12 weeks of growth

16 years ago

This year I bought a bunch of basjoo from lowes in some tiny pots. They grew faster then I thought they would the little fountain is visible in the first pic and blocked from veiw in the second pic. Here are 2 pis one from June 1st and one from September 1st. I hope next year I get them to fruit. The Sabal minors grow faster then I thought and have pushed out 4 leaves each since I got them and they have a total of around 10 leaves per plant, and each leaf is bigger then the last so thats cool also. I hope my minors get as big as palmpunks one day. Also Andy there are seeds on the sabal minor stalks when they are ripe to pick I will let you know.

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Comments (12)

topher2006
16 years ago
looking good mike !
andyandy
16 years ago
Looking good.
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islandbreeze
16 years ago
Hey mike, its ryan. I had to do a screen name change because of a change in email account. Anyway, the yard looks great, but how did you get your minors to put out 4 leaves already? What are you fertilizing with? How much do you water? How many hours of sun are they getting? Please fill me in, mine is only on its 2nd leaf and 1 full spear since I planted it. Also, did you get those basjoos from a lowes near you or out of state?
Question for Andy-have you found any stores here in detroit area that sell banana plants?
mike-jaramillo
Original Author
16 years ago
Hey Ryan ok now I know who you are. I water they every day for about 15 mins each with the hose on soak. When I put any palm in the ground I put a half lbs of fertilzer in the hole. I still use miracle grow every week when I water them. There in almost full sun for 8 hours a day. The lowes not far in orland park had basjoo for sale.
ohgirl
16 years ago
GOOD JOB! I JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH BANANAS WHEN I SPOTTED SOME THE LAST WEEK OF JULY 2007. I WENT IMMEDIATELY TO ONE OF THE LOCAL GREENHOUSES AND BOUGHT 3; BASJOO, LIL PRINCE(DWARF) AND SUMATRAN. THEY ARE ALL DOING GREAT HOPE TO POST PICS SOON.
nucci60
16 years ago
ohgirl, I am finding groing bananas to be more "addictive" than palms. You go out in the morning and see DAILY results
mike-jaramillo
Original Author
16 years ago
I took a few more pics this morning of the yard if you wanna see them there here

Here is a link that might be useful: Yard pics
joey_powell
16 years ago
I planted about seven clumps of Musa Basjoo back in early June. I put them straight into an unamended clay soil, gave them a little bit of soaker hose water daily, and gave them a little 13-13-13 fertilizer a couple of times (I know that's probably not the best ratio). When I put them in the ground the tallest were about three feet tall. Now several of them are at about twelve feet! These things grow FAST.

In Alabama we have a very hard time getting them to keep growing during the winters. They always turn a rotten brown color and die back. In the very early spring we cut off the dead stuff, and they begin growing again. I have noticed many people cut it off early once it dies, but the plant seems to grow better the next season if you wait. Anyways, that's how it goes here, year in, year-out.

One very important thing about these: they will NOT fruit if they die back. It seems one growing season is not enough for them. Not sure why.
xerophyte NYC
16 years ago
Most bananas have a genetically determined prerequisite to grow about 44 leaves before they are mature enough to flower and fruit, so if they die back each winter it just takes longer to reach that magic number but eventually it will.

x
palmfan
16 years ago
Hey Mike,
What type of protection do your minors get for the winter. Are you growing a hardy form? My 'Oklahoma Form' Sabal minor is bigger than a S. minor in Cape May that has fruit. I hope mine decides to spike next spring. I do NOT protect my minors, but I am in zone 7b. My biggest Needle had 5 flower spikes, but no fruit that I can see. My other Needle is far away, and has NOT flowered. It also suffers spear pull every year.
gregsytch
16 years ago
Nice growth. They look real cool. What do you do for winter? I mean, aren't the first frosts only weeks away? Greg in Tampa Bay .......another 90F day!
mike-jaramillo
Original Author
16 years ago
gregsytch I really dont have to protect anything till the end of dec then till the beginning of march.
Palmfan My smaller minors That I have had for a few years I just cover with clear cold frames. I keep wind, water and ice away and the palms dont damage.