Musa Basjoo vs Ensete Ventricosum Maurelii - How to Grow Banana Plants in UK Tropical Gardens

[@onemanfran]

I spent £70 on my musa basjoo...but there were a few reasons for it. First we have a big breeze block wall we want to hide quickly that is over 2.6m tall. Secondly it was a local seller who has been growing it for a few years and I wanted to support them. If I want more I'll take your advice and get smaller ones.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

That’s completely OK as you wanted that instant impact and I’m a big believer in supporting local or specialists. In fact my recent nursery tour video is all about that! Good luck with the banana and I hope it grows well did you this summer!

[@JH-fv1gq]

Had some mini mini bananas off my basjoo last year. In a pot 12ft high took 10 years to flower.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

That’s fantastic and I don’t think I’ve seen one flowering in a pot before! Well done 😃

[@wesleyhackney]

Nice video on 2 of my favorite tropical plants. I live in NW Florida in Pensacola and we Our banana plants in ground over winter. I cut mine back to 4 ft tall and place a tomato cage around them then fill it with leaves and put a bag over it to hold the leaves in and keep it dry. Then in early March I remove all that and watch them take off growing

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks! Nice one, similar to what we do with the basjoo then. What kind of low temps do you usually see in winter?

[@alexlalonde4190]

I bought one basjoo last year. Now i have 4...i will be giving some away to family. You can harvest one inch pup and it will grow with lots of humidity. Thanks for the video.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Nice one Alex, that is true. I generally say to wait longer as most people don’t give them optimal conditions but I’m sure they can grow from smaller pups. Great you’re sharing them around!

[@darrendavies4784]

I absolutely love your videos. Informative and passionate. I started off last summer with a chamerops humilis without knowing much. That same plant is now 3 times the size it was and I have since got 2 musa basjoos, an ensete maurelii, a collocaccia and some other bits, all waiting in the conservatory ready to start hardening off in the next couple of weeks.Your videos give me the inspiration and confidence to make something truly special in my little garden. Thank you 😊

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you for watching Darren and it’s great to hear they’ve inspired you! If you thought the Chamaerops grew fast then the Ensete will really impress you! Good to hear you’re planning to harden them off too, it does make a difference. Ensetes are quite tough but the Musas seem to get scorched very easily so it’s a worthwhile step. Good luck with it all, it sounds like you’ve got a great mix of plants!

[@lucamonopoli8101]

George you’re great man! Thanks for your advice.🙏🏼

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks for watching! 😃

[@vincenzecalzone8666]

Best money I've ever spent was my first musa basjoo. Many family members and friends have their own plants from offshoots. Ensete have been a joy. I'm a dry store only guy moving forwards after making my own mistakes. I find the lasiocarpa really easy to overwinter (even this winter) outdoors in my raised beds with a simple fleece cover. Coming back strong. Really good underplanting option to the basjoo and the sikhamensis. Love your ensete collection. I'm cluster planting these this year in a four some. We'll see how that plays out. Your videos are super as always. Cheers 👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks and it’s great to hear you’ve shared the basjoo love around! Very interesting to know about Lasiocarpa, I wouldn’t have thought it would have made it through this winter outdoors! Is it quite sheltered? I’m looking forward to seeing your cluster planting 😃

[@vincenzecalzone8666]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Cheers. The lasiocarpa is in my banana raised bed, each main stem wrapped in simple fleece. Starting to grow back nicely. Maybe the raised bed helps but it's not sheltered in any way. 👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@vincenzecalzone8666 Very interesting, thanks, I’ll maybe give another one a go next year!

[@mamoonrouf]

Brilliant video George,Its exactly what I was looking for!I'm a banana plant virgin hopefully will get my first one this year.

[@HoneyMarketingBoard]

Watch out for the sunburn, I only put mine in th e garden for one day and lost 3 leaves. (Me nana virgin too)

[@mamoonrouf]

@@HoneyMarketingBoard I searched all my local garden centres none for sale,I might have to buy it from ebay I definitely want to try growing this year!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@HoneyMarketingBoard Hardening them off is definitely a lesson you learn. In a couple of months you’ll never know it even had those leaves though. It could have been frost damage too but it sounds like you’ve got away with it!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks! You might find more in garden centres next month. I got my small ones from Turn it Tropical but they’re out of stock this week. They’ll have more soon though I’m sure!

