant. I received them already and they look great, so I have four in the ground at this point (three new and one I had as a houseplant). Blondboy, I'm so happy for you!!!! What a sight!!! I guess I was the only one who actually killed mine. :( But as a Zone 5er (and borderline 5 at that), I'm not all that surprised. I WILL try again this coming winter though, maybe even with Christmas lights for a little warmth! I did a few things wrong this winter like having plastic directly on the plant!

Hello everyone I've been enjoying the bananatalk for the past couple of weeks and feel it's time I joined in. I live in suburban London, England and have been growing bananas for many years. I don't know which zone this would correspond with - we can have 4 or 5 degrees of frost in the winter and a maximum of 90 degrees in the summer. I think the main problem is mild, damp winters. I wrap the plants up in sacking (is that what you call burlap?), old net curtains, horticultural fleece and anything breathable that I can find. As some of the plants are 12 ft plus tall - it can be quite scary to come round the corner of the house and find an enormous bloke lurking there! I don't know the species as the original plant was given us as a pup from the garden of friends in Southern France. I kept it as a house plant for the first couple of years, then it went outside in the summer and indoors in the winter. Then I decided to take the risk and try it outside in the border. It produced pups and I moved them around but eventually settled for the south facing wall of the house. Twenty years later I now have quite a little family of all different heights and ages. Two or three years ago a pseudostem produced an inflorescence with baby bananas - I was incandescent with pride!! This was in late August, so the weather became too cold for the male flower to develop. However .... this year the job has been done much earlier. I think the inflorescence had been overwintering under its wrappings because it popped out May. I understand that in warm climates it takes about twelve weeks for the bananas to ripen - so I may be the first person to produce outdoor bananas in the UK - fame at last! We have a hosepipe ban here at the moment, so I am lugging watering cans about and feeding like mad. Keep your fingers crossed for me! I hope Gardenguy replies to this - he sounds as if he knows what he's talking about - sorry - not that the rest of you don't too!

I enjoy my Basjoo,but have not seen them flower.I have a section of bed I will be re doing this fall and has my largest basjoo growing there and will pot up for in-house.I've just left them in ground and cut back some in spring when things warm up. Sandy....I'm just amazed at your tropical pond up there in Indy.LOL.I moved here from Indpls 5 years ago.I just got my SIL down here now too.I had my 1st pond in Indiana.I have a 13x20x3 pond now and have 3 Pekin ducks(Indy/Tex/Galveston)I really love the growing season now.Its L O N G.SIL is going through heat adjustment.Is quiet funny to watch.I think she never felt heat index over 103 till she got here. Todd.your yard looks great.so does your grass.I'm always being *gripped* at about the way I mow.I guess I should be mowing in "your direction" huh.I'd like to hear more about the molasas theroy with the fireants.Most of my yard is st aguatine grass.1 far end.I believe less watering& depending on mother nature has it look not as nice and needs mowed less in summer as well.Nice to hear info on my windmill palms.I bought 2 for around my pond last fall(january?)I'd say they've maybe gotton 1 frond maybe 2 since been planted but look fine.I'd almost thought to dig back up and add more compost and fill back in.but guess is normal huh..... I guess I only have a April shot of the flower bed,but will eventually make it to neighbors computer to load my pics to a CD so can veiw on my computer(My usb ports are on vacation still.DEll 8250)My basjoo are about 4 ft now. I'd love to get hold of a praying hands banana.I love the look! Here is a link that might be useful: photo album

I live in the western burbs, and I'm growing the Basjoo too. This is my first year growing bananas, they arrived from GreenEarth in mid May, the have now grown to nearley 7 feet tall, with three feet of pseudostem. And like Kyle I'm planning on keeping the stalks with leaf cage protection. Just listen to what he said... Some Pics: Two Largest Basjoo's Smallest basjoo Pups! It's like buy one get 10 free!