Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Other plants we have or landscape elements like ponds.

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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by needmore »

I think that I might need to move the mekong giant more toward the center of the room...
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This room is south facing with windows over 3 sets of patio doors plus a couple other side windows, high ceilings. I think if one is going to grow bamboo indoors this should be close to as good as it gets. I've tried multiple types and thus far Bambusa multiplex 'Silverstripe' has by far out performed them all and is the only one I grow indoors for now. I do think that the strategy I use for it has perhaps given it the edge over other species I've tried. Mainly when I do drag it outdoors I keep it growing where it gets only some afternoon lite. These photos were taken round 9AM and the sun is just beginning to creep over the woodsline to the east so lite is just starting to come in, it will flood this room all day in winter.
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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by stevelau1911 »

I probably don't need any more bananas for now unless I can get a hold of a variagated one such as the AE AE which would obviously be kept as a houseplant.

I don't really see how mekong giant can beat musa basjoo in zone 6 when I have mekong giant well protected and still get killed. That defeats the whole purpose of forming a running grove.
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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by johnw »

Brad - You may very well have to raise the roof shortly.
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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by JWH »

Needmore- Really nice indoor garden there!

I tried to bring in a few alocasias to overwinter, but spider mites quickly covered the leaves and nothing I tried was able to keep their population down for more than a week. Finally got tired of a losing battle, so out they went to the greenhouse to hopefully overwinter.
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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by johnw »

jd_Z7 - Funny you should mention that about basjoo as when I first brought one back from BC about 10 years ago I gave it to a friend. We were astounded that the first year that it retained the entire trunk. The low that year was precisely +12F (-12c) exactly as you mention. That may be the breaking point.
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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by needmore »

One really can't appreciate the size of this monster from a photo, from the soil to the stem of the lowest/first branch is right at 10'. I had snipped this off before bringing it inside so it has kept right on going up, not sure how tall these can get but this will be planted in April/May and fed madly all summer so I'll see I guess, seems like it should run of out vigor soon though?

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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by stevelau1911 »

Since the Mekong giant is too tall for the windows, one option I see would be to install large windows up on the south facing side of the roof turning the entire room into a greenhouse which would make it easier to grow all kinds of tropicals that grow too tall to receive direct light from your windows.

Installing lights on the top of the roof is also an option to keep them from stringing out too much, but I think you should get enough indirect light to at least keep it alive through the winter.
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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by needmore »

Not concerned about any light deficiency, it has grown 4 new large leaves in about 6 weeks, but with bananas they seem to go to flower and crap out in less than 2 years leaving smaller pups behind to carry on. I bought this is spring of '12 so I am expecting it to die off soon.
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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by JWH »

My big pot of Mekong Giant is growing again. I have 2 backup pups I took off this plant last year. Going to put this one in-ground and see how big it'll get over this summer!

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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by JWH »

Found a big 'ole Mekong Giant runner coming off my in-ground plant.
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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by stevelau1911 »

I wished I could grow an open grove of running bananas, but even most of my musa basjoos got killed back last winter. The biggest one is finally up to over 5ft. These pictures are on Aug 24th, and Sept 7th. This one should max out at 7 to 8ft by the end of the season to hopefully not be frozen to the ground again.

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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by JWH »

Probably have 4-5 more weeks left in the banana growing season here.

Currently, my In-ground Mekong Giant has 3 main trunks 5-6" thick X 10-12ft tall ground-leaf tops.
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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by Alan_L »

stevelau1911 wrote:I wished I could grow an open grove of running bananas, but even most of my musa basjoos got killed back last winter. The biggest one is finally up to over 5ft. These pictures are on Aug 24th, and Sept 7th. This one should max out at 7 to 8ft by the end of the season to hopefully not be frozen to the ground again.
Steve, you must not get hot enough there in the summer for basjoo to really thrive -- mine got killed to the ground last winter and I have several pseudostems at 10' or so already. Of course I haven't taken any divisions off this plant, so maybe that's the difference too.
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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by johnw »

The basjoos (1&2) have done nothing here all summer, they got frayed in Hurricane Arthur and April to present was simply too dry. The electric blue Tibouchina on the other hand has grown like mad but has only started to flower heavily with the recent cooler temps. Usually it's a mass of flower the summer long.

johnw - - +20c, rain has begun!
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Re: Musa mekong giant running banana plant

Post by stevelau1911 »

That is true.

My tallest one has never gotten any taller than 6ft, and it may get a bit taller with its next leaf, but overall, they won't get very large on cool summers.
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