Idk, but did YOU know that basjoo is a hardy banana? Its hardy to like 10 degrees or something?

There fine mine here in zone 8 just came through a few days ago.All of mine are mush to the ground.Your suckers should show first then later maybe main plant.

I just saw 1 out of the 15 plants break through the mulch finally today. None of the others yet have popped though. It makes me feel better to at least see one coming up now.

Be patient, they will start to break if they haven't already.

Okay, today is May 31st. We have had many days in the 80s here. I have 1 plant that is a foot tall now, but the other 14 plants have not done anything. I dug up a corm to look at it and it is super firm. I broke it open and it crunched like a carrot when broken. The inside is white and looks like any other root when broken. It smells sweet. The roots are slimy coated, but when you pull the slimy outer coating off there is a firm white inner root in there.

I know I have probably ruined this one, but I really need some expert in here to help me please. When do I know these are dead? Why would one be a foot tall now and the others show no growth yet? How do I know if the corm is alive? This is really making me crazy wondering. They are all in the same area withing a few feet of each other.

Can someone help me to determine if these are dead or if they are just slow?

Pulling my hair out here.

Chris

I hope someone can help. Thanks!

Chris

They must be slow coming back. I have never overwintered a banana, but with cannas if the bulbs crunch when broken, its still alive and usually if you squeeze the rotten ones juice comes out. hope this helps. If it doesnt come up by mid-late july then its dead for sure. Most are up by mid june.

I wish I could add more than to be patient. It sounds as if the corms are just fine. Maybe someone knows a certain treatment of watering or fertilizing to "jump start" them. I am in the same boat. I had 3 dwarf cavendish and 1 basjoo overwintered in a basement. All died to the corm. All corms are firm and clean. NONE have growth. I remember last year just having to be patient but I didn't write it in my journal so I have no idea when it was. I have mine in pots and are probably way to dry. Otherwise I would go by tropicalzone7's advice on waiting time.

Just to give a bit of hope, my basjoo finally woke up. Just noticed it on Saturday and it is showing signs of vigorous growing. Also one of the potted cavendish is growing quickly. We had a week of high heat with no rain. Then we took on 3" in a few days. Then the bananas popped. As cannas and elephant ears are already growing well bananas appear to be the late tropical for my area.

Basjoos are hardy but not bulletproof. I occasionaly lose them overwinter. This year I lost one that had come back three years in a row.