[@DoyleBros03]

@@mamoonrouf try Etsy

[@kendy123456789]

Hi George, I had about 8 Musa Bajo in my garden 7 were new last year, and 1 is from the previous year, I protected all with fleece but all of them rotted to nothing visible apart from a minute base stump, I really am not hopeful , but your comments about the roots is giving me hope. The 2 year old musa is about a 5 ft stump, I had cut all the leaves off in autumn but everything is so far behind what it looked like this time last year. I also have a Ensete, (second attempt) the winter before I potted it up and brought inside and after cutting leaves, I did water it and it started to grow, got to January and disaster as you stated. I got another 1 last summer and this winter I cleaned the roots off covered it in sulphur and put it in a box in the wardrobe in spare room. I actually forgot about it. At the start of April I found it potted it up and it’s steadily growing again but small, I am convinced it is witch craft as to how it can start to grow again from what it looked like.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, this spring has been a very cold one so everything is behind unfortunately. I hope they make it through, they get tougher as they get bigger but it’s worth seeing what warmer weather brings! You’re completely right with the Ensete, I literally gave mine some fresh compost and a bit of water three weeks ago and it’s like flicking a switch, crazy how they go from being dried out like that to growing in no time at all!

[@gabriellawinters7855]

Amazing thank you for all this info - subscribed!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much Gabriella, I’m pleased you enjoyed it 😊

[@robertgrant008]

Thank you 😊

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks, I'm pleased you got something from it!

[@1goodlordful]

Your topic is super helpful! Knowing that the Ensete Maurellii doesn’t produce pups, so I got it for my front flower bed. The Musa basjoo is in my backyard in Chicago. Thanks!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Ella, that’s great thanks! It’s amazing you’ve got a banana in your front yard too, very cool 😃

[@danwilson5160]

Have you tried Musella lasiocarpa and Musa sikkimensis? Seeing them sold quite often too, but not sure of the advantages of them vs the basjoo and maurellii.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

I have indeed! They’re both nice plants and the Sikkimensis do have lovely colours. I don’t think they’re quite as hardy as basjoo but seem to take the wind better. Lasiocarpa is a smaller plant, nothing wrong with it but they take a few years to flower and in my experience are a bit trickier to overwinter, you can’t really dry store them as well but equally they don’t do well ticking over in a polytunnel. The basjoo and Ensete are more ‘reliable’ choices for me but I’m sure I’ll add the other two back in time.

[@raymooney2986]

Great video George just love banana plants so much

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Ray, one of my favourites too, it’s mad how well they grow here!

[@ironian24]

can you grow Musa basjoo in a very large pot?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

You can indeed, they can actually grow surprisingly large even in a medium sized pot with a good bit of feed!

[@onestophoopshop8978]

Great video as ever, thank you. When you say pups..... can these be divided off and raised separately ?

[@garethvanderwesthuyzen6420]

Hold off as long as you can, allowing the pups to develop their own root system whilst still attached to the parent plant. They will likely be a couple of foot with 4/5 leaves when ready. To detach, use a sharp knife under the soil level and as close to the parent plant as you can.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@garethvanderwesthuyzen6420 Great advice and a very good point about not cutting them off too early!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks! Gareth has given some great advice below. You can only do this with the Basjoo, not the Ensete, dividing that involves sacrificing the main plant and isn’t something I’d recommend without a good bit of research!

[@arthusiast]

Pot is not an option for me, cannot bring indoors in winters due to space constraints. Also the cost vs care over winter appears to me personally to get a new plant close to summer each year, enjoy its growth in summer, leave it outdoors in winter, if it survives great, doesnt, will get a new one. How much ground space shld I leave for either of these plants?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

That’s understandable then and in that case I’d go with a basjoo. It’ll form a clump maybe 2m across in the medium-long term but I wouldn’t say you have to leave that much space initially.

[@emmagunston446]

Thanks so, so much George for yet another wonderfully informative video. I have 2 musa basjoo on pre order, which are 3 to 4 foot already. I'm now slightly terrified! 😂😂😂 Best not tell the hubby eh?! I will be growing them in pots and praying they make it through the winter with your expert guidance 🙏

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you Emma, lovely of you to say and I appreciate your donation too! Haha he doesn’t need to know! They’re a bit slower in pots so don’t worry, they won’t get out of control! The size you’ve got is a great choice for instant impact this year! Do you have a greenhouse or garage to put them in if it gets really cold in winter?

[@jaminns3801]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden hi George, same situation got a musa 4ft on order. Planning on pot growing. Big planter I’ve got is pretty big 60cm square. How long before it outgrows a pot like that? If it’s 4ft now what would you expect by the end of the summer in a pot?

[@emmagunston446]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden you are VERY welcome 😃 Yes we have a garage and a roof covered gazebo which is next to the garage wall, doesn't have sides though. Do you think that would be ok?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@jaminns3801 Hi, it depends on watering and feeding etc but it should grow a couple of feet and put a good few leaves out. You can get a big banana plant in a relatively small pot so it’ll certainly be fine this year at least, just keep on top of the feeding when it warms up.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@emmagunston446 😊 If you can still give it some protection it should be OK. It’s hard to give black and white advice as it depends on the severity and duration of the winter cold but I’ll put up a vid nearer the time. Worst case, just keep it on the drier side and it should be OK in the garage for any cold spells.

