I have started from seed about 60 (so far) ensete ventricosum. I have tried to find out if you can winter them over with heavy mulching. I have read that tops die but come back.. It sounds like there talking about a Z7-8. I live in a Zone 6.5 so 4-5 mo. of being tucked in.
Also Musa itinerans, is this also a plant that can be cut and mulched in.
Or should I look at them as a annual hoping to have enough growth to make them worth the envolvement.
I live east of Cleveland in snow belt....lots of insulation from snow here.
any help is welcomed Thanks....

Hi purenergy
I am just getting started in to growing bananas from seed, and ensete ventricosum is one of the ones I will start with , can you describe how you sprouted them ? , temperature , dept , type of soil , moisture , soaking, etc. anything that can be of help to some of us that are getting ready to experiment with this . Any information will be very much apreciated , thanks in advance for your time .

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Hi to all , got a great reply from purenergy , many thanks, he had problems uploading to forum , anyway I will attach it to this reply soit can help all intrested.


Hi, Gecko... I posted a responce 3 times Sunday 6th and wasn't able to get the post to appear. So I'll try this way.
First the container that I used was the type that you store stuff under your bed 3'x2'. I have over 3000 seeds. I soaked the seeds for 4-5 days, they tell you to soak for 24-hrs but I find if you add some fungicide you can soak them longer thus softening up the outer shell faster. When it's time to drain the water ( if you use fungicide and you have a septic system don't drain the water down into your system, kills the good bacteria ) I dont wash the seeds but put the seeds in the container with a mixture of peatmoss 70% to play sand 30% . Mixing till almost a mudmix. ( peat moss sometimes has a water repellent property so mix in water slowly). I keep the soil temp. at 85-90 deg.
if the mixture is to wet leave the top open till dries out a little but soil should make a ball if you squeeze with your hand.
I started my seeds on the 29 th of january 05 and was told that a 1-2 mo. waiting period would be needed. The first seed germinated on the 10th of feb. (so much for my timing) I have about 300 + germinated so far. I use 1 qt. pots to hold them over till weather improves outside. The root system on the plants are made to hold up a large growth plant. (you'll see). I also read that wind sometimes up roots them if planted in loose soil. so maybe stake the plant if in a high wind area. Ventricosum is like a sail boat on top from what I have seed.
If the message board suddenly produces 3 return messages don't be supprised like I said I responded 3 times sun and none of the post appeared on the board so Im thinking that a glitch may of accured.
Happy Growing......................

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Pure energy- I have heard the same as you about E.ventricosum needing at least a zone 7 with lot's of protection, but I'd like to hear if you were able to make any of yours survive in zone 6. Maybe some heat tape would do the trick(the type for pipes). In the UK is the place I read of them overwintering E.ventricosum outside.
By the way what are you going to do with all your seedlings. They grow so fast you may not have any room left in your yard or greenhouse.

Hi green99.... Well first things first, I don' know what the HECK I'm doing....I look at that as a advantage. I have read as much as I can find about E. ventricosum, It's a great looking plant and this is the first year I have grown it.
I'm not sure if my goal is to save the top. I don't think that there is anything that can be done to keep the top here in NE Ohio.... but I will try to over winter by regeneration of the roots. I have read some info. from a S. Kurtz (1877) that indicates that maybe if you cut the plant down prior to flowering it will sucker. Now, will it sucker ? will it sucker 5monthes later ?
I have lots of plants started now over 450 in the house (basement) so I can try out alot of different things.
I have a landscape co. so if I can't sell them I'll incorperate them in some of my landscape jobs. I have never seen or knew of anyone that has E. ventricosum growing in this area inside or out so it should be a treat for my customers to have one ..... one way or the other it's going to be fun.. got to go now.....water,water,water.........................

I kind of did the same thing when I ordered 100 seeds and got about 95% germination. I have traded most of them for gingers, and other plants, but now I got about ten 15 gallon ones that I'm going to sell to a local nursery this spring.
I have heard the same thing about them suckering, but it's really not "suckering" because the plants come directly out of the corm(instead of from the sides like Musa). The Etheopians don't grow from seed, and always use this method for creating more plants. I guess you need at least a 3 year old plant, and you can cut it into sections or hollow out the stem(chopping the growing point), and fill it with soil. I tried the hollow out method with a E.v.maurelli that was in a five gallon pot(inside at the beginning of winter), and it died.
I'm going to try again this spring with another E.v.maurelli(15 gallon) so maybe I'll take some pics of my attempts, and post them.
They do really well if you store the chopped down corms in a cool place inside in the winter(I have heard), so they can make a great summer bedding plant.
Have fun growing them!

golly!!,.... a 15 gal. that'ts a big'un. anyway,..... if you have any foundlings let me know. ......i've got a regular plant orphanage here in indooor Bozeman.

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Cathy

Bozeman! Montana? I grew up in Kalispell MT., and moved to northern California a few years ago. But I did go back and plant some Phyllostachy bissetti in Whitefish MT.(It dies back most winters)