Musa in New Hampshire

15 years ago

Hello everyone. Although I currently live in Florida and can garden year-round, I am originally from the Upper Valley in New Hampshire. Every spring and summer I travel to my Dad's where I fix up the gardens and enjoy not sweating to death, although the bugs enjoy me. I am an avid gardner, always trying to stretch what can be grown there in NH. In August 2004 I planted a 4 small musa basjoo. To my suprise, only one died during winter and the others flourished. That year (2005) it snowed b/f the musa froze, at 5 feet, the leaves were weighed down with snow. Beautiful contrast, tropical and temperate. Last year (2007), the m.basjoo stand reached 9feet! and didnt freeze until early November. My Dad's is on a hill which faces west-creates a great micro-climate 10-20deg warmer than the valley. This year the stand of m.basjoo is already on pace to beat last years heigth, currently I have been told they are around 7 feet, my Dad says they are completely covering the windows! I have a few sabal seedlings which have survived 3 winters-not much growth, but they are alive! I have tried a few needle palms with them surviving a winter and then dying, but this year I brought up big specimens-about 3-4feet diameter w/ 2-3 foot heigth w/ a windmill stuffed behind them snug to the chimney and basement. For all of you wondering about a "desert" theme, I have a nice variety of opuntia, echinoceres, escobaria, one agave(i planted a few more this spring), several species of yucca (again planted this may, some will need protection, mainly from moisture). One lesson I have learned in gardening since I was 3 (I am now 27-almost), never let anyone tell you, "that will not grow here!" With the right situation (like a woodstove in the basement), nearly anything which can come back from roots/rhizomes/bulbs can survive, Like my Canna's, Elephant ears, dahlias, glads and mimosa tree. All these are zone 7 or 8, the elephant ears do wonderful w/ about 2 feet of leaves for winter, then they spring up and reach up to 3 feet or so. Last year the elephant ears in N.H., were way larger than mine in Florida!!! Explain that!

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Comments (3)

chervil2
15 years ago
Your posting is an inspiration! I really enjoy pushing the limits of hardiness and expectations in my central Massachusetts garden. I did manage to overwinter a fig in a warm microclimate near my house. This winter I will try a banana plant that my brother-in-law gave me from his garden in North Carolina. I have large crops from a Meader's persimmon tree and have several fruiting pawpaws. I bring the palm trees inside for the winter. However, like you I will try to overwinter one of them outside. I hope you keep posting more of your gardening experiences.
mskee
15 years ago
musa innh,
I also have a propensity towards trying to grow the tropical in my Western MA garden. I just love the lush look, but, have been unable to winter over stuff in the ground, so far. I have 2 Musas in the garden, one in the ground, and the other in a large pot. This past winter I discovered an over-wintering technique, which I shall call "store and ignore." The one in a pot, I dragged down to the basement, on the evening prior to the first frost warning, and ignored it for the rest of the winter. The one outside died, as it did the year before, despite my heavy mulching. The one in the pot, in my basement, maintained a viable 3-foot trunk, and it got planted outside this spring. That Musa is now about 7 feet tall. I purchased a baby Musa this spring, and potted it up, to repeat the process this year.

I have also discovered this "store and ignore" works very well with my potted Cannas. Those that I over-wintered in my basement are currently very lush and blooming.

I had a dinner party the other night on my patio, and a friend commented that she felt like she was in Key West. Yea!

Emily
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runktrun
15 years ago
Musa,
I love your youthful enthusiasm towards gardening am I wrong in believing it is unusual for someone your age to be interested in gardening or are your friend equally enthusiastic? I live in Mass. Zone 7a and there are a number of plants I might suggest you try adding to your tropical retreat, Vitex, Castor Bean (will re-seed), evergreen Magnolias ÂEdith BrogueÂ ÂBrackens Brown BeautyÂ, Rosemary. I walk around and post more suggestions if you are interested. Kt

Musa in New Hampshire

Comments (3)

chervil2

mskee

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runktrun

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