[@james040773]

Hi George I've just bought a small 1litre pot Ensete I've got it on my windowsill. Do I keep it indoors in 1 litre pot or transport it to a bigger pot I've accidentally given it some water and the leaves are starting to uncurl from the stem. 🤔🤔

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, yes, I’d keep it inside now, don’t give it too much water for another month or so, just a few drips every week maybe (but it depends how it’s growing when you get it). If you’re watering it then it wants to be somewhere bright and warm too ideally and it’ll soon pick up into growth, it’s just about slowing things down as best case it’ll be two months or so before it can go outside, maybe three.

[@james040773]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden thankyou so much 🤩🌿🌿🌿 I think I need patience 🤔in my head it's spring already in Wales lol

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@james040773 Haha no worries! It is nearly spring but there’s a gap between spring and being able to plant tender plants out unfortunately. It’ll soon be here though!

[@stevenstuart4813]

Do they like fish fertilizer?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, yes, that should work just fine. They're greedy plants and generally speaking appreciate most fertilisers in larger amounts over summer!

[@plantloony]

Could I dry store ensette in a cupboard under the stairs that where I dry store dahlia tubers. Thanks.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

I suppose so, yes, the crucial thing is to ensure it’s dry enough first.

[@regalportraits3921]

Thanks - Excellent Info! Can you probagate the ensete if it doesn't clump?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you! You can... but it involves sacrificing a plant and cutting the base of the trunk into pieces!

[@larryclaffy1948]

I cut up two plants that were a year old, roughly 5" diameter, last fall into 4 pcs each. So of the 8 pcs. only 4 made starts but now i have 25 starts from the two plants.

[@glenludlow9188]

Hiya George. One of my maurelii looks like it's got the strangles do I need to cut it back ? If so how far down the stem do I need to go ? Thanks. Glen

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Glen, personally I’ve always chopped the top inch or so of ‘trunk’ off and they’ve come back well. They’ll send new leaves out in no time.

[@eddiealexander3080]

Hi George, do the Ensete have pups? My Musa and Cavendish do so I can get a lot of extra plants. Was wondering if the Ensete do?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Eddie, unfortunately not. To get them to pup you have to sacrifice the adult plant and chop the corm up into sections. You can grow the plain green Ventricosum from seed though.

[@eddiealexander3080]

Thanks George, done a bit more research and you’re of course spot on as usual. When would be the best time to chop up the corm? Cheers

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@eddiealexander3080 Hi, it only works with bigger plants so are you absolutely sure you want to do it? Small Ensete cost £4/5 in spring so it could be worth hanging onto a bigger plant!

[@Jdnfbdbjf]

Have you ever attempted to grow musa basjoo in shade? Because I’ve read they can actually perform better and I’m considering planting mine in dappled shade this year

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@tztz3621 Great to hear you’ve had success, I was going to say the same! I’d love a sheltered woodland garden with some in!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Ben, as it says below, there’s definite benefits in terms of the leaf colour - I’d absolutely go for it in dappled shade and that’s where my largest clump is planted now. I’d love to grow them in a dappled woodland clearing, they’d look amazing, get really tall and their leaves wouldn’t be as ripped as they get in an open garden. I still think they technically grow faster in full sun with all other factors equal but could well look better in shade!

[@Jdnfbdbjf]

@@tztz3621 thanks for the response I am currently acclimating mine into shade and it’s good to know that it’ll be ok.

[@Jdnfbdbjf]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden that would look amazing and I noticed last year my basjoo didn’t enjoy full summer sun as it wilted easy and the leaves got fried on occasion

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@Jdnfbdbjf It should be fine in full sun, was the damage mainly at the start of the season or just really fine damage visible close up? Could it have needed more water / feed too? Either way definitely give a shaded one a go too 👍

[@susanhoward47]

Thank you for another interesting video George.I took your advice and successfully growing Cannas and Dhalias from seed.No joy with the Tetrapanax or bananas from seeds though.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Susan and great to hear your dahlias and cannas are doing well! I’ve heard it’s critical for the Tetrapanax seeds to be fresh and I know some bananas can have quite specific germination temperature requirements so don’t feel it’s something you’ve done wrong! You might find that a bit of sun and some warmer temperatures over the next month could help though, fingers crossed!

[@omarfarouk6239]

Hi George, Finding your channel really informative and helpful so thanks alot . Its probably a little ealry for it but any ideas of when you'll be doing the detailed video of how you over-winter the Ensete please? 🙏

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Omar, that’s great, thanks for watching! I’ll try and get some overwintering vids on how I do it over the next few weeks 😃

[@Moneyfriendcy]

How big would an ensete grow in a climate like cyprus we have winter loss of 10 at night and 18 in the day , I'm thinking very big . I can grow a Cavendish no problem all year no protection

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Very nice, I'm jealous! They'll definitely get huge, if you do a google image search of large Ensete or similar phrases you'll get an idea. In theory you'd be able to see them through to flowering and get an awesome tree-like banana at that point!

[@Moneyfriendcy]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden I will keep you updated on my channel I do love these plants 🪴 been growing for 15 years I the uk so excited to see now what I can grow .

[@yvetteclayton3773]

Hi George, Wow i want some banana plants, is horse manure good for tropical plants ?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, yes, it certainly is, well rotted horse manure is great! (As long as the grass they are isn’t treated with anything harmful and it’s not full of weeds!)

[@yvetteclayton3773]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden good i can get plenty of that free we live next to paddocks, infact our house is called the paddock, they asked if we would let there horses graze on our paddock, sadly i refused as we have 6 dogs and they wouldn't leave the horses alone.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@yvetteclayton3773 I don’t blame you! If it’s free then go for it, it wants to be well rotted before you use it on your garden though.

[@HoneyMarketingBoard]

Just dug up my Musa, sunburn.... who knew. Its Back in my greenhouse now.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

It’s definitely been a frustrating spring but it’ll likely be the result of shock as the soft leaves will likely have been grown inside and not used to the sun. It’ll be fine I’m sure 😊

[@HoneyMarketingBoard]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden its still outside and doing ok now, I have put up a beech wind break around it. I have also just recieved today an ensette v. I have a tropical greenhouse 20 at night 30 in the day, would i be able to pot up the ensette and keep it in the greenhouse with growing light and no water through winter.......

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@HoneyMarketingBoard Wow, do you heat it to those temperatures all the way through winter? Personally I’ve never grown them that way as it’s a lot of expense and effort when they can be stored inside etc quite easily but I guess you could! If I had that setup there’s probably some more tropical varieties I’d be trying though!

[@waynepeake5683]

hi George what if your soil is clay like .would it be a case of just building up top soil and manura ?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

You’ve got it Wayne, manure / soil conditioner and the way forward!

[@LapresOfficial]

I'd love to know where you might find them. I've been searching all of our local garden centres and even online but with very little luck. Any suggestions would be welcome.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, which one? They should both be stocked at most big garden centres at this time of year!

[@songstewart2606]

Hi lapses. I got musa banana today in Lidl cost £2.49 if you quick you can get one.

[@LapresOfficial]

@@songstewart2606 I know what I'm doing tomorrow!! Thank you so very much!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@songstewart2606 They’re very likely to be Dwarf Cavendish, which won’t like temperatures much under 10 degrees and will only really be OK outside from June - September unfortunately!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@LapresOfficial They’re very likely to be Dwarf Cavendish, which won’t like temperatures much under 10 degrees and will only really be OK outside from June - September unfortunately!

[@karan-kob]

I like Ensete.. 😊😊

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

They are amazing plants 😃

[@haroldbetterson1877]

One of my over wintered musa wilted last month I’ve left the pot in the greenhouse, should I leave it to reshoot or give up. Thanks 🙈

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Do you know what situation made it wilt in the first place? If the whole stem is wilted then I’d chop it back until you can see green / yellow in the middle (rather than brown), it should quickly grow back from there in the greenhouse.

[@haroldbetterson1877]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden I think it was the cold snap a couple of weeks ago. I keep chopping it back to green and nothing happens 😔

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@haroldbetterson1877 If there’s green when you chop it back there’s a good chance it will grow with enough heat (like in your greenhouse on a sunny day) but I guess it depends how much exposure to the cold it had. I hope it pulls through over the next couple of weeks for you!

[@lukedowthwaite7814]

Where to buy them? I’ve struggled in the past!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Luke, apologies, I'm sure I replied to this comment but nothing is showing! Did you get sorted OK?

[@ARW.7]

Hey George - I’m guessing it’s best leaving pups there for a bit to let them grow before taking cuttings off the Basjoo? I’m keen to pot some up now I’ve got some shoots coming out the ground. Guessing best to leave them in the ground now until maybe next spring to see off this winter?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Sorry for the delayed reply, yes leave them on for a bit until they're a foot or so high at least. Are you sure you want to remove them or would you prefer a bigger clump? You could always take one in a month or so to be overwintered somewhere warmer as an 'insurance policy'.

[@ARW.7]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks for the reply! Well for two reasons I guess, 1 is the boarder my basjoo is in probably can’t cope with their full size especially with shoots. 2nd being I want to have them in other parts of the garden like on the deck in a pot. So I think your suggest is best - leave them in the ground, see how the shoots get on and take one out in a couple of months to see how it goes over wintering in a pot etc. No rush to get the pups out the ground. I’ll definitely leave some to fully grow out though.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@ARW.7 Nice one, that should work well. A nice little clump with others dotted around, I hope they grow well for you this summer!

[@ejk181186]

Is it possible to divide a musa basjoo once it has multiple trunks into seperate plants?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

It is indeed but it’s worth waiting until they’re a foot or two high first, smaller ones aren’t always as successful. Also it’s worth thinking whether they’d look better as a bigger clump and you might be better picking up another small plant rather than affecting your existing one...

[@tranqi]

very nice video, thank you :D

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks for watching 😃

[@oliverbrown1804]

I grow a lot of bananas. Many varieties eg blue java and hopefully I’ll have a variegated ensete soon!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Nice one, one of my friends has a couple of Blue Java’s, not sure what he’s going to do with them when they outgrow his greenhouse! Is it a variegated Ensete from Turn it Tropical?

[@oliverbrown1804]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden yeah I’m hoping to get it from turnitntropcial but if not I have a back up. Blue java are arguably one of the best. Apart from maybe the aeaes. Ywah mines getting bigger everyday. But I’m just hoping it fruits before it hits the top of my polytunnel.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@oliverbrown1804 Cool, I’ve tried a few types but nothing too experimental or demanding until I’ve got a greenhouse here! I hope you’ve got room to see it fruit too, how tall is your polytunnel?

[@oliverbrown1804]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden My polytunnel is only 14 ft tall. So it will be a bit tight. However, bananas max height varies. I’ve seen varieties fruit slightly smaller than there max height. I’m hoping that as I’m in the UK it will fruit at a slightly smaller height. I think blue java max height is 15 ft anwyas. But if not I’ll always be happy with pups. Defo get a polytunnel or a greenhouse. My season started 2 weeks ago with all the heat in the poly. It’s heated over nights but still. It’s well worth the investment.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@oliverbrown1804 Fingers crossed for you then! I’ve got a polytunnel on the go at the minute but I’m hopefully getting a greenhouse delivered later on in summer 😃

[@fluffypenguin6695]

Holy crap your channel is growing congrats! Oh Quick question what's your editing software?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks, it’s great to see so many people interested in growing the kind of plants I particularly enjoy and appreciating the work that goes into it! I’ve started using Adobe Premier Pro this year but I know I’m only scratching the surface of what can be done with it!

[@filthybleeder]

Picked up a sorry looking Dwarf Cavendish at the clearance section in B+Q dry as a bone so drove home and realised i forgot half the stuff I actually went there for. 😄

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Oops 😂 I’m sure you won’t be the first or last person to get distracted like that!

[@rizmirza1829]

Thanks George, great video, I've got both. Made a rookie mistake with the Maurelli and tried to winter it outside. Disaster it died. Going to plant one again. Wanted to ask you , how should I dig it up in October to dry store? Without damaging the roots

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks and don’t beat yourself up, you’ll soon get another up to the same size. You don’t need to worry about the roots, just chop them right back, I only leave enough on so they help it balance in a pot just a bit bigger than the trunk. It’ll regrow new roots very quickly when you add the water in spring.

[@davidmackie7473]

Thanks George another informative video which as a novice to Tropical gardening again helps me to change my previously traditional garden to a more exotic look, I was wondering if you had any plans to cover the growing of Gingers ? Have started a few I bought from Farmer Gracy earlier but there taking a age to get going they have a few shoots but seem slow in the extreme to get moving so looking for advice. They are currently in a heated greenhouse.

[@setthegooseloose]

Hi Dave, I’m sure George will reply soon, but from my experience on the whole they are late starters. I have a couple outside in large plastic tubs (Greenaii & Assam orange), both have four or five new shoots an inch high. In my unheated gh I’ve a couple of others (shaving brush being one) in dry compost still awaiting their first shoots. When the shoots appear, that’s when I give them a bit of water and soon after put them outside (frost permitting!). The former two don’t seem to be too fussed about colder temperatures, hope this helps! When planting in compost though, make sure the “knuckle” of the rhizome is just above the surface.

[@davidmackie7473]

@@setthegooseloose Thanks Kev I have Assam also and like yours its only just over a inch or so high but seemed to be moving very slowly which made me wonder if I was doing something wrong but from your rep.y seems like it's just the way they start off, thanks for the reply.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@setthegooseloose Hi Kev, that’s great advice, thanks. They definitely need a bit of patience!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi David and thanks. As Kev said, they do tend to start a bit later, especially if you’ve bought them new and dry this year. I got some from Farmer Gracy too and nothing yet but they will take some consistent warmth to get moving. The heated greenhouse will help but they might also need a good warm spell to push them on.

[@davidmackie7473]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks George noted.

[@jimbailey3705]

Oh, I do have a question! Should I cut off the lower leaves on my banana plants as they start looking bad?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

You can do, no problem, they’ll soon grow new ones!

[@jimbailey3705]

Put my plug plants onto my south-facing window ledges in the end. They are really growing well. Very encouraging to see how tall the ensetes could get from starting as tiny plants! They are annoyingly getting attacked by aphids. The ladybirds I put on them do nothing, so just washing the aphids off all the time 😩

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Great they’re growing well and I’m having the same battles with aphids but refuse to use anything other than water. Only a few more weeks and they can go outside and then the aphids are less of a problem!

[@jimbailey3705]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden yeah, I hope it won’t take much longer for the good weather to arrive. I’m just washing them off with water too, but it’s such a chore as I bought 50 plug plants 🪴. It’s very helpful to see how big they might get outdoors in the first (and later) seasons, as I need to decide where to plant them all!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@jimbailey3705 Me too! It’ll get much easier once they’re out and planted! Wow, 50 plants! I’m presuming they’re not all bananas?

[@jimbailey3705]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden also cannas, and other tender tropical plants. Not all bananas! 😅 But I might still have too many bananas. I thought they wouldn’t all survive. But so far i haven’t killed any! Just started planting some this weekend as they are getting root bound and I’m not got to repot them all.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@jimbailey3705 Nice one! Yes, get them in while it’s grey and drizzly, it gives them an easier transition to outdoors. I’m sure it’ll look amazing in no time!

[@ukpalmtrees232]

What size pot would you recommend I use for each ?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, depends on what size plants you’re starting with but they’ll both grow faster in a bigger pot and you can soon repot the Ensete into a smaller pot for overwintering anyway.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Maybe 30-70l, somewhere round there?

[@longleypeter6928]

great vidio very helpful

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Peter!

[@MrS-pe9fv]

Hi George Really informative. Do you know where Ensete and musa can be bought? I’m based in Northampton U.K. and haven’t seen them in any garden centres, do they generally need to be bought on Amazon or ebay?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you! Generally a lot of online sellers do them and if it’s you I’ve just replied to on FB it’s well worth looking on there. You might struggle to get large plants at sensible money but they both grow pretty quickly.

[@songstewart2606]

Hi from Exeter. I just brought musa banana today tall about 1 ft. Just want advice as I haven’t got space in the garden.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, you could keep it potted? 😃

[@songstewart2606]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden thank you will try both way.

[@vicstee482]

I tried to dry store my first ensete this year. It was fine a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday i got it out to pot up and it has gone all mouldy and didnt look good at all. On the plus side all my colocasias stored with it have all started sprouting without me starting them off!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

It it feels firm it should be OK, get it somewhere warm. Have you moved it to somewhere too humid or given it too much water too soon, that could be the issue? Good news on the Colocasia though, they’re definitely ready to go!

[@mpainthebuilding7360]

I bought the Ensete last summer and cut the leaves off and over wintered in the green house after checking it it rotted away I’m tempted to buy one again but leave it out and cover the plants over winter, should you cut the leaves off on the first year?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, unfortunately in some colder winters an unheated greenhouse just isn’t enough protection for them. In all honesty I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out, some kind of dry storing is the only method I’ve had or know others have had good success rates with.

[@mpainthebuilding7360]

I did fleece and hessian wrapped it thought that be enough but it just rotted.

[@mpainthebuilding7360]

Do you cut the leaves off in the first year ?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@mpainthebuilding7360 Yes, unfortunately it’s not enough unless you have a very mild winter - it might have been too damp too. I chop all the leaves and roots off every year.

[@mpainthebuilding7360]

@ George’s Jungle Garden thank you for answering my questions really appreciate it. 👍🏼

[@louisegalloway1016]

Great video! I am brand new to tropicals and have just bought a small ensete maurelli in a 1litre pot. I’m planning on keeping it in a plastic pot inside a terracotta pot so i can easily bring it in over winter. My question is, how big a pot do I pot in on to? Do i gradually go bigger or go straight to a large pot?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi and thanks Louise! With Ensete you can go straight up to a big pot (30lt or even bigger) to get a lot of growth this year. Then when it’s time to bring it in, you can chop a lot of the roots off and keep it in a smaller pot over winter - that way it stays drier. It doesn’t hurt the plant and I’ll do a video nearer the time 😊

[@louisegalloway1016]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks for replying that’s really helpful!!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@louisegalloway1016 No worries 😃

[@steverichardson4374]

Iv got one will definitely get the other one

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Nice one Steve, it’s a plan!

[@craigrogers3864]

Got a Musa Basjoo on order! 🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Nice one Craig 😃

[@adrianjennison4123]

Hi George I would be grateful if you could say where you get your plants at the price you state several times I’ve gone on line and can’t find the prices you state. Ie about 5.99 for the small banana plant thanks .adrian

[@rehomedwithlove]

I got my Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' Plug Plants from Turn it tropical, they were £4 each when you buy 2 or more, they dont have any left at the minute but you could contact them and ask if they will be getting any more.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@rehomedwithlove Where I got my plugs from too Shane!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Adrian, like Shane I also got mine from Turn it Tropical. It’s worth signing up so you get a message when new stock arrives.

[@suzannesmith9668]

Hi George, I’ve just bought my first Miss Basjoo. It’s about 2ft tall in a small pot. Can I leave it in a (bigger) pot? Also, overwintering-the fence is 2 meters tall and although I love the height that it can grow to, I need to restrict it a little-do I do that by cutting off some of the height of the stem/s and covering it with fleece? When should I do both of these things? Thanks Sue

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Sue, nice one! You can keep it in a big pot if you want, I've actually just put a vid up that might help you. That will slow the growth down too, it's a shame to have to chop them back but you can if you need to. Personally I'd chop it back a bit at the back end of the season for winter protection then a bit more in early spring (they always lose a bit of stem when overwintering). You want to wrap it up before the first hard frosts in your area.

[@regalportraits3921]

Thanks George - your tropical garden knowledge has really helped me. You have totally kick started me into being an avid tropical gardener. I can't thank you enough. I do have one question - your audio is fantastic, what clip on or shotgun microphone do you use? Thanks so much!!!!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks, that’s an amazing comment and great to hear! Thanks, it’s currently done with a basic Rode micro mic (which is why I’m usually quite close), I do have a clip on one that I intend to use more for clips where I’m actually doing stuff! I’d love the top Rode Pro+ but I can’t justify spending that much right now, maybe one day!

[@cake-diver8991]

you should totally do a "Where's Max" competition and see if we can find him in the jungle

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Haha yes, we’ll see 😂

[@skajdius8056]

Hey George, Cool Video!! but where do you get banana plugs from, ive never seen them anywhere?! thanks :)

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks! I got mine from Turn it Tropical this year 👍

[@skajdius8056]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Brilliant, ill go look now, thanks.

[@skajdius8056]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden The banana i brought last year, which was advertised as a musa basjoo, im not sure it is, its red!! any ideas, i thought musa basjoo were green?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@skajdius8056 I think he’s out of stock temporarily but should get some back in very soon!

[@skajdius8056]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks George.

[@setthegooseloose]

Hi George, thanks for the video(s)! When growing either Basjoo or ensette in pots, what compost mix (JI 3, perlite etc) do you recommend?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, personally I’d go for a good multipurpose but the JI3 should be fine. The Ensete especially won’t be in a pot as long as a palm etc so something light enough to get their roots into but also high in nutrients would be great. I used to add some manure and chicken manure pellets to the mix too! Personally I wouldn’t go for perlite as the drainage shouldn’t be an issue for the summer months an Ensete is potted up, so retaining the water is more helpful.

[@andreaspetrilli]

Great informative video!!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Andreas 😃

[@roseedmands591]

Thanks for the informative video! I’ve just bought one of each kind and looking forward to planting them when our garden had had a makeover in a few weeks. I think we’re going to plant them in planters / sleepers, do you have a link to the soil or compost you’d recommend buying for them? Thank you! :)

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Rose, that sounds great! To be honest any good multipurpose should be fine, they’re not too fussy. I used to use Jacks Magic but generally go peat free now. Good luck with them 😃

[@roseedmands591]

Thanks George! I’m all new to outdoor plants and gardening to it’s really helpful :) looking forward to watching more of your videos

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@roseedmands591 Thank you Rose, good luck with your project and I’m sure you’ll find they’ll grow faster than you expect when we get some warm weather!

[@palmamiodbia2753]

Siemka super! 😁 🇵🇱

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks 😃 All the best with your garden plans for this year!

[@maple494]

we had some warm weather (+17°C) last week and i decided to buy and plant a tiny musa basjoo but we got a very unexpected -2°C temps during night and it became brown and collapsed, but when i kinda removed the mulch i saw that its trunk was still green. can it redeem itself? please help :-D

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

If you covered it, you should have got away it. Unfortunately it’s still a bit early to plant them out but we have had an exceptionally cold April this year. Personally I’d keep it fleeced / covered the next few nights when frosts may be likely but then I’d chop the stem back until you can see green in the middle (if the stem has collapsed). If it’s firm with green / yellow in the middle it should grow from that point pretty soon when it warms up.

[@maple494]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden the whole plant is just a couple inches tall and here we shouldn't see any temperatures below zero, i cut the leaves off and there is just the stem left, i guess i'll keep it mulched so it stays warm. hopefully it begins to grow as the weather warms up, cheers!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@maple494 No worries, hopefully we’re only a few weeks away from it now!

[@pawelgrabowski3936]

Hello my friend from NYC

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Pawel and thanks for stopping by! 😃

[@colincruickshanks7578]

TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH AFTER I was using liquid seaweed half strength once a week with a "3 bags for" deal bought from a well known megastore's own brand potting soil. Never again. I slowly lost seedlings, young plants and some plug plants. 3 early planted hanging baskets growing under protection gradually went into decline one of which died. I abandoned it to a dry corner and after a week I noticed a grey/white deposit covering the surface of the baskets growing medium. I tasted it and it was salt. I had heard the often dismissed rumours that seaweed fertiliser may on occasion contain to varying degrees, remarkable amounts of salt. So many factors are involved that may contribute to it's concentration. As for the potting medium upon reading the small print I discovered a highly substantial amount of 'peat alternative' -domestic garden waste, made up the contents. That was why this growing medium had lots of lumps and 'Bits' I had to pick out and just didn't look nor smell like the stuff I was used to. We weren't advised to wear gloves untill just several recent years ago, I wonder why? In reality many people do put some rather disgusting things in their green trash recycling bins. Not just unhygienic I mean potentially harmful things and substances. I've overheard conversations and people have said so to me. I've seen it too. And it isn't always the householders blame. The rubbish bins are too inadequate and emptied 2 or 3 times less every month now than before only a few years ago. Past 'use by' dated meat, Rancid cheese, Bloody bandages, Phlegm covered tissues, contents of nappies and dog faeces, small deceased mammals and dead birds to name just a few, have to go somewhere and if all the other trash is already overflowing? We all don't own Vehicles to transport the unwanted to the municipal dump. Yuck! And the local authorities can't compost all of it all of the time exacty throughout huge heaps consistently. It is variable. So it has to be oftentimes sold off partially raw. And the recycled construction wood derived products shredded and added to potting soil doesn't look composted; it's too clean a white colour. God knows what gets through ending up in our gardens in a semi decomposed state. The salt that was poisoning my plants had to have come from the potting mix and /or perhaps the seaweed concentrate.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Completely agree with you that recycled waste needs to be thoroughly composted before it's used - it's important that green waste is recycled but like you say, the proper procedures and timescales need to be followed! You were brave to taste it! As for liquid seaweed, I believe the salt content varies between brands but I've personally not noticed any issues. One factor that may have contributed to your seedlings not making it is that you used a multipurpose compost rather than a seed specific one, I think as peat is replaced with more recycled products this will become a bigger issue as the peat substitutes are often clumpier and can dry out quickly - which definitely make it difficult for seedlings and young plants.

[@Omlittlebuddha]

I never have any success with storing Ensete plants over winter 😢

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

How do you store them?

[@Omlittlebuddha]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden I dig them up, remove soil, turn them upside down for a few weeks then wrap fleece and put in my shed for the winter. Followed monty don’s instructions to the letter ☹️

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@Omlittlebuddha There’s two factors there that may cause issues (not to contradict Monty but his storage area might be different). Firstly you need somewhere frost free that gets a bit of protection from the cold and there’s a chance it might just be too cold in your shed - I lost a good sized one in an external garage a few years ago. If he has a building next to his house it’s probably 5-10 degrees all winter whereas you shed could easily go below zero when it’s been -3 to -5 for long periods. The other thing is the fleece, personally I would wrap the banana plant with it as you need the airflow to dry it out and bring wrapped will increase the humidity which will then lead to rot with the cold. Is there somewhere a bit warmer you could keep it without it actually being inside your house?

[@Omlittlebuddha]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden thank you very much. I did wrap them in fleece but they were in the shed up my allotments, maybe the greenhouse would be better.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@Omlittlebuddha The greenhouse may be as the temps will probably be warmer during the days. Unfortunately extended subzero temperatures might be too much for these even with fleece (you ideally want to keep them dry which needs good airflow too) so they may need to be somewhere warmer than both.

[@stella8705]

Great video as always, you need your own show on t.v.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Stella, KZbin is enough while I get better at these things! 😃

[@devbachu7072]

I have this plant the best tropical an expensive plants I have them I sell an grow need sun water anvfoof

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

They're lovely plants and definitely grow well with lots of sun and water!

[@tranqi]

now go on on the list :D en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musa_(genus)#Species

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Yes, there’s loads of different types and it’ll be exciting to see more enter cultivation over here 😃

[@cacogenicist]

It's wierd to compare those two species. They arent even in the same genus. One is obviously far more cold hardy than the other. One is a banana, and the other one isn